How to add music to itunes library from ipod

how do i add music from an ipod to itunes library without losing what i already have

1). Connect your iPod to your computer. If it is set to update automatically you'll get a message that it is linked to a different library and asking if you want to link to this one and replace all your songs etc, press "Cancel". Pressing "Erase and Sync" will irretrievably remove all the songs from your iPod.
2). When your iPod appears in the iTunes source list change the update setting to manual, that will let you continue to use your iPod without the risk of accidentally erasing it. Check the "manually manage music and videos" box in Summary then press the Apply button. Also when using most of the utilities listed below your iPod needs to be enabled for disc use, changing to manual update will do this by default: Managing content manually on iPod and iPhone
3). Once you are connected and your iPod is safely in manual mode there are a few things you can do to restore your iTunes from the iPod. If you only want to copy your purchases to the computer that can be done using iTunes, you'll find details in this article: Copying iTunes Store purchases from your iPod or iPhone to a computer
For everything else (including purchases) there are a number of third party utilities that you can use to retrieve the music files and playlists from your iPod. You'll find that they have varying degrees of functionality and some will transfer movies, videos, photos, podcasts and games as well. You can read reviews and comparisons of some of them here:
Wired News - Rescue Your Stranded Tunes
Comparison of iPod managers
A selection of iPod to iTunes utilities:
TuneJack Windows Only (iPhone and iPod Touch compatible)
SharePod Windows Only (iPhone and iPod Touch compatible)
iPod2PC Windows Only
iDump Windows Only
YamiPod Mac and Windows
iPod Music Liberator Mac & Windows
Floola Mac & Windows
iPodRip Mac & Windows (iPhone and iPod Touch compatible)
iPod Music Liberator Mac & Windows (iPhone and iPod Touch compatible)
Music Rescue Mac & Windows (iPhone and iPod Touch compatible)
iGadget Mac & Windows (iPhone and iPod Touch compatible)
iRepo Mac & Windows (iPhone and iPod Touch compatible)
iPod Access Mac & Windows (iPhone and iPod Touch compatible)
TouchCopy Mac & Windows (iPhone and iPod Touch compatible)
There's also a manual method of copying songs from your iPod to a Mac or PC. The procedure is a bit involved and won't recover playlists but if you're interested it's available on page 2 at this link: Copying Content from your iPod to your Computer - The Definitive Guide
4). Whichever of these retrieval methods you choose, keep your iPod in manual mode until you have reloaded your iTunes and you are happy with your playlists etc then it will be safe to return it auto-sync.
5). I would also advise that you get yourself an external hard drive and back your stuff up, relying on an iPod as your sole backup is not a good idea and external drives are comparatively inexpensive these days, you can get loads of storage for a reasonable outlay: Back up your iTunes library by copying to an external hard drive

Similar Messages

  • How can I restore my iTunes library from iPod after a HD crash?

    My computer HD crashed and had to be replaced....
    I've just installed iTunes and connected my iPod, I can't find a way to restore the iTunes library from the iPod.
    I keep all my music on an external HD, everything that is on the iPod (~140GB) is on the external HD (and more) so I don't want to restore the library from the iPod to the HD nor recreate playlists, etc.
    What can I do?
    Thanks for your help

    Check out the following post. It will work with your iPod video.
    Be very careful when connecting an iPod full of music to an empty iTunes library.There is very real risk of permanently losing all the music.
    To prevent auto sync, before you connect the iPod go to the iTunes preferences and select "devices", then select "disable automatic syncing for iPhones and iPods".
    An alternative method is to connect the iPod whilst holding down the 'control+shift' keys and do not let them go until your iPod appears in iTunes.
    If you see a message that your iPod is associated with a different library and asks if you want to link to a new one, make sure you press "Cancel".
    If you should click on "Erase and Sync" will erase all the content currently on your iPod and it will be replaced with the content of the iTunes library you just connected to.
    When you've pressed cancel your iPod should appear in the iTunes source list under "devices" and allow you to change the update setting to manage the iPod content manually, and that will let you use your iPod for the time being without the risk of accidentally erasing the contents.
    Then do any of the following to transfer your music from iPod back to the computer/iTunes.
    For iTunes version 7 or later, then you can transfer purchased iTunes store music from the iPod to an authorized computer by using the "file/transfer purchases from iPod" menu. Note that the maximum of 5 authorized computers applies here.
    Find out how to do that here.
    How to copy iTunes purchases from an iPod or iPhone to a computer.
    For all other non purchased content (your own CDs etc), check out the instructions/suggestions here.
    Music from iPod to computer (using option 2). This a manual method using "hidden folders" and although it works, it is a little more involved than other methods.
    Much easier ways are to use one of the many 3rd party programs that copy music from the iPod to the computer.
    One of the most recommended is Yamipod. This is a free program that transfers music from iPod back to the computer. However, it does not transfer playcounts/ratings etc.
    Other free programs are Pod Player, SharePod and Floola and iDump and iPodRobot.
    If you want to recover just the structure of playlists from the iPod (and not the actual song files themselves), there's iRepo for Windows. which I understand has this feature along with all the standard features for these programs.
    iPodRip also has the feature enabling you to reconstruct playlists.
    There is also CopyTrans. This does preserve ratings/playcounts etc if those are important to you but this program is not free. It also supports video transfer.
    More information is contained here.
    Copying content from your iPod to your computer - The Definitive Guide.

