I'm thinking about getting a MBA when they're refreshed in July. I replaced the disk in my first-generation Macbook about a year ago and I'm currently using about 300 gb of space. Almost 100 gb of that is taken up by a sizable music collection. Does anyone know if it would be possible to use iTunes match to match/upload all of the music on my macbook to the cloud, then retire the macbook and download songs a la carte to my MBA in order to save disk space? In other words, will iTunes match keep my music even if the computer from which it was matched/uploaded is no longer in use? Thanks in advance
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iTunes Match to save disk space
- Thread starter sjrogers
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The answer to your question is probably you can do what you want. You just may have to be careful about certain operations when you're using iTunes Match.
However, what I would do is archive your music collection to an external drive for backup or burn it out to DVD R.
However, what I would do is archive your music collection to an external drive for backup or burn it out to DVD R.
Again, Apple's iCloud doesn't act as a storage bin for your music and whatnot.
It's a syncing service that temporarily stores some of your content until you get it to where you need it to be.
It's a syncing service that temporarily stores some of your content until you get it to where you need it to be.
What do you mean, 'proof'? That's a pretty good description of iCloud. However, what Bear said is correct too. iCloud has a list of your music. Any of your Apple devices connected to the cloud can access that music (if it is bought from iTunes or if you have iTunes Match). I assume this includes any Mac or iOS device which is set up for the same account, so I imagine the OP's plan would work. If it doesn't, he can use an external drive with his music on it, or an alternative service. It is still a good idea to keep the original files around, because you may want to access them outside of iTunes and iCloud, or you may stop paying for Match service.
iCloud is not a bin of extra on-line storage; it's a butler who can get you your data regardless of which Apple device you are on.
This was specifically stated in the keynote. The answer is yes.
Anything iTunes doesn't have in its library will be uploaded. You can Download to any device at any time. Perhaps I misunderstood the original post but I'm not sure why this is being overcomplicated.
The one thing that hasn't been told yet is, if you match in your first year and then stop paying, will the non iTunes songs remain available for download.
Anything iTunes doesn't have in its library will be uploaded. You can Download to any device at any time. Perhaps I misunderstood the original post but I'm not sure why this is being overcomplicated.
The one thing that hasn't been told yet is, if you match in your first year and then stop paying, will the non iTunes songs remain available for download.
The service is $25 a year. If you stop paying for a service, you no longer have it. I would think that would be clear enough.
As long as your "music and whatnot" was purchased from the iTunes Store, the iCloud most definitely serves as a free, permanent storage bin. Why would you say otherwise?
Well it's a storage bin for purchased music, video, iOS apps and books. And if you subscribe to iTunes Match, it's a storage bin for all your music.
it will save disk space if you use it in the way the OP is describing, which is the same way I intend to use it.
that is, upload all your music to iTunes Match and then leave your hard drive empty of music. when you want music, just download it from Match. when you get bored with it, delete it and download something else.
that is, upload all your music to iTunes Match and then leave your hard drive empty of music. when you want music, just download it from Match. when you get bored with it, delete it and download something else.
It does save disk space because you can store the music on the cloud and download what you currently want.
I think Apple went this route because they want the MBA to be a larger hit but SSD prices are still too high for too little capacity. Instead of waiting for that to change, people who want an Air can use the cloud.
People are saying it isn't storage because you can't upload just anything. But most people with 100's of GB of storage requirements probably have most of that as media. So uploading that does act as on-line storage.
I tested it out. I found my previous purchases on the icloud and deleted one from my itunes library. It is still there on the cloud and I downloaded it again to replace the copy I deleted.
Still I would get an external drive to store my files. Actually get two large (2TB) drives and use an app to clone one to the other. I do this with my imovie library. I have them set up to plug into my laptop when I want to run imovie. After working on it, I run the clone app overnight and I have a backup. You could do this with a back up of itunes music too. 2TB drives are under $100 on amazon. I use WD and superduper for the cloning.
I think Apple went this route because they want the MBA to be a larger hit but SSD prices are still too high for too little capacity. Instead of waiting for that to change, people who want an Air can use the cloud.
People are saying it isn't storage because you can't upload just anything. But most people with 100's of GB of storage requirements probably have most of that as media. So uploading that does act as on-line storage.
