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Apple Music includes the old iTunes Match features, so it matches your local library with the Apple Music library if you allow it to do so, and uploads only the

Apple Music includes the old iTunes Match features, so it matches your local library with the Apple Music library if you allow it to do so, and uploads only the songs it can't match. This process is not perfect so some songs might be matched to a different version. Anyway, even if I download a matches song it's DRM free on my Mac, and Apple Music won't automatically delete your local files. But I guess bugs happens, the app is quite buggy in general. Edit: it seems it download a version with DRM if you set it to download in Lossless format, but my songs weren't originally lossless, and if I set it to download the AAC version the file is DRM free.

alphabettsy 4y ago
This is exactly my experience as well. Not an issue imo, you have to preserve the original files still.
- phkahler 4y ago
  >> Not an issue imo That's an odd stance IMO. Should any service or software ever change a user's files without letting them know? I think not, regardless of what ever technobabble explains why it happens
  - ezfe 4y ago
    Apple Music doesn't change the file on the device it was imported
  - alphabettsy 4y ago
    They don’t change your files. iTunes / Apple Music match your with their catalog and basically flip a flag that says this song is in your library. If a song is in your library you can download the file on other devices, same as if you purchased the song from them. If I download the song from iTunes via Match it’s a DRM-ed version because they don’t upload files that match the music catalog so there’s no original to download.
    - epgui 4y ago
      I can guarantee you that they either currently do change your files, or did at some point in the past. My entire catalogue of music imported from physical CDs was switched to different files, with different metadata and all (overriding my manual classification), and sometimes replacing uncensored versions with radio-safe versions, etc, sometime after 2010. This caused me to stop buying music altogether.
      - merb 4y ago
        if you import files in iTunes they get converted to aac
      - nier 4y ago
        Your experience matches mine. Quite frustrating.
      - js2 4y ago
        I think there was a bug in an early release of the matching feature that replaced the files, but it hasn't done that in ages (unless it's become buggy again). Years ago I let it match all my content, backed up my original files, deleted them from disk, then let iTunes pull down the higher quality matched versions.
      - secretsatan 4y ago
        This was my experience with early versions of apple music, i had to restore from backup. I will never trust it
    - jerryzh 4y ago
      I can guarantee you it is not true. If the matched song is removed from itunes store, I can only listen to it on my MacBook and cannot stream or download it on my iphone
pram 4y ago
Interesting, I wonder what happens to ALAC files from Bandcamp.
jrmg 4y ago
Apple Music includes the old iTunes Match features It does not - it’s a separate subscription, though you can use both at once. [Edit: maybe I’m wrong? See ensuing discussion below.]
- oneplane 4y ago
  Apple Music (The app) replaced iTunes (The app), and Apple Music (the service) contains a modified iTunes Match service (which used to only be a separate iTunes service) which is still available (the iTunes Match service). The service (iTunes Match) was optional where the Apple Music (the service) method is not optional when using a synced library since part of syncing is matching what is already there. I think that might be what the comment was hinting at. You can use Apple Music (the app) with Apple Music (the service) and disable library syncing, but enable iTunes Match. But at that point, you might as well use Apple Music (the service). Selecting AAC does work in both cases if it's about DRM.
- FabHK 4y ago
  It does. I used to have iTunes Match, subscribed to Apple Music, cancelled iTunes Match, and still enjoy its functionality (that my music (ie all the ripped CDs I have had for ages) is available on all my devices).
  - jrmg 4y ago
    Even music that’s not available to Apple Music subscribers?
    - FabHK 4y ago
      Yes. Recordings of my Chinese teacher reading out lessons, etc.
      - jrmg 4y ago
        Huh. I think you are right. Most sources on the web agree with my take - but I think it might be out of date now. Maybe I’m paying for iTunes Match for no reason? I guess it’s time to back up and try turning it off and seeing if my music disappears…

alphabettsy 4y ago

This is exactly my experience as well. Not an issue imo, you have to preserve the original files still.

phkahler 4y ago
>> Not an issue imo That's an odd stance IMO. Should any service or software ever change a user's files without letting them know? I think not, regardless of what ever technobabble explains why it happens
- ezfe 4y ago
  Apple Music doesn't change the file on the device it was imported
- alphabettsy 4y ago
  They don’t change your files. iTunes / Apple Music match your with their catalog and basically flip a flag that says this song is in your library. If a song is in your library you can download the file on other devices, same as if you purchased the song from them. If I download the song from iTunes via Match it’s a DRM-ed version because they don’t upload files that match the music catalog so there’s no original to download.
  - epgui 4y ago
    I can guarantee you that they either currently do change your files, or did at some point in the past. My entire catalogue of music imported from physical CDs was switched to different files, with different metadata and all (overriding my manual classification), and sometimes replacing uncensored versions with radio-safe versions, etc, sometime after 2010. This caused me to stop buying music altogether.
    - merb 4y ago
      if you import files in iTunes they get converted to aac
    - nier 4y ago
      Your experience matches mine. Quite frustrating.
    - js2 4y ago
      I think there was a bug in an early release of the matching feature that replaced the files, but it hasn't done that in ages (unless it's become buggy again). Years ago I let it match all my content, backed up my original files, deleted them from disk, then let iTunes pull down the higher quality matched versions.
    - secretsatan 4y ago
      This was my experience with early versions of apple music, i had to restore from backup. I will never trust it
  - jerryzh 4y ago
    I can guarantee you it is not true. If the matched song is removed from itunes store, I can only listen to it on my MacBook and cannot stream or download it on my iphone

pram 4y ago

Interesting, I wonder what happens to ALAC files from Bandcamp.

jrmg 4y ago

Apple Music includes the old iTunes Match features It does not - it’s a separate subscription, though you can use both at once. [Edit: maybe I’m wrong? See ensuing discussion below.]

oneplane 4y ago
Apple Music (The app) replaced iTunes (The app), and Apple Music (the service) contains a modified iTunes Match service (which used to only be a separate iTunes service) which is still available (the iTunes Match service). The service (iTunes Match) was optional where the Apple Music (the service) method is not optional when using a synced library since part of syncing is matching what is already there. I think that might be what the comment was hinting at. You can use Apple Music (the app) with Apple Music (the service) and disable library syncing, but enable iTunes Match. But at that point, you might as well use Apple Music (the service). Selecting AAC does work in both cases if it's about DRM.
FabHK 4y ago
It does. I used to have iTunes Match, subscribed to Apple Music, cancelled iTunes Match, and still enjoy its functionality (that my music (ie all the ripped CDs I have had for ages) is available on all my devices).
- jrmg 4y ago
  Even music that’s not available to Apple Music subscribers?
  - FabHK 4y ago
    Yes. Recordings of my Chinese teacher reading out lessons, etc.
    - jrmg 4y ago
      Huh. I think you are right. Most sources on the web agree with my take - but I think it might be out of date now. Maybe I’m paying for iTunes Match for no reason? I guess it’s time to back up and try turning it off and seeing if my music disappears…