Stay on Top of Enterprise Technology Trends
Get updates impacting your industry from our GigaOm Research Community

If it seemed on late Wednesday like Apple’s (s aapl) rollout of iTunes Match to basically every international market where the iTunes music store is available was too good to be true, that’s because it was; Apple is telling customers on Thursday that beyond Brazil and the U.S., Match “will not function.”
The link that leads to iTunes Match in international stores still functions, surprisingly, allowing you to view the relevant sign-up page without issue, as you can see in the screenshot below. But signing up still doesn’t actually provide access to the service.
But even if you followed that link and signed up early like I did, Apple has you covered: The company is reportedly issuing refunds to customers who attempted to get in early. According to reports on Twitter, contacting iTunes Support about an ability to use the service results in a reversal of charges. It’s not clear whether charges will be reimbursed without first contacting Apple directly.
ITunes Match allows users to scan and match their entire music library in order to access it from anywhere on Apple’s servers. It launched in the U.S. to mixed reviews, and it was recently introduced in Brazil, too, alongside the launch of the iTunes Store there. While Apple doesn’t appear quite ready to launch it internationally, it is clearly headed in that direction, since it already has different pricing in place for the service’s annual subscription fees, specific to each market.
Apple fumbles iTunes Match rollout: what exactly is going on there? Does anyone know? http://t.co/ytavMeO1
#iTunes Match international rollout premature; refunds being issued http://t.co/CBH1lTw1
huh RT @Techmeme: ITunes Match international rollout premature; refunds being issued (@drizzled / GigaOM) http://t.co/1lcy9vvh
huh RT @Techmeme: ITunes Match international rollout premature; refunds being issued (@drizzled / GigaOM) http://t.co/1lcy9vvh
ITunes Match international rollout premature; refunds being issued (@drizzled / GigaOM) http://t.co/xuzpmYVe http://t.co/UzvBpTC3
ITunes Match international rollout premature; refunds being issued (@drizzled / GigaOM) http://t.co/xuzpmYVe http://t.co/UzvBpTC3
#iTunes Match international rollout premature; #refunds being issued #apple http://t.co/iYcQ6P0B
iTunes Match international rollout premature; refunds being issued http://t.co/CAuTLEnv
#iTunes Match international rollout premature; refunds being issued http://t.co/MGQjdBIy by @drizzled
RT @clatko: iTunes Match international rollout premature; refunds being issued – http://t.co/IQiWeZJQ
iTunes Match international rollout premature; refunds being issued http://t.co/odk9Macv
#apple iTunes Match international rollout premature; refunds being issued http://t.co/r8V8K3b4
iTunes Match international rollout premature; refunds being issued http://t.co/yM5fCMW9
RT @drbuk: iTunes Match international rollout premature; refunds being issued http://t.co/U9fGdoSK oh damn it..lol
iTunes Match international rollout premature; refunds being issued http://t.co/wEVu63Bf
Apple is telling customers Thursday that beyond Brazil and the U.S., Match “will not function.â€
http://t.co/GTcUDFWD
iTunes Match international rollout premature; refunds being issued http://t.co/BJaB32aV
iTunes Match international rollout premature; refunds being issued http://t.co/qYlXGLP3 #Apple #iPodtouch
iTunes Match international rollout premature; refunds being issued http://t.co/U9fGdoSK oh damn it..lol
iTunes Match international rollout premature; refunds being issued http://t.co/4SP8WkhE
iTunes Match international rollout premature; refunds being issued http://t.co/WobnODVZ
iTunes Match international rollout premature; refunds being issued http://t.co/gQ2z5mdb
[DocDocc] iTunes Match international rollout premature; refunds being issued http://t.co/JMTp9eye via gigaOM
iTunes Match international rollout premature; refunds being issued http://t.co/4mIPoVTt
iTunes Match international rollout premature; refunds being issued: If it seemed late Wednesday like Apple’s rol… http://t.co/LTmwk5f3
iTunes Match international rollout premature; refunds being issued: If it seemed late Wednesday like Apple’s rol… http://t.co/KR6APH39
iTunes Match international rollout premature; refunds being issued: If it seemed late Wednesday like Apple’s rol… http://t.co/oAzk1DfI
iTunes Match international rollout premature; refunds being issued: If it seemed late Wednesday like Apple’s rol… http://t.co/0GQOQC3W