03/21, 6:54pm
Around 55 percent of those surveyed said they don't use cloud services
Marketing and analysis firm Strategy Analytics has released the results of a new study into the use of cloud media storage services, noting that Apple's iCloud and iTunes Match have captured the majority share at 27 percent (combined) US marketshare and revealing a tighter-than-expected horse race between Dropbox and Amazon Cloud Drive for second most-popular cloud media service.
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03/07, 1:09pm
Record labels balking at Apple offer, report says
As an initial offer to a record label for a forthcoming streaming service, Apple recently proposed a royalty rate of just 6 cents per 100 songs, sources for the New York Post claim. "Apple wants a rate that is lower than Pandora's," one executive is quoted as saying. Pandora pays labels 12 cents per 100 songs, which itself is below the Copyright Royalty Board's standard 21 cents for digital-only streaming. Spotify pays 35 cents, according to the Post's sources.
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01/28, 1:40pm
Update expands LTE support, tweaks Siri, iTunes Match
(Updated with security, Apple TV info) Apple has officially released iOS 6.1 for the iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. The update is available through iTunes or as an over-the-air download, and makes several important tweaks. For instance, it enables LTE on the extended number of carriers Apple announced last week; an official list has been posted on the company's website.
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11/19, 9:32am
iTunes Match still broken for some users
Apple's iTunes Match storage and streaming service is currently down for at least some users, says AppleInsider. Trying to play content hosted on Match only results in tracks sticking at the "0:00" mark. The trouble notably follows outages of iMessage and FaceTime, which hit users of Macs and iOS devices on Sunday.
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10/01, 9:46am
Error affects multiple platforms
An overnight error with iTunes prevented many users from downloading content via the service, according to complaints. The overriding issue was an inability to buy or update apps via the App Store; a message would pop up, asking people to accept new terms and conditions for iTunes before the download could continue. Even after accepting, though, the download would again be interrupted by the terms-and-conditions message, ad infinitum.
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07/19, 11:49am
Service now becoming standard worldwide
Apple could officially debut iTunes Match in Poland and Hungary as soon as today, according to tips received by 9to5Mac. One comments that on the 18th, the Polish iTunes Store was updated with terms of use mentioning Match. Local reports meanwhile say Match is coming to Hungary at a cost of 25 euros per year; neither Poland nor Hungary, however, have been added to Apple's official list of iTunes Match regions.
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06/27, 9:21am
Includes music, movies, iCloud services
Apple has announced that the iTunes Store is now available in 12 new regions in Asia. These include Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan, as well as Brunei, Cambodia, Laos, Macau, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, Sri Lanka and Vietnam. Local visitors can now buy music from iTunes -- including local and international artists -- and either rent or buy movies, including titles from major studios like Fox, Paramount, Sony, Disney, and Warner Brothers.
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04/30, 5:15pm
Service now in oer 40 countries
Apple has once again expanded the availability of iTunes Match, the company's music upload and streaming service, reports say. The service is now available in several more countries, including Austria, Italy, Greece, Portugal,and Slovenia. In Italy the service is priced at €25 a year.
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03/07, 4:25pm
Solves matching, artwork problems
To go along with iOS 5.1 and the third-generation iPad, Apple has released iTunes 10.6. The software's main addition is support for 1080p video, which is now sold on the iTunes Store, and can be recorded by both the new iPad and the iPhone 4S. Apple TV owners can view 1080p content.
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02/28, 10:55am
Tech could allow new service, improve iTunes Match
Apple is at work on a new file format that should enable "adaptive steaming" of high- or low-quality audio to iCloud users, The Guardian claims. The format will allegedly adjust itself to the bandwidth and storage on a given device, and it's speculated that it could allow downloading "HD" audio to iOS devices, or else form the backbone of a long-rumored streaming music service. More firm, though, is thought to be integration with iTunes Match, the combination upload and streaming service launched late last year.
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02/22, 11:55am
iTunes Match coming in second half of 2012
The Japanese iTunes Store has gained several other features in addition to iTunes in the Cloud, Apple has announced. This includes access to ringtones, downloading music over 3G instead of just Wi-Fi, and the Complete My Album option. All music on the store is now in iTunes Plus quality, meaning DRM-free, 256kbps AAC files. In some cases, tracks have been specifically mastered for iTunes.
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02/21, 8:05am
Samsung attempt at iCloud parallel already dropped
New claims late Monday have implied that Samsung's internal attempt at a cloud service, S-Cloud, may have been cut short. Although it didn't directly cite a source, ET News had understood that Samsung thought the cloud backbone was "inappropriate" for a worldwide service. Instead, Samsung would use off-the-shelf systems from others, such as Amazon, various app and virtualization developers, and Korean telecom firm KT.