I tested it out. I found my previous purchases on the icloud and deleted one from my itunes library. It is still there on the cloud and I downloaded it again to replace the copy I deleted.
Still I would get an external drive to store my files. Actually get two large (2TB) drives and use an app to clone one to the other. I do this with my imovie library. I have them set up to plug into my laptop when I want to run imovie. After working on it, I run the clone app overnight and I have a backup. You could do this with a back up of itunes music too. 2TB drives are under $100 on amazon. I use WD and superduper for the cloning.
You know that you can actually play with this iCloud feature now, right? If you've got the latest version of iTunes, go into the iTunes Store and click on the "Purchases (new)" link.
You can see any of your Music, Apps, or Books purchases. If those purchases aren't already on your computer, you can choose to download them all, or you can pick individual downloads.
Only putting selected downloads on a device/Mac (vs downloading your entire purchase history) will save disk space.
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Not once during the keynote was the word "sync" mentioned.
In fact it was specifically avoided, and noted as such in various reports from the bloggers, reporters and such.
Don't get me wrong I'm not challenging you as there are many unanswered questions.
That said, please clarify what you meant when you said "until you get it to where you need it to be? "
Op here. Thanks everyone for the replies. To clarify, I do back all of my music and other files up onto an external drive, I'd just rather not be chained to that drive to listen to my music. Having to toss it in my backpack along with my computer would sort of defeat the purpose of having a computer as light as the MBA. I'm also curious as to how easy Apple will make it to download just a few songs at a time from iTunes in the cloud. For example, could I download a whole playlist that I'd made before I matched, or would I have to manually remember and select each of the songs in the playlist for individual download?
If you're running version of iTunes, go into the iTunes Store and click on the "Purchased (new)" link. Curiosity satisfied.
I would say otherwise because many are assuming to view this service as a storage bin from which to stream their library. This isn't the case. These iTunes purchases and subsequent iTunes Matches are still stored where they always were in Apples servers. The only difference with iCloud is that if you change devices or something, you get to re-download them at no cost - from the same servers they've always been on.
In essence, you're not storing your music on their servers, they're allowing you to re-download it, because it's always been there.
See above. Again, iTunes Matching your library does not send it up to your personal iCloud. You simply have access to it. It must still be downloaded to your iDevice for use.
Correct. He didn't mention syncing, nor did I claim he did. What I'm talking about, though, is syncing. I don't know what else you want to call it.
What I meant by that is, for example, Photo Stream - It serves to ensure your photos are tossed onto all of your linked iCloud devices. At some point though, if you don't save them, they're gone. In other words, they're available via iCloud until you get them to where you want them, or need them to be, to be stored permanantly on that device as opposed to impermanantly on the iCloud.
Nobody know for certain what options you'll have for iTunes Match right now. At the very least I suspect you'll have Artist, Album and Song options. A playlist option would be nice. A playlist option would be nice, but as I said, we'll have to wait and see.
"Storage Bin" to me implies a place to store something. Not a place to use something. You have to take(copy) the item out of the bin in order to use it.
I don't pay for match now but can download any of the music I bought. The question is whether they will continue to allow downloads of the music uploaded that was not in their repository. There's nothing clear about it, it hasn't been stated.
Mr pink, you are storing your music on their servers if it dies no exist in their catalog.
And that's where the confusion began.
IMO, the OP asked a pretty specific question: "[Can I] download songs a la carte to my MBA in order to save disk space".
So when you answered the question from the perspective of streaming (which the OP hadn't asked about), and then didn't qualifying your answer as relating to streaming, it comes across as an incorrect answer to the OPs question.
Throwing in the "temporary storage" aspect (which applies to photos) when the topic is music also was confusing.
Regardless, I think the question has been answered for the OP.
Very true, purchased music can be download at will and that won't change whether you have iTunes Match or if you later cancel iTunes Match.
However, when a service has a yearly price attached to it (like iTunes Match) why would you have any reason to believe that you will have access to that service after you stop paying for it? So the answer in a flat NO - if you cancel your iTunes match subscription, you don't have access to anything that you matched or uploaded through iTunes Match.
I'd agree that seems likely...however it has not been stated, which is what I have been saying. Unless someone has a direct quote from apple regarding this, it's unknown, whatever the conjecture or however logical it is.