Apple Continues iTunes Match Developer

Apple Continues iTunes Match Developer Testing with iTunes 10.5.1 Beta

 

 

As with previous builds testing iTunes Match, Apple notes that iCloud libraries will be deleted at the end of the beta testing period.

iTunes Match was initially part of iTunes 10.5 and appeared set to debut alongside iOS 5 and iCloud, but at Apple's media event last week the company announced that iTunes Match would not launch until the end of October. The last  still had some remaining issues with iTunes Match functionality, and Apple has given itself a few more weeks to address those problems by pulling the feature out into a separate iTunes 10.5.1 release.

iTunes Match is a $24.99/year service that allows users to have their music libraries matched to Apple's database of over 20 million tracks, making those songs available for use on any iCloud-enabled device associated with the user's accounts. Songs not available in the iTunes Store can be uploaded to Apple's servers and also made available across devices. iTunes Match will be a U.S.-only feature at first, but Apple is apparently working to extend it to other countries soon after its initial launch.

Apple has unveiled the new  homepage as of early this morning. Some users have reported that they were not able to access the iCloud service as of yet, but I was able to log in and navigate among the different apps. This could very well be a fluke, but the homepage does give iCloud users a sneak peek at the main layout of the site.
Not all of the features are enabled yet, mostly the iWork apps because they require an update to the iOS apps that hasn't been pushed out yet. We will have an in-depth look at iCloud as the day goes on and more people are allowed to access the service.