Apple's Confusing Method Of Device Authorization And Association

Why does it have to be so difficult when all you want to do is watch an iTunes video on one of your devices?

- Kirk Mcelhearn

The iTunes Store was launched 14 years ago, and has morphed from its initial music-only offering to embrace all forms of digital media. It’s now just another digital purveyor among many, though still the leading seller of digital music in the world.

While music files were protected with digital rights management (DRM) in the early years, it’s now been eight years since this was removed. But other types of content sold on the iTunes Store still have DRM: movies, TV shows, apps,audiobooks, ebooks, and ringtones. For these types of media with DRM, there are restrictions as to how many devices you can use.

It gets complicated,though, because there are two types of restrictions. The first is for computers that are authorized to sync and play content from the iTunes Store (go.macworld.com/playsync), and the second is for devices that are allowed to download and play iTunes Store purchases(go.macworld.com/dlplay).

Confusing, isn’t it? Trying to understand what these different categories cover, andthen trying to manage your devices, canbe a head-scratcher.