iTunes Match: Never Be Without Your iTunes Library Again

In this age of mobile devices and cloud computing, PC’s are no longer the central hub to access and store your music, videos and photos.  Apple has been one of the pioneers in this relatively new market of mobile devices with their innovative mobile devices.  With products such as the iPod, iPhone and iPad they have blazed the trail for new entrants into the market of mobile devices.

This fall, Apple will be leading the way with yet another groundbreaking innovation.  However, this time the innovation is more of a service than an actual mobile device.  This service is called iTunes Match and it could just be the next big thing.

iTunes Match will enable its users to access and store an unlimited number of songs on their personal Apple iCloud for $24.99 per year.  While the iClould allows for users to sync songs purchased off iTunes into their iCloud, it does not allow for its users to sync songs that are either imported via CD’s or ripped off the internet.  iTunes Match achieves this through matching the ripped track from your iTunes library to a version of the song in the iTunes store.  iTunes Match will then take the song off of iTunes (which is usually a better quality version than the ripped track from your iTunes library) and sync it into the “cloud” so you can access it on any mobile device you may have.  Since most people’s libraries consist primarily of ripped or imported songs, iTunes Match will be a crucial part of Apple’s iCloud when it is unleashed this fall.