iTunes Match dev accounts deleted November 12

Apple alluded to its delayed iTunes Match release by warning developers of what might be a final reset on developer accounts. The company plans to empty the accounts on November 12 at 1PM Eastern. Unlike past resets, which were intended to improve the quality during the testing phase, Apple said it was necessary "as we prepare for the launch of iTunes Match."

The cloud music service was originally due to go live at the end of October, but the deadline passed without either a launch or an indication that a release was coming close.

When it goes live, iTunes Match will cost $25 per year. It should improve on competing services from Amazon and Google by saving listeners the trouble of uploading every track they own. If scanned and matched with the iTunes Store, Apple uses its own copy, even if the original wasn't bought from the store or is a lower-quality version.

by MacNN Staff