  • How do i transfer my itunes library from ipod to iphone

    I have just purchased an iPhone 4 and would like to know how I transfer my existing iTunes library that is synced to my iPod Nano to the iPhone?
    Thank you :-)

    You can't connect the iPod to the iPhone, you need to sync via your computer's iTunes. If you don't still have all your music on your computer then have you got a backup of your content that you can copy onto your computer and add into iTunes ? If not then if you have any iTunes purchases on your iPod then File > Transfer Purchases might copy them back to your computer. Otherwise you could see if any of the iPod-to-computer utilities mentioned in this old post still exist and work https://discussions.apple.com/message/11014893?messageID=11014893#11014893

  • How can I copy my Itunes-library from Iphone to my new Mac, as I forgot to copy the files from the old PC, and now it is to late. I only have music on my Iphone.

    How can I copy my Itunes-library from Iphone to my new Mac, as I forgot to copy the files from the old PC, and now it is to late. I only have music on my Iphone4. Thank you.
    gunnarfromhovik

    For iTunes purchases only..
    Connect the iPhone to your Mac, launch iTunes.
    If you haven't done this yet, go to the iTunes menu bar click Store / Authorize This Computer
    Now from the iTunes menu bar again, click File / Transfer Purchases From...

  • How do I move my iTunes library from my iPod Classic to my new laptop without losing my music in the synch process?

    How do I move my iTunes library from my iPod Classic to my new laptop without ;osong a;; my music in the synch process?

    Hi FWFFP,
    Welcome to the Support Communities!
    The article below will explain how to get music onto your new computer.  I'd personally recommend the option of copying the iTunes library from your current computer to an external drive, because it creates a backup for you as well:
    iTunes: How to move your music to a new computer
    http://support.apple.com/kb/ht4527
    Cheers,
    - Judy

  • HT3819 how do i get my iTunes library from my old laptop to my new mac (my purchases have moved across but not my own music files)

    How do I get my itunes library from my old laptop to my new imac? My purchases are showing on the new imac but not my own music files.

    iTunes: How to move [or copy] your music [library] to a new computer [or another drive] - http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4527 - a somewhat bewildering and not always easily understandable set of options.
    Quick answer if you use iTunes' default preferences settings:  Copy the entire iTunes folder (and in doing so all its subfolders and files) intact to the other drive.  Open iTunes and immediately hold down the Option (alt) key (shift on Windows), then guide it to the new location of the iTunes Library.itl file in the moved iTunes folder.
    For the record there's this reference for iTunes 11 but it really doesn't strike me as having the specifics you need. iTunes 11 for Mac: Move your library to another computer - http://support.apple.com/kb/PH12168 

  • HT1727 how do i get my iTunes library from my old computer to my new one? My old computer died and i got a new one. I installed iTunes to it and signed into my profile but it says i have no music. What do i do to get my library back?

    how do i get my iTunes library from my old computer to my new one? My old computer died and i got a new one. I installed iTunes to it and signed into my profile but it says i have no music. What do i do to get my library back?

    See Recover your iTunes library from your iPod or iOS device.
    tt2

  • HT2291 I installed Itunes on mu laptop.I down;oaded some music. The hard drive on that computer crashed. How do i get my Itunes library from the other computer to put on my new computer?

    How do i get my Itunes library from my crashed hard drive to put on my new computer? The old computer had Windows Vista and the new computer has Windows 8.

    It will only be where you put it.
    It has always been very basic to always maintain a backup copy of your computer for just such an occasion.  Use your backup copy to put everything back.
    If for some reason you have failed to backup ( not good), then you can transfer itunes purchases from an ipod.  File>Transfer Purchases.

  • How do I transfer my itunes library from one notebook to another?

    Hi.  I just got a new notebook and wanted to add songs to my ipod.  I downloaded itunes and added songs but when I tried to sync the ipod, I got the feedback that the ipod can only be synced with one itunes library.  How do I transfer my itunes library from the old notebook to the new one?

    iTunes: How to move your music to a new computer (Mac or Windows):
      http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4527

  • How do I transfer my iTunes library from my old computer to my MacBook Pro?

    How do I transfer my iTunes library from my old computer to my MacBook Pro?

    Just copy the entire Music folder from the old Mac to the new Mac, then click on the folder and Get Info and change the permisisons and click the spoke to "apply to enclosed items"
    Ideally it's best to use the same user name on the new machine, this way all your iTunes playlists work and there is no need to change permissions.
    You can create the same named user by creating another account in System Preferences >accounts
    If the old computer is a PC then just copy the old Music folder to the Mac onto the desktop, then use iTunes to import the music files.
    If the old comptuer is dead, then you can extract the hard drive(if it's still working) and use a IDE/SATA to USB adapter cable to access the internal drive.
    Mac's should be able to read NTFS format of PC's, just not write to it. But if it's not working there is software to install to allow the Mac to read that NTFS drive format, just search online.

