Do I need iTunes Match if I have Apple Music?

Apple Music includes a subscription to iTunes Match, so if you're paying for Apple Music, you can cancel your iTunes Match subscription. You don't need a separate subscription. Whether you subscribe to iTunes Match or use Apple Music, you should still back up your personal music collection.

You don't need to pay for iTunes Match if you have Apple Music

With Apple Music, you have access to more than 50 million songs, ad-free and you can even download them on any supported device for offline listening. You also get full support for iTunes Match, which lets you upload up to 100,000 songs from your personal CD or digital library. Songs you've purchased through iTunes don't count toward your 100,000 song limit.

When you use iTunes Match, Apple uses the iTunes Store's DRM-free catalog to "match" the tracks you've uploaded. So you can quickly and easily add them to your iCloud Music library and listen to high-quality songs on all your devices. If a song doesn't exist in Apple's iTunes catalog, your file will be uploaded instead.

If you're just signing up for Apple Music, or if you've been paying for both services, you don't need to pay for them both. You can cancel your iTunes Match subscription and just pay for your Apple Music plan. You'll still get the same excellent cloud storage you've had all along.

Before you cancel back up your music

iTunes Match and iCloud Music Library is not a backup service, and Apple notes that in its support document. To be sure that your personal music collection is safe, you should always back it up before you make any changes.

How to back up your iTunes Music Library

Cancel iTunes Match like you would any subscription

Your subscription to iTunes Match can be found where all of your Apple subscriptions are found. You can cancel at any time, and your subscription will last until the end of your current year runs out.

How to cancel an iTunes Match subscription

What if I don't want Apple Music?

Of course, if you don't subscribe to Apple Music or if you want to cancel your Apple Music subscription, but still want to use iTunes Match, you can sign up for (or renew your subscription to) iTunes Match at any time. Remember to back up your music collection before you get started!

How to sign up for iTunes Match