The international launch for Apple’s new iTunes Match service is rolling out. UK-based customers have started to see it pop up in their iTunes as I suddenly found out unexpectedly this evening.
I have read about how the service works, in essence, the Cloud holds your library and you tell it when you want a track and there you have it. The cost for the service in the UK is £21.99 each year. However much it looks appealing to me, I have declined the offer.
Why?
My first glance would be to the networks. The average tariff is 500MB a month. I use it for browsing, emails, iMessages, Facebook, Foursquare, Twitter, Whatsapp and so the list goes on. All of these requirements use my data package of 500MB. Can I afford to or do I want to be surprised by the extortionate amounts the network charges for going over your monthly data tariff limit? No, I do not! Until such time as the networks offer some sort of feasible internet packet for the ‘average Joe’ then iTunes Match will remain a dream to me, as if it had never arrived in the first place. The one network I am aware of that does offer an AYCE (All You Can Eat) data package is the 3 network. My hope is that other networks will look to follow in 3′s footsteps but most probably this will not happen. I can only surmise that the reduction in present data tariffs is because networks are upset at the amount of strain the iPhone makes on the networks data use. If this is not the case, then I do not understand why data bundles are being reduced, yet costs are spiralling at a time when internet and social media is expanding.
Make sure that your tariffs have a suitable amount of data included before you sign up for the Apple’s iTunes Match Service.
Tags: apple, apple/ios
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