iTunes 10.5.1, and with it iTunes Match, has been launched to the masses. By the masses we mean Americans. The rest of us are left out in the cold for now.
Anyway, iTunes Match is going to be pretty cool for those people lucky enough to have it. The new Apple offering lets users scan their libraries and match their local libraries with songs in the cloud. If the song’s already available in the iTunes music catalog, you’ll be able to get access to your music from anywhere on the planet (U.S). If your snazzy hipster music isn’t available in the iTunes catalog, have no fear, Apple will let you upload it to the cloud.
Here’s the super fun part. If you’ve uploaded crappy music to the cloud, or Apple notices you have a crappy version of the song, they will automagically upgrade you to a 256-Kbps AAC DRM-free version of the song — all of your songs, not just the ones you bought on iTunes (get what we’re hinting at?). Just to be safe, make sure you try iTunes Match from your friend’s house or the local Starbucks. Who knows when the gestapo is going to come knocking looking for your pirated music.
You can get the iTunes upgrade through the Software Update portal, or you can head over to the Apple website and download the update directly. The luxury will cost you $24.99 per year.