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02/08, 6:00pm
Artists paid each time user re-downloads song
Most people know that iTunes Match, Apple's latest music-related service that offers to backup and make available whole iTunes libraries online, costs $25 year. While many assume the fee is at least in part a "bribe" to record companies to allow unlimited re-downloading, in fact Apple pays rights holders a fee each time a song is re-downloaded -- and for independent distributors who work with iTunes such as BandCamp, CDBaby and TuneCore, the royalty is a windfall for their artists.
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02/04, 3:40am
iTunes Match on computers faces odd glitch
iTunes Match subscribers late Friday reported a problem with iTunes Match playback failing. Anyone on a desktop, whether Mac or Windows, couldn't play cloud-stored songs unless they were already matched with the iTunes Store. The problems didn't appear to be limited to particular app or OS revisions, and iOS users could still access the service.
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02/02, 8:00pm
Apple said to be working on a fix
A flaw in iTunes Match may inadvertently replace "explicit" tracks with "clean" versions for some users, according to reports by Cult of Mac reporters and corroborated by users elsewhere. A later update on 9to5Mac indicates that at least one user has heard back from Internet Software and Services head Eddy Cue's office that acknowledged the issue and said the company is working on on a fix.
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01/16, 11:25pm
iTunes Match doubles in size with 19 more
Apple has quietly updated iTunes Match to roughly double its size. A total of 19 new countries have been added to bring the total up to 37. Most of the expansion focuses on Latin America and northern Europe.
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12/16, 3:10pm
May be attempt to control bandwidth consumption
Apple is temporarily freezing access to new iTunes Match subscriptions in some of the recently-added countries, reports say. At least some people clicking on the option in iTunes are being greeted with a pop-up message. "iTunes Match is temporarily not accepting new subscribers. Check back later," the window states.
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12/15, 5:10pm
More expansions may be imminent
Following a botched rollout on Wednesday, Apple has today officially expanded iTunes Match to Canada and the UK. In Canada the service costs $28 a year, while in the UK annual pricing is set at £22. Unlike regular iCloud options, iTunes Match allows a person to mirror and remotely access their entire music library, regardless of whether the content is on iTunes.
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12/15, 9:30am
US, Brazil still only regions with option
Apple is refunding a number of iTunes Match subscriptions, according to posts on the company's support forums and elsewhere. On Wednesday Match appeared to become available in a number of new regions, such as Canada, the UK, New Zealand and Australia. The additional options have since vanished however, and Apple is said to be contacting accidental subscribers to assure them a refund is coming.
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12/14, 8:30pm
European countries also seeing the option
Apple appears to be quietly rolling out iTunes Match to a number of countries this evening, judging from reports of users who now see the option to sign up available under their iTunes account information pages. Pricing for the service has been revealed to be $28 in Canada, £22 (approximately $34) in Great Britain, and €25 (approximately $32.50) in Europe and equivalently-priced elsewhere.
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12/13, 9:45am
iTunes Match comes to Brazil
Apple has now formally confirmed the expansion of the iTunes Store to a host of Latin American countries. The strongest emphasis is on Brazil, where the initial music catalog is said to include over 20 million songs, including the first digital editions of Roberto Carlos' collection. Apple says that most songs are priced at 99 cents, and most albums at $9.99.
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12/08, 12:15pm
Service likely meant only to generate hardware sal
The $25 annual fee for iTunes Match is likely only putting Apple just above even on the service, says Piper Jaffray's Gene Munster in new memo. The analyst points to the iTunes Store, which generates a small fraction of Apple's annual revenue. The iTunes Match fee is instead to believed to be covering royalty fees to labels, as well as basic storage and infrastructure costs.
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11/29, 11:10pm
Spotify to add music content apps
Spotify's Wednesday special event will be all about adding an app-like platform, according to new details. An "app finder" would come to the jukebox app, the Wall Street Journal said, and let users add functionality to the normally barebones software. Mimicking the iOS App Store, it would bring in third-party developers but would see apps vetted for compatibility and "other criteria."
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11/16, 6:45pm
Google Music now open to all in US
Google's music store was joined Wednesday by an open launch of its Google Music cloud service. The music locker is now ready to use without an invitation and lets users upload as many as 20,000 songs that can stream to Android devices, the desktop web, and iOS devices through the browser. The service remains free to use, although it remains US-only.
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11/15, 10:10am
Google may have second major label at Nov 16 event
Google's last-minute music store negotiations may see it get just its second major label the very day its music store event takes place, insiders slipped on Tuesday. The primarily Android-focused store was already known to have EMI, but Bloomberg understood that Universal's deal might be struck on November 16, just as Google was due to unveil the shop. Sony and Warner still hadn't signed on due to worries over pricing and piracy, the source said, leaving Google with a catalog far smaller than at Apple or Amazon.
