Is it actually worth it? What problem does it solve? A major problem faced by most of the iPhone and iPod users is that they have to ensure that their music library is up to date before connecting their devices with the computer. So then the problem then becomes, any song not able to synchronize with the PC is deleted from the list.

Before iTunes match came along

Apple users manually download songs while ripping CDs or buying hard drives with greater storage capacities in order to ensure that their playlists is not messed up by PC synchronization.

iTunes Match – What is it

Apple Inc. has tried to solve this problem by the introduction of iTunes Match, which is a feature of Apple’s new iCloud series; by paying $25 a year, you are able to enjoy uploading, downloading and live streaming of a vast library of 20 million songs. ITunes

How Match works

Match work by automatically syncing your Apple device with your personal computer and allowing you to download 25,000 songs on your Apple ID. In case there is a song that the iTunes Match is not able to recognize, it automatically uploads your own copy of the song and matches it with its server.  Thus, the problem of songs and playlists being deleted on synchronization with the PC are solved permanently.

Is iTunes Match worth the money?

Is iTunes Match actually worth your hard-earned money? For regular PC users, the answer to this question is “Yes”. Our home and office internet connections are usually fast and therefore, uploading and downloading songs is not only easy but also fun. However, the problem arises for people who use 3G connections or try to download songs on their iPhone through the iTunes Match feature. The first and foremost trouble is that 3G connections are comparatively slow and therefore when you try to open  iTunes Match on your Apple device, you will have to wait for a very long time. Not only does it take its time to load but the matching with server and downloading process itself is comparatively slow.

iTune Match on 3G or 4G

If you are planning to use iTunes Match on your iPhone, be prepared to be patient during the process. In addition to this, once you reach the 25000 songs limit, the iTunes does not allow you to add any more songs to the list. Thus while selecting and downloading (or re-downloading) songs; you will have to be a little selective and extra careful. Apart from this, iTunes do not really have any problem.

Summary

Not only can it be a great source to download songs but it also act as a backup for your playlists and songs that you might be looking for a very long time. With a catalog of around 20 million songs, iTunes Match is totally worth your money no matter how big a music lover you are. The best part about this feature by Apple Inc. is that it also allows you to download songs for free from iCloud, so no matter where you go, you will also have a playlist ready for the occasion and a sound track to add to the important moments of your life.