Google Launches Free Scan and Match Music Service to Compete With Apple and Amazon - MacRumors
Skip to Content

Google Launches Free Scan and Match Music Service to Compete With Apple and Amazon

Home  My Music  Google PlayGoogle has updated its Google Play music service with an iTunes Match-like song matching service. This means users won't have to spend hours or days uploading gigabytes of music, as they had to previously.

Notably, Google's matching service does not have a subscription fee like Apple and Amazon's do, with users matching up to 20,000 songs. While European Google Play users have been using this service for a while, this launch is new for those in the U.S.

Traveling this season and want to make sure your music goes with you? Add up to 20,000 songs from your music collection to Google Play and stream it to your Android devices and your computer, anywhere you go.

Our new music matching feature gets your songs into your online music library on Google Play much faster. We’ll scan your collection and quickly rebuild it in the cloud - all for free. And we’ll stream your music back to you at up to 320 kbps.

Amazon upgraded its Cloud Player with a scan and match feature earlier this year, charging $24.99/year for the service. Apple charges the same amount for iTunes Match.

Popular Stories

Apple iCloud Plus expansion hero

iCloud+ Now Includes Apple TV, Apple Arcade, and Curated Apple Music Stations in Over 100 Countries

Tuesday September 15, 2026 1:43 am PDT by
Apple today announced a new subscription initiative that turns paid iCloud+ subscriptions into a broader services bundle in more than 100 countries. In select countries, Apple says every paid iCloud+ plan, including the cheapest 50GB tier, now includes Apple TV and Apple Arcade "at no additional cost," while family sharing extends the storage, TV and Arcade access to up to five people....
Everything New Your iPhone Can Do on iOS 27 Feature 1

50 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 27 - Out Now!

Monday September 14, 2026 10:48 pm PDT by
Apple released iOS 27 this week, and despite the company's focus this year on refining its flagship operating system and nixing bugs, there are still many additional features to explore, not least of which is Apple's new context-aware Siri, re-tooled for the generative AI era. Which iPhones Support Every iOS 27 Feature? This year's major iPhone software update isn't all about AI, though,...
iOS 27 Icon iPhone

iOS 27 Available Now With These 8 New Features

Monday September 14, 2026 9:00 am PDT by
Update — 10 a.m. Pacific Time: Apple has released iOS 27. During its iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone Duo event last week, Apple announced that iOS 27 will be released widely on Monday, September 14. iOS 27 should be available around 10 a.m. Pacific Time / 1 p.m. Eastern Time today via the Settings app, under General → Software Update. Below, we have highlighted eight new features and...

Top Rated Comments

Menel Avatar
179 months ago
How are you guys always late with the reports. I reported his already...

https://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=1510267
You won the internets by 3.5hrs.

/golfclap
Score: 50 Votes (Like | Disagree)
179 months ago
So, Apple struck a negotiated deal with all the labels so that they would be compensated for the music uploaded, much of which has been pirated by some.

Now, Google is doing the same thing, without charging anyone for it. How are the artists getting paid for the cloud versions? Is Google just footing the bill? Maybe. Probably. All under the guise of sucking you further into their world where they make money off of who you are, what you do, what you write, what you search for, and what you think.

I'll stick with Apple, paying my fee, so that I'm the customer and not the product.
Score: 36 Votes (Like | Disagree)
olowott Avatar
179 months ago
is it me or has google really worked hard this year :confused:
Score: 27 Votes (Like | Disagree)
kjs862 Avatar
179 months ago
Google: Free + works

Apple: Pay + doesn't work

everyone wins!
Score: 27 Votes (Like | Disagree)
179 months ago
I'm seriously considering moving to Android when Key Lime is released. They offer Apple like services a lot cheaper! Tired of paying premium when Google is offering their tablets, phones and services for a lower cost.

Edit: I'm aware maps are free!
Score: 22 Votes (Like | Disagree)
appleguy123 Avatar
179 months ago
All you cheapos should pay for the music you acquire. Artists need to eat too you know. :rolleyes:

Score: 21 Votes (Like | Disagree)