iTunes Match Finally Arrives with iTunes 10.5.1

iTunes Match has officially launched with the recent release of iTunes 10.5.1, available as an update or via software download from Apple.

iTunes Match, which costs $24.99 per year to receive cloud-based matching, intended to launch by mid-October. In the last couple of days, developers tested iTunes 10.5.1 in preparation.

iTunes Match stores your music in the cloud -- up to 25K songs -- and lets you access it from your iPhone, iPad, iPod, computer or Apple TV. 

Earlier today, we found leaked screen shots of Google's Music Store, which charges anywhere from $0.99 to $1.29 for songs. Other similar services include Spotify -- $9.99/month -- and Amazon's Cloud Drive, which costs $20 per year without storage limits.

Developing story. Refresh for updates. 

SCREEN SHOTS 

When you first subscribe, iTunes Match gathers information about your iTunes library, matches it with songs in the iTunes Store and then uploads artwork.