iTunes Match beta once again open to US developers

Apple has once again opened the beta doors to its music locker service, iTunes Match, for US developers. To get in, you'll need the latest iTunes 10.5 beta 8 and a US iTunes account associated to a US credit card (sorry international devs, no gift cert'ing your way into this one.)

Devs who do make it in (and it looks like some are having trouble at the moment) will have to pony up the $24.99 annual subscription fee for iTunes Match, and are warned up front their libraries will be deleted at the end of the beta period. So remember, it's not really early access, it's beta.

iTunes Match, part of iCloud, is expected to launch for everyone this October alongside iOS 5.

Rene Ritchie
Contributor

Rene Ritchie is one of the most respected Apple analysts in the business, reaching a combined audience of over 40 million readers a month. His YouTube channel, Vector, has over 90 thousand subscribers and 14 million views and his podcasts, including Debug, have been downloaded over 20 million times. He also regularly co-hosts MacBreak Weekly for the TWiT network and co-hosted CES Live! and Talk Mobile. Based in Montreal, Rene is a former director of product marketing, web developer, and graphic designer. He's authored several books and appeared on numerous television and radio segments to discuss Apple and the technology industry. When not working, he likes to cook, grapple, and spend time with his friends and family.