iTunes Match for 2 users on one Mac???

[PammyLam]

Does anyone know how to use iTunes Match for two separate users on one Mac? My husband and I each have a user account on our iMac. Our iTunes libraries are completely separate (wildly different musical tastes). We each have one iPhone 4S and one iPad 2. Our iOS devices are tied to our own Apple IDs. The iMac is the only thing we share.

He set up his match first. Everything went fine. I went to set up my match, and it tells me that "This device is already associated with an Apple ID." It freaking asks me if I still want to pay my 25 bucks knowing that I won't be able to use the service!!! What?!?!

If this isn't just some bug and is really how the service is intended to operate it is completely unacceptable. You can't really tell me that I either have to get another Mac or I'm out of luck.

I would appreciate any and all ideas.

 

[Coleman2010]

Does anyone know how to use iTunes Match for two separate users on one Mac? My husband and I each have a user account on our iMac. Our iTunes libraries are completely separate (wildly different musical tastes). We each have one iPhone 4S and one iPad 2. Our iOS devices are tied to our own Apple IDs. The iMac is the only thing we share.

He set up his match first. Everything went fine. I went to set up my match, and it tells me that "This device is already associated with an Apple ID." It freaking asks me if I still want to pay my 25 bucks knowing that I won't be able to use the service!!! What?!?!

If this isn't just some bug and is really how the service is intended to operate it is completely unacceptable. You can't really tell me that I either have to get another Mac or I'm out of luck.

I would appreciate any and all ideas.

That is interesting. I haven't seen anyone else try running iTunes Match on the same computer under different user accounts. Possibly iTunes Match attaches the computer to iTunes using the Macs serial number or hardware address.

I would contact Apple online support and chat with a rep and see what they say.

 

[AlanShutko]

If I read the iTunes terms and conditions correctly, this use is not supported. Only one account per computer is allowed for iTunes Match and Automatic Download.

When you first acquire music iTunes Products and music video iTunes Products (collectively, “iTunes Auto-Delivery Content”), you may elect to automatically receive (“auto-download”) copies of such iTunes Auto-Delivery Content on additional compatible iOS Devices and iTunes-authorized computers with compatible software by associating such iOS Devices and computers subject to the association rules below (each, an “Associated Device”).

...

Association of Associated Devices is subject to the following terms:

(i) You may auto-download iTunes Auto-Delivery Content or download previously-purchased iTunes Eligible Content from an Account on up to 10 Associated Devices, provided no more than 5 are iTunes-authorized computers.

(ii) An Associated Device can be associated with only one Account at any given time.

 

[Tearabite]

I have the same setup as you and it works fine, however, each iTunes/iCloud account has to pay/subscribe, as designed..

 

[Primejimbo]

This is the idea I want to try..

My wife and I both have iPhones and our own laptops and I was planning on getting bigger hard drives for our laptops and getting Lion. We also have a Mac Mini for all of our media.

I started to think maybe we can combine all of our music, deleted all the duplicates, put them on the Mac Mini and we both use this for our music with iTunes music match. This way we both get about 85GB back on our laptops and not needed to get 2 new hard drives for them. I am thinking if I go this route I would either get a very big internal hard drive or even a bigger external one for the Mac Mini.

So now with this idea would we be able to sync with our own laptops for contacts, mail, and contacts while the music will technically come from another computer? I want to keep the contacts separate because 1. I love my wife, but she uses cute still around names (hearts with my name ) and 2. I have a lot of work contacts that I don't want messed up. Not to sound cheap but I figured since all the music was on 1 computer we would only pay $25 a year and not $50 a year for 2 music matches and maybe since we I can buy more iCloud storage if needed.

From what the beta people know and what we already know, could this be possible?

 

[zhenya]

Primejimbo - yes your idea will work.

What you will want to do is share one account for the iTunes Match service - and you'll probably want to share this same account for the iTunes store purchases. Then, you'll each need to have separate iCloud accounts. This will allow you to share iTunes/App store purchases and the Match service, and also allow you to keep your own separate calendars, contacts, documents, photostreams, etc.

Note that you won't really be syncing with your laptops for those items, but with iCloud.

Moving your iTunes library off your laptops and on to a Mini sounds like a great idea. For syncing and management purposes, you will both need to sync to the Mini though, and if you use the same iTunes library, you will obviously share all music, but also share playlists. It would be possible to sync to separate libraries to have different music and different playlists, but this would be a little bit more work.

One other nice thing about the Match service is that you'll be able to sign in to Match on each of your laptops and see your entire library and it is all usable via streaming, rather than having to download the content. All metadata will stay in sync across all devices. So if you still want access to the library on the laptops - it's all there without having to use the space.

 

[Primejimbo]

Primejimbo - yes your idea will work.

What you will want to do is share one account for the iTunes Match service - and you'll probably want to share this same account for the iTunes store purchases. Then, you'll each need to have separate iCloud accounts. This will allow you to share iTunes/App store purchases and the Match service, and also allow you to keep your own separate calendars, contacts, documents, photostreams, etc.

Note that you won't really be syncing with your laptops for those items, but with iCloud.

Moving your iTunes library off your laptops and on to a Mini sounds like a great idea. For syncing and management purposes, you will both need to sync to the Mini though, and if you use the same iTunes library, you will obviously share all music, but also share playlists. It would be possible to sync to separate libraries to have different music and different playlists, but this would be a little bit more work.

One other nice thing about the Match service is that you'll be able to sign in to Match on each of your laptops and see your entire library and it is all usable via streaming, rather than having to download the content. All metadata will stay in sync across all devices. So if you still want access to the library on the laptops - it's all there without having to use the space.

Thanks!! Will I need Lion for this to work also? I will be upgrading to Lion, but I just been busy with work.

 

[CosmoPilot]

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I Understand you have different musical tastes. but wht not combine them. In essence, Match gives you a quasi iTunes store in which you can pick and choose from. Once you have downloaded the songs you like, turn off the feature in settings > music that allows you to see all iCloud content (only displays music on your device.

Honestly, with Match their really is no reason to separate things like you did in the past. For syncing multiple devices, you can create playlists for yourself which will show up on all your iOS devices and computers.

 

[zhenya]

Thanks!! Will I need Lion for this to work also? I will be upgrading to Lion, but I just been busy with work.

I have just upgraded to Lion myself, and since we don't sync contacts, mail, or calendars with our computers, my understanding is a little weaker here, but no, I don't believe you will need Lion for this to work. Lion will integrate better with iCloud, so if you DO have it, I think you might be able to integrate your contacts and calendars with your own individual computers through the iCloud interface in Lion even though your iPhones are technically syncing with the Mini. Without Lion, those items will still be synced between your phones and iCloud, just not accessible through the normal programs on your computers.

 

[Primejimbo]

I have just upgraded to Lion myself, and since we don't sync contacts, mail, or calendars with our computers, my understanding is a little weaker here, but no, I don't believe you will need Lion for this to work. Lion will integrate better with iCloud, so if you DO have it, I think you might be able to integrate your contacts and calendars with your own individual computers through the iCloud interface in Lion even though your iPhones are technically syncing with the Mini. Without Lion, those items will still be synced between your phones and iCloud, just not accessible through the normal programs on your computers.

Thanks for the help!! Greatly appreciated