  • How do I move my itunes library from an iPad to my new MacbookAir

    how do I move my itunes library from an iPad to my new MacbookAir

    Some of the information below has subsequently appeared in a document by turingtest2: Recovering your iTunes library from your iPod or iOS device - https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-3991
    Your i-device was not designed for unique storage of your media. It is not a backup device and media transfer was designed for you maintaining a master copy of your media on a computer which is itself properly backed up against loss. Syncing is one way, computer to device, updating the device content to the content on the computer, not updating or restoring content on a computer. The exception is iTunes Store purchased content.
    iTunes Store: Transferring purchases from your iOS device or iPod to a computer - http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1848 - only media purchased from iTunes Store
    For transferring other items from an i-device to a computer you will have to use third party commercial software. Examples (check the web for others; this is not an exhaustive listing, nor do I have any idea if they are any good):
    - Senuti - http://www.fadingred.com/senuti/
    - Phoneview - http://www.ecamm.com/mac/phoneview/
    - MusicRescue - http://www.kennettnet.co.uk/products/musicrescue/
    - Sharepod (free) - http://download.cnet.com/SharePod/3000-2141_4-10794489.html?tag=mncol;2 - Windows
    - Snowfox/iMedia - http://www.mac-videoconverter.com/imedia-transfer-mac.html - Mac & PC
    - iexplorer (free) - http://www.macroplant.com/iexplorer/ - Mac&PC
    - Yamipod (free) - http://www.yamipod.com/main/modules/downloads/ - PC, Linux, Mac [Still updated for use on newer devices? No edits to site since 2010.]
    - 2010 Post by Zevoneer: iPod media recovery options - https://discussions.apple.com/message/11624224 - this is an older post and many of the links are also for old posts, so bear this in mind when reading them.
    Syncing to a "New" Computer or replacing a "crashed" Hard Drive - https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-3141 - dates from 2008 and some outdated information now.
    Copying Content from your iPod to your Computer - The Definitive Guide - http://www.ilounge.com/index.php/articles/comments/copying-music-from-ipod-to-co mputer/ - Information about use in disk mode pertains only to older model iPods.
    Get Your Music Off of Your iPod - http://howto.wired.com/wiki/Get_Your_Music_Off_of_Your_iPod - I am not sure but this may only work with some models and not newer Touch, iPhone, or iPad.
    Additional information here https://discussions.apple.com/message/18324797

  • How do I move my iTune library from a pc to my mac book pro?

    I'm getting my son a MacBook Pro.  How can I get his iTune library from a pc to his new Book?

    I keep my library on an external hard disk, as I have moved machines it is just a case of plugging it in, telling iTunes the path to the library, this works for me as I do not add items frequently and keeps the hard disk space free for other uses in my case my photos.

  • TS1717 How do I save my iTunes library from my windows pc to my iCloud account?

    How do I save my iTunes library from my windows pc to my iCloud account?

    You can't. iCloud does not apply to music. You will need to subscribe to iTunes Match to get music into the cloud but note that this is not a back up service.
    jim

  • How to add music on itunes manually

    how to add music on itunes manually

    Sync your iTunes library using a compter >  iOS: Syncing your data with iTunes

  • How can I export my iTunes library from a PC to a MacBook Air?

    How can I export my iTunes library from a PC to a MacBook Air? I want to keep my ratings and rankings.
    Thanks!

    Hello luismezar
    The easiest way to do that is to move the entire iTunes Folder using an external hard drive. Check out the article below for the steps to move your iTunes library to your new MacBook Air.
    iTunes: How to move your music to a new computer
    http://support.apple.com/kb/ht4527
    Regards,
    -Norm G.

Maybe you are looking for

  • Purchase order for project

    Hello together, We have a one senerio. At my client end no. of project is going on. We do not have sales order for the project parts. Presently we are creating purchase order with acct.assignment P ( WBS Element ) but our mamangement asking me to hav

  • How do i find all of the music i downloaded from my iphone after my iphone was stolen?

    I am now an Android user and I have just DL'd iTunes onto my Windows laptop. I need to find all of the music I paid for through iTunes. Currently it is downloading some music that was in the middle of the DL when the phone was stolen but that is all

  • How to upgrade my mac os x 10.5.8 to 10.6.8

    i have no idea how to update this computer. can someone please help? i got a new i phone 5 but i cnat link it to itunes till have 10.6.8, but i cant do that till i have 10.6 update which i cant fond.

  • MATSHITA DVD-R UJ-85J

    Dear Readers, I have 1 year old MacBook Pro, I rarely use the optical drive. Now that i want to burn a CD, DVD or DL DVD using Roxio Titanium 9 i get errors. One of those errors was: The drive reported an error: Sense Key = MEDIUM ERROR Sense Code =

  • Error creating process instance dynamically

    I'm creating a proces instance dynamically using the next statement: ProcessInstance.create That statement is invoked by an automatic task that is polling a queue for a message. once the message is retrieved the process is created. this process is fa