14 DAY TRIAL // Apple has already seeded developers with a new beta version of iTunes, hours after the company released iTunes 10.5 with a number of new features, iCloud support, and security fixes for Windows users.
iTunes 10.5.1 includes the latest iTunes Match beta. Apple has taken iCloud online publicly, but iTunes Match currently isn’t available. iOS 5 and Mac OS X 10.7.2 are also expected to arrive to deliver compatibility for the suite of Internet services replacing MobileMe.
According to the seed notes included with iTunes 10.5.1, the new beta “includes several performance enhancements and bug fixes, and is a required update for all subscribers to iTunes Match beta. iTunes Match is not included in the iTunes 10.5 GM release.”
As before, developers are being warned that their iCloud libraries will be deleted at the end of this beta.
Testers are encouraged to back up their data regularly, as well as to not delete any music they’ve added to iCloud from their computer.
The Mac maker explains that developers should exercise caution because “Apple may periodically delete all iCloud libraries during the beta period. This will require you to scan, match, and upload songs again.”
Some of the iTunes Match features and optimizations may not be available during this beta, Apple also signals.
iTunes Match is a United States feature only fir now. It’s available solely to iOS developers in North America and it’s subject to an automatically renewing subscription for $24.99 per year.
The feature lets you add up to 25,000 songs to iCloud. iTunes purchases do not count against this limit.
iTunes Match comes with some limitations. For examples, users can employ iTunes Match on up to 10 computers and iOS devices. Up to five of these systems can be computers authorized with the user’s Apple ID.
Additionally, users can only associate computers and devices with a different Apple ID once every 90 days.