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11/15, 8:00am
Consolidating music, upgrading tracks
Apple finally flipped the switch on iTunes Match, its $25-per-year service that automatically identifies what songs a user owns and provides iTunes-quality (256kbps AAC) matches available on any of the user's internet-connected mobile devices or computers. Within hours, MacWorld magazine had posted a pair of tips to help users with multiple US iTunes accounts consolidate their libraries, and to make replacing lower-bitrate copies of songs easier.
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11/14, 12:50pm
Delayed service gets underway
(Updated with single security fix) Apple has officially released iTunes 10.5.1, an upgrade of the company's jukebox software. The update's only stated purpose is support for iTunes Match, a $25 annual subscription service which lets users keep an iTunes music library mirrored on Apple servers. Only tracks not already on the iTunes Store must be uploaded, and once synced, tracks are accessible from any Mac, Windows PC, or iOS device, including the Apple TV.
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11/12, 11:05pm
iTunes 10.5.1 beta 3 preps for cloud music
Apple late Saturday gave developers a third beta of iTunes 10.5.1. Beta 3 primarily adds "important stability and performance improvements" for iTunes Match, according to developers who've downloaded the update. The company is encouraging developers to turn iTunes Match on, if they've subscribed, for all their computers and iOS devices.
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11/11, 4:00pm
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."
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11/02, 10:30am
BBM Music reaches BlackBerry devices Wednesday
RIM on Wednesday offered its first self-run music option in earnest with a promised launch for BBM Music. The finished version of the cloud music service should reach BlackBerry App World later in the day for Canada and the US. In both countries, it should cost about $5 per month, although RIM is temporarily giving a two-month free trial to help get users onboard.
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11/01, 12:40pm
Apple still 'close' to iTunes Match rollout
Apple has missed its official target for the launch of iTunes Match, and let current testing of it expire, notes MacRumors. At its October 4th iPhone event the company promised to have iTunes Match ready by the "end of October" in the US. Support was in fact present in developer builds of iTunes 10.5, but pulled in time for the software's public release.
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10/28, 5:15pm
Microsoft may have forced staffer out of Apple
Microsoft may have blackballed Apple's choice of datacenter head in the moves that ultimately led to Apple hiring from Yahoo, according an unusually detailed rumor. After fighting opposition from his immediate management on his way out, Kevin Timmons was supposedly met by CEO Steve Ballmer, SAI heard. Timmons may have had an "attitude" during the meeting that led to Ballmer reaching Apple directly, threatening legal action if Apple completed the hire.
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10/26, 9:00pm
Apple resets iTunes Match ahead of public launch
Apple told developers late Wednesday that it was resetting their iTunes Match accounts for what's likely the last time before the end of October launch. Its need to upgrade the "overall quality and reliability" of the cloud music service would require that the existing accounts be reset on October 27. Those signed up in the beta phase have been told to turn off iTunes Match on all their computers and iOS devices to avoid connection problems during the shutdown.
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10/19, 3:20pm
Apple preps for service launch
An option to activate iTunes Match is spontaneously appearing in iOS 5's Settings app, users say. MacNN has verified that going into the Music section of the app will reveal the slider after one or two seconds of waiting. Since the command was previously missing, Apple appears to have changed a server-side setting to flag iTunes Match as available.
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10/13, 8:50pm
Google presses for music store again
Google's abortive attempt at a music store has been renewed, label executives outlined in a leak Thursday. It would embody the same basic concept, but it would be a "more extensive service," the NY Times said. In ideal conditions, it would go live within several weeks.
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10/13, 8:00am
Apple near deals with movie studios for cloud movi
Apple is getting close to a deal that would let it serve its iTunes movies from the cloud rather than locally, sources claimed Thursday. The terms understood by the LA Times and backed by the WSJ would let Apple stream any movie a user buys or rents. Access would apply across any iTunes device, including the Apple TV, where the lack of permanent storage makes streaming its only real option.
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10/11, 3:30pm
Update required for iTunes Match beta participants
Having just publicly released iTunes 10.5, Apple is already seeding the first beta of iTunes 10.5.1 to developers, reports say. Notes describe the code as making "several performance enhancements and bug fixes," without going into additional detail. The update is required for all developers in the iTunes Match beta; Apple warns that associated iCloud libraries will be deleted once the Beta 1 period is finished.
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10/11, 1:25pm
iTunes 10.5 quietly goes live
Apple has quietly posted iTunes 10.5 as prep for iOS 5 and iCloud. The new music jukebox app is needed for full cloud services like iTunes Match and for local syncing with the iPhone 4S. iOS 5 devices can also sync over Wi-Fi when on the same local network.
