It was just earlier this morning when we looked at the release of beta 3 of iTunes 10.5.1, and wondered when Apple would finally get iTunes Match up-and-running. As it turns out, the wait was already nearly over, and Apple has now publicly released iTunes 10.5.1 to its users, as well as flipping the switch on iTunes Match.
For its $25 yearly fee, iTunes Match lets you access your entire music collection from the cloud. Unlike a music locker like Google Music (though we might be about to see that service undergo big changes) where you have to upload your entire library, iTunes Match recognizes when a song you already own exists in its massive iTunes database. That way, instead of having to upload your own copy, you can just stream the one Apple already has. If you’ve got tracks that aren’t available on iTunes, you can still upload them to the cloud the old-fashioned way.
To get started with iTunes Match, head on over to Apple’s site and snag the latest iTunes 10.5.1.
