Apple’s iCloud beta of iTunes Match rolls out

30 Aug 2011

Apple's iCloud beta of iTunes Match rolls out

Software developers in the US have been granted the first bite of Apple’s new iTunes Match which stores users’ complete music library in the iCloud by matching their tracks with Apple’s master copies and storing their other material.

According to the note put out by Apple to developers, beta subscribers will receive iTunes Match during the Beta period plus an additional three months for free with their 12-month paid subscription to the service which will cost US$24.99.

The developers will need to download the current version of iOS 5 beta and iTunes 10.5 beta 6.1 with iTunes Match.

Through the service, songs that already exist in Apple’s iTunes music store will be streamed from Apple’s master copy at 256Kbps while songs that don’t exist will be uploaded and stored in the iCloud.

Up to 25,00 songs will be accessible via computers and iOS devices like the iPhone, iPod Touch and the iPad.

iCloud.com

John Kennedy is a journalist who served as editor of Silicon Republic for 17 years

editorial@siliconrepublic.com