How Many of You Guys Use iTunes Match?

[Macwick]

The main distinction is how you access your music.

With iTunes Match, you can download your music on other devices you are signed in to, and get a full DRM-free version.

With Apple Music, downloading your songs on your other devices will simply download an Apple Music version, which is basically a DRM'ed version. Cancel your subscription and the songs are no longer playable.

In either case, your music on your source computer should remain untouched.

Thanks, that's very helpful. A few other questions:

What happens if you cancel your iTunes Match subscription? Will existing matched/uploaded songs still be available DRM-free on other devices? Or will all downloads now be Apple Music DRM files?

What happens if you buy a song while you're subscribed to Apple Music and iTunes Match? Will the song be available on other devices 'permanently' (DRM free) or only as long as you're an AM subscriber?

I'm thinking at this point the safest thing to do is maintain my iTunes Match subscription so that the music I own is always available to me, while using AM just to try out new music (and if I like it I will buy it and add it to my Match library).

 

[Macwick]

Thanks, that's very helpful. A few other questions:

What happens if you buy a song while you're subscribed to Apple Music and iTunes Match? Will the song be available on other devices 'permanently' (DRM free) or only as long as you're an AM subscriber?

Well, just tested this. I purchased a song and it is available DRM-free on all devices. I presume this is because I still have an iTunes Match subscription.

 

[Tech198]

Can you help me understand this @kastorff ? I have been a Match subscriber for years and just signed up for AM. I'm trying to understand why I would possibly want to keep Match, if 'iCloud Music Library' will allow me to listen to my existing purchased/matched music on all devices.

I know that Apple has a page explaining this, but I must be slow as I still don't get the distinctions. Any insight you can provide would be greatly appreciated!
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Hrm not to answer my own question, but Apple's page states the following about iCloud Music Library:

"We make these matched songs available to your other computers or devices in high quality 256 Kbps AAC, and they can be played on them only while your Apple Music membership is active."

So does this mean:

1) I sign up for AM as an existing iTunes Match subscriber with ~20k songs uploaded/matched.
2) These matched songs are 'converted' to Apple Music 'matched/uploaded' songs.
3) If/when I ever cancel my AM subscription, I lose access to these songs on all devices?

And if this is the case, will this *not* happen if I keep my iTunes Match subscription? Ugh, so confusing.

....Which means "only when it's active" it means u will only have that music while have an active Apple music subscription. Thus, if u cancel u'll loose that music..

Itunes match is still a separate service... regardless.... The only benefit u'll get is if u have both services together, matched songs will become DRM-free. but it's still a separate service.. so even if u choose to cancel Apple music, but keep iTunes Match u'll still loose to Apple music songs, and any song matched on iTunes store which iTunes match always did... u will keep.

 

[Paco II]

Purchased songs will always be available DRM-free, even without iTunes Match. To your other question: if you are using iTunes Match, and download your songs on another device, those songs should not be affected if you cancel iTunes Match.

As far as I can tell, there are only two or three reasons to pay for both services:

1. You must be able to download your songs DRM-free on other devices.

2. Song matching is supposedly better with iTunes match than with just Apple Music

3. You want Apple Music but also want to be able to 'upgrade' your current library to a higher bit rate.

Probably overlooking something, but in general there aren't too many reasons to pay for both services.

Well, just tested this. I purchased a song and it is available DRM-free on all devices. I presume this is because I still have an iTunes Match subscription.