How to sync iTunes on a new computer without losing current content

I just bought a new Macbook pro with retina display. I have an iPhone 5C and have a lot of songs on it, I want to sync new music from my new macbook onto my phone but don't want to lose the music already on my phone.

Your i-device was not designed for unique storage of your media. It is not a backup device and media transfer was planned with you maintaining a master copy of your media on a computer which is itself independently backed up against loss.  To use a device with a new computer you transfer the content from the old computer (or its backup) directly to the new computer, not the device to the new computer. 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 purchases which can be transferred to a computer.
iTunes Store: Transferring purchases from your iOS device or iPod to a computer - http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1848 - only purchases from iTunes Store
For transferring other items from an i-device to a computer you will have to use third party commercial software.  See this document by turingtest2: Recovering your iTunes library from your iPod or iOS device - https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-3991
If you only have iTunes Store purchases transfer them to the computer, then erase sync them back again.  Either that or transfer the iTunes library to which the phone is actually synced.  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) so you get a prompt to select a library, then guide it to the 'iTunes Library.itl' file in the moved iTunes folder.
If this is to a new computer and you put the copied iTunes folder in the default location of Macintosh HD > Users > *User Name* > Music  then you don't even need to start with the option key held down, iTunes will automatically look for it there.  (Make sure there isn't anything already in the iTunes folder there that you want to keep since you will be replacing it with the one you are moving.)

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    Next, go up to Store>Authorize this computer.
    Next, File>Transfer Purchases.
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    Right click the phone in the device pane & select "Reset Warnings".
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    Next, restore your phone from the backup you just made.
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    This is what's included in the backup you'll make & restore from:
    http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1766
    This is how to restore from that backup, as already referenced, when prompted to create another backup before you restore, decline as we will use the backup we made when we started:
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    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.
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    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.
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    Find out how to do that here.
    How to copy iTunes purchases from an iPod or iPhone to a computer.
    Once you've done that, you can sync your iPod to iTunes as normal.

  • My Ipod is synced to my old computer. How to I sync it to my new computer without losing the songs on my ipod?

    My Ipod is syncd to my old computer and I want to sync it to my new computer without losing the content on my Ipod

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    iTunes Store: Transferring purchases from your iPhone, iPad, or iPod to a computer
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    new PC: Apple Support Communities
    Theaftr transfering the stuff, restore the iPod to factory defaults/new iPod and then sync.
    If you can move the iPod backup file to the new computer you can restore from backup.
    The backup file is located here:
    Mac: ~/Library/Application Support/MobileSync/Backup/
    Windows XP: \Documents and Settings\(username)\Application Data\Apple Computer\MobileSync\Backup\
    Windows Vista and Windows 7: \Users\(username)\AppData\Roaming\Apple Computer\MobileSync\Backup\

  • How to sync my ipod 3G to itunes on a new computer without losing everything

    How to sync my ipod 3G to itunes on a new computer without losing everything

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    Iphone will sycn with one computer at a time.  Syncing to another will erase the current content.

  • I have an Ipod touch that was used on one computer but the computer got a virus and crashed and got rid of everything. I have a new computer now so how do I transfer the music from the Ipod touch to the itunes on the new computer without losing the music

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    I have an Ipod touch that was used on one computer but the computer got a virus and crashed and got rid of everything. I have a new computer now so how do I transfer the music from the Ipod touch to the itunes on the new computer without losing the music

  • HT201253 How do I sync iPhone with a new computer without losing data?

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  • HT4623 How can I set up iTunes on a new computer without losing my phone data?

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    You should be able to recover the media with the tips in  this post from forum regular Zevoneer but I'm not sure what the implications are for your application settings. You can probably transfer your purchases into a newly authorised library, backup the device, recover any other media using third party tools, then restore the device from the backup. That might switch the assocation of the device to the new machine but I couldn't say for sure.
    tt2

  • How do I sync an iphone to a new computer without losing the content

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    It has always been very basic to always maintain a backup copy of your computer.
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