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10/08, 7:25pm
Lion and iTunes updates for iCloud may come Oct 11
A late rumor has Apple posting its iCloud-capable Mac OS X Lion and iTunes releases early. The "reliable" Macotakara contact has both Lion 10.7.2 and iTunes 10.5 arriving before the iOS 5 release on October 12. Apple rarely posts updates on weekends, making October 11 the most likely candidate if true.
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10/04, 3:25pm
Apple 'working hard' to export Match
iCloud will launch on October 12th, alongside iOS 5, Apple has announced. The cloud service saves and syncs content between all compatible devices, which includes anything running iOS 5 or OS X Lion. Content types primarily consist of apps, music and books from iTunes, but also the likes of mail, contacts, calendars, photos, and documents. Apple notes that backups will occur daily, and that a basic 5GB iCloud account will (as previously stated) be free.
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10/04, 12:45pm
Apple iPhone 4S real-time coverage
(Update: done) Apple is about to hold its promised "Let's Talk iPhone" event at the Town Hall in its Cupertino headquarters. The event is known to be introducing the iPhone 4S as well as final launch details for iOS 5. Final details for iCloud and iTunes Match may also occur. Check into our real-time coverage starting at 1PM Eastern for details as they appear.
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09/30, 7:00pm
Apple wants international iTunes cloud deals
Apple is pressing to get the same deals for iTunes in the Cloud and iTunes Match in the rest of the world that it has in the US, contacts explained Friday. Label negotiation details relayed to CNET had it replicating the same terms in other countries. Deals were "close," but nothing had been formalized yet, the insiders said.
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09/24, 3:25am
iTunes Match online content resetting for launch
Apple has told those developers currently subscribing to the beta-era iTunes Match that it will reset the cloud side of their libraries on the morning of September 26 at 12PM Eastern. Early adopters are being asked to turn off the feature on any of the beta iTunes and iOS 5 clients before the reset arrives. It's not evident how long the reset process would take.
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09/11, 9:45pm
Lion beta 11C55 turns on full iCloud
Apple gave developers a full view of iCloud integration in Mac OS X for the first time with an unusual Sunday release of a new Mac OS X 10.7.2 beta. The new 11C55 build already includes iCloud instead of requiring a separate install, like in earlier releases. No known bugs exist with the build, but users are expected to test both iCloud itself as well as Address Book, iCal, Mail, Safari, and legacy MobileMe support.
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09/10, 8:15pm
iTunes Match beta signups reopen for some
After briefly allowing an initial group of developers access to iTunes Match, Apple has quietly started taking more subscriptions. A small number of testers report receiving a message that signups had been "expanded to additional developers" located in the US. The cloud synchronizing service comes just a day after iTunes 10.5 beta 8 and needs the update to keep working.
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09/09, 3:45pm
iTunes beta 8 and iWork beta 3 close on release
Apple signaled that it was closing in on the release of its iCloud-related efforts on Friday with new developer betas of iTunes and iWork for iOS. iTunes 10.5 beta 8 focuses on "several performance enhancements and bug fixes" but is considered necessary to keep using iTunes Match during its beta phase. As before, testers still have to pay $25 per year like the public but get extra months of service in return for the testing.
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09/08, 6:00pm
Google Music Beta reaches iPhome, iPad over web
Google's fledgling Music Beta service reached a non-Android mobile platform for the first time Thursday with a web app intended for iOS devices. Visitors can stream any music they've uploaded to the cloud system through Safari, without having to use a native app or Flash. The only known limitation is the expected inability to pin tracks to the device for offline use.
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08/30, 2:05pm
Downloads just playing before completion
iTunes Match is not doing any remote streaming of music, an Apple spokesperson clarifies. Despite initial appearances, the spokesperson explains that any music held in iCloud must still be downloaded to a device before it can be played. What looks like streaming is said to be just simultaneous downloading and playback, even though a person hasn't actually selected the permanent download option.
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08/29, 9:05pm
iTunes Match gets early test run
Apple formally brought iTunes Match into action Monday after it posted iTunes 10.5 beta 6.1. Developers can now stream songs from iCloud both in iTunes on a computer as well as on any mobile device running iOS 5. Signing on gives as many as 10 Macs or iOS devices, with as many as five computers signed on with the same Apple ID.
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08/17, 9:30pm
Google Magnifier hopes to spark life in Music Beta
Google sought to bring the limelight back to Music Beta once more late Wednesday with the appearance of its Magnifier blog. The page will highlight artists, ranging from interviews to genre delves and videos of live events. As an incentive to keep visiting, though, it plans to offer free songs every day that will automatically head to a listener's Music Beta cloud for listening elsewhere.
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