You have tons of music in your iTunes account, but don't know how to transfer it to your iPod? It must be really annoying! iTunes is a complicated program, especially if it's your first time connecting your iPod to your computer. But don't worry! This guide can help you get it done in no time. To find out how to move music from iTunes library to iPod (and without using iTunes), see Step 1 below!
Step
Part 1 of 2: Adding Music to iPod
Step 1. Connect your iPod and then open iTunes
To get started adding music to your iPod, open iTunes. If you haven't yet connected your iPod, connect as soon as iTunes opens. In a few moments, iTunes will recognize it - you'll see a small "iPod" button with an image of an iPod appear in the top right. Click this button.
Note that for iPad, iPod Shuffle, and other iTunes-compatible devices, the process is pretty much the same although the text on the button that appears will change
Step 2. Click "Music" on the next screen
After clicking the "iPod" button, you'll see a screen showing various information about the iPod, including its name, storage capacity, and several other options. You don't need to set any of this up - just click "Music" at the top of the window to continue.
Step 3. Choose whether you want to sync the entire library or just selected songs
You have two options for putting music on your iPod: iTunes automatically moves your entire library to your iPod, or you can manually select the songs you want to add. Look at the bubble next to "Entire music library" to add an entire library, or check the bubble next to "Selected playlists, artists, albums, and genres" if you want to manually select songs.
At this point, you can also check the other option boxes below. For example, to add an existing music video in the library, check "Include music videos", and so on
Step 4. If you choose to add songs manually, select the desired playlist/artist
If you chose the option to add songs manually to your iPod, use the menu at the bottom of the iTunes window to select the songs you want to add. Scroll through the menus for a list of songs, artists, genres, and albums, checking the boxes next to the options you want to add to your iPod.
- For example, if you want to add all of Al Green's songs to your iPod, scroll through the list of artists until you see Al Green, then check the box next to his name. On the other hand, to only add songs from a greatest hits album, scroll through the albums list until you see Al Green's Greatest Hits, then check the box next to it.
- Don't worry if some of your selected songs overlap - iTunes won't add the same song to your iPod.
Step 5. Click "Sync" to add all songs
Whether you choose the manual or automatic option for adding songs, click the "Sync" button (short for "Synchronize") at the bottom right of the screen when you're ready to add songs to your iPod. iTunes will immediately start adding the songs of your choice to the iPod. You can monitor its progress by looking at the progress bar that will appear at the top of the iTunes window.
Do not disconnect the iPod during this process. This will interrupt the sync process and cancel songs that have not been moved. Apart from that, iTunes can also fail or stop working
Step 6. Enjoy the new music
You have successfully added songs to your iPod. To play a song, disconnect your iPod, plug in headphones, select a song from the "Music" option at the bottom right of the iPod's main menu, then enjoy.
Note that while this guide explains how to add music to an iPod, the process is pretty much the same for other forms of media. For example, to add movies to your iPod, click "Movies" at the top of the iTunes window after pressing the "iPod" button, then proceed in the same way
Step 7. Deselect the sync option to delete the song
To retrieve songs from an iPod, connect the iPod to the computer and proceed as usual on the Syncing screen. If the song you want to delete isn't already selected, click the bubble next to the "Manual" option to add a song. then scroll through the artist windows, playlists, etc., then uncheck the boxes next to the songs you want to remove from the iPod. When finished, click "Sync" to save the changes.
Part 2 of 2: Connecting To iTunes For The First Time
Step 1. Download and install iTunes
If you don't have iTunes, download and install it first. While you can add music to your iPod without iTunes, this method is much more common. Besides being free, iTunes is easy to download and install, and offers a variety of helpful features, including access to the iTunes Store and the option to auto-sync iPod libraries to libraries on your computer.
To download iTunes, simply visit iTunes.com and click the "Download iTunes" link at the top right. Provide your email address and click "Download Now" to start the download
Step 2. Connect your iPod to the computer
New iPods come with a white USB cable. With this cable you can transfer media between your computer and iPod. Connect the thin, flat end of the cable to the iPod (there will be a suitable port on the bottom of the iPod) and the other end to one of the computer's USB ports to get started.
Note that iPod models other than the standard version (such as iPod shuffle) have cables with different plug shapes. However, all types of iPod cables have one end that plugs into a USB port
Step 3. Wait for iTunes to recognize the iPod
When the iPod is connected iTunes will automatically start. Otherwise, you can open it manually. In a few moments iTunes will recognize the iPod that is when the trademark Apple logo suddenly appears on the iPod. You may also see a progress bar appear at the top of the iTunes window indicating that iTunes is downloading the data it needs to display the iPod interface. Wait for iTunes to finish before proceeding - This process can take a few minutes.
- If iTunes doesn't seem to recognize the iPod, don't worry. iTunes is known to have problems with new devices. Disconnect the iPod and then reconnect it, open and close iTunes, then turn on your computer before visiting iTunes support.
- Also, if your iPod is low on power, you should wait for it to charge from your computer for a few minutes until iTunes can recognize it.
Step 4. Follow the instructions shown
iTunes will automatically display a large welcome message. Click "Continue" to continue. You will then see a screen that says "Sync with iTunes". Click "Get Started" on this screen. You will be taken to a screen that presents you with various options, including:
- Update iPod software to the latest version. If your iPod software is not the latest version, clicking "Update" will download and install the latest version of the software. iPod will be up to date with all its feature and security fixes.
- Back up iPod data. If it's your first time using an iPod, there won't be any data to back up, but choose an automatic backup location (for both your computer and iCloud) to ensure that you don't have to worry about this in the future.
Step 5. Click "Done"
To exit the current screen, simply click the blue "Done" button at the top right of the iTunes window. When you do this, you'll be taken back to the iTunes screen you saw before you started.
From here, you can add music to your iPod as usual
Tips
- To buy new songs, use the iTunes Store. You can access it via the button at the top right of the iTunes window.
- You may want to preview the song before buying it. You can do this by double-clicking a song in the Store.
