Syncing multiple Ipods to one laptop

How do I sync my 3 kids Ipods with only one laptop? It seems unreasonable to have a unique laptop for every Ipod in the house. We have 5 Ipods total, with 2 laptops. I need to find a way to put songs on my kid's ipods without having to "erase" the content that's on there now. Thoughts?
Thanks.
Jim
[email protected]

I think Niel gave you the wrong link by accident, (multiple computers one iPod)
Yyou need multiple iPods on one computer right?
Here ya go! http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1495

Similar Messages

Question about syncing multiple ipods to one iTunes library

I have an iPod touch (2nd gen Ver 3.1.3) that I sync to my computer. My daughter recently got an iPod touch (2nd gen Ver 4.0) that was under her father's account. I reset her iPod in order to put it under my iTunes store account. Next I synced her iPod with my computer adding only the items she wanted (games mostly and a few songs).
iTunes didn't seem to have a problem with our devices being different versions. So far so good. I have only synced her device once and haven't synced mine since. We have both purchased apps straight to our iPods and they aren't backed up.
My questions are:
1. Before syncing, will I have to go check everything I want every time in iTunes?
2. We use some of the same apps and games. Will the game data and/or app data be written by another players data? Can you tell I'm really just concerned about my TapFish score?
I'm holding off on syncing until I know the answers.

Nerdgirl98 wrote:
1. Before syncing, will I have to go check everything I want every time in iTunes?
well, it would be better to keep everything checked in your library and instead create separate playlists for each mobile device.
click here for more information.
2. We use some of the same apps and games. Will the game data and/or app data be written by another players data? Can you tell I'm really just concerned about my TapFish score?
you can use as many mobile devices as you want with a single iTunes library. iTunes treats each device separately.
i have two Nano's, an iPod Touch, and an iPad syncing with the same library.
JGG

How do I sync multiple ipods to one computer?

How do I sync multipleipods through one computer? I know it must be pretty basic but I cannot get it. I have my Itunes store account up, but my wifes ipod info is up on the left side of the screen. I do not want to sync to her info and the messages acknowledge that it is my ipod connected.

Connect each one separately. Sync it with your desired info using iTunes. Then do the same with each device. You may configure the desired info separately for each device as long as each device has a different name. You can change the name from the sidebar listing in iTunes.
Download the IPod Touch user guide

Syncing multiple ipods to one itunes account

I have two ipods nano's and two shuffles. I'm having difficulty getting the twonano's to sync to aone account. One is recognized, when the second is plugged in, the sync ipod options is greyed out and not available. I haven't got past this to try the shuffles yet. Any help? All of the directions that I find state that it should plug and play by merely plugging the second in in and selecting sync......

Check your update preferences. Click on the picture of the iPod in the left pane of iTunes. This will bring up the tabs in the main pane to the right. In the first tab "Summary" check to see if your iPod is set to "manually manage songs and playlists" if it is remove the checkmark and the one against "enable disk use" and click "Apply", your iPod should sync automatically after that.
If it's not set to manual and still won't sync then try restoring your iPod. Restoring will erase the iPod's hard drive, reload the software and put it back to default settings. Once the restore is complete follow the on screen instructions to name the iPod and automatically sync your songs and videos onto the fresh installation. Press Done and the iPod will appear in iTunes and start to sync. If you want to update manually or using selected playlists uncheck the box beside the sync automatically instruction and press Done, it will default to manual mode and you can choose whatever setting you like: Restoring iPod to factory settings with iTunes 7

Help syncing multiple Ipods

I have several questions I need to get answered before I have a war on Christmas morning.
1. I bought 2 kids new Ipods for Christmas which will be used on the same PC. How do I sync 2 Ipods on the same PC with out the chance of them deleting each others libraries?
2. I bought the wife a new Ipod classic and Iphone so I get her old 2nd gen Ipod. How do I sync the new Ipod to her existing library which is on her own laptop? Then how do I keep her music on the old Ipod and sync it to my personal itunes without losing all my music on my laptop?
Any and all help will be appreciated
Dale

There are basically two methods for managing multiple iPods on one computer. See here:
Method 1 - Create different Windows users accounts for each iPod on this computer.
Method 2 - Create a playlist in iTunes for each iPod.
To make Method 2 work, connect one of your iPods, and click on it in the left-source panel.
Under the "Music" tab, and set your option for a specific playlist(s) under the "Sync Music" option.
Do the same with your other iPod; not connected at the same time as the other one, though.
For more details on this matter, check out Apple's Support article about it:
How to manage multiple iPods using one computer
I hope that helps you.
-Kylene

Managing multiple ipods on my laptop

My daughters got ipods for the first time. How do I set it up on itunes so that they can manage their own music files/folders, and that their ipods do not automatically try to sync with my music library every time they connect the ipods to the laptop? Thanks!

[_*How to use multiple iPods with one computer*_|http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1495]
i would recommend *method one* !
JGG

Help! syncing multiple ipods on same computer!

i will soon have two different ipods syncing to the same computer. how can i keep libraries separate so that my brother's music doesn't show up on my ipod and my music doesn't get synced to his?
iPod Video 30GB Windows XP

There are basically two methods for managing multiple iPods on one computer. See here:
Method 1 - Create different Windows users accounts for each iPod on this computer.
Method 2 - Create a playlist in iTunes for each iPod.
To make Method 2 work, connect one of your iPods, and click on it in the left-source panel.
Under the "Music" tab, and set your option for a specific playlist(s) under the "Sync Music" option.
Do the same with your other iPod; not connected at the same time as the other one, though.
For more details on this matter, check out Apple's Support article about it:
How to manage multiple iPods using one computer
I hope that helps you.
-Kylene

Multiple iPods on one Mac

I'm a teacher at a music department at a small University. We have digitized our entire CD library to MP3's, and allow students to listen to MP3's at certain designated computers. We protect the MP3's, however, and do not allow students to download them to their own MP3 players, in order to protect copyright law.
We are considering purchasing iPod Touches for all of our students. What I would like to do have the students sync their iPods at a Mac in our department, and be able to put MP3 files from our library on their device.
On the Macs in question, the students already have to log in with their University ID, and then they can pull up iTunes and listen to MP3 files on the computer itself.
Is there going to be a problem with doing this? Can each student log into the same Mac, sync their iPod, and then go on their way?
Thanks,
Erin

There are several different ways to use multiple iPods with one computer, have a look at this help page for suggestions: How to use multiple iPods with one computer

Multiple iPods on One Vista Computer

I just got a new 3rd generation nano and I'm trying to use both my 2nd and 3rd generation nano on my Vista computer. I want to have different music on each iPod but can't figure out how to do this. Any suggestions? Thanks...

You can set either or both of the iPods so that they only get updated with only certain playlists (you can update from more than one if you wish): Loading songs onto iPod automatically - Windows
Choosing the update option "Sync Music - Selected playlists" allows you to create a playlist specifically for the iPod and drag the tracks you want into it. If you tire of the list and want to change it, you just add or remove the songs you don't want. The ones you take out out remain in the library to be used whenever you choose. You can also sync from any existing playlists by choosing the same setting, you just need to make sure that the size of the playlists don't exceed the capacity of your iPod. You can read more about playlists at these links:
iTunes: Creating playlists of your favorite songs
How to create a Smart Playlist with iTunes
Or you can choose to update any either or both of the iPods manually and just drag whatever content you want to them:
Managing content manually on iPod
iPod 101: Fill 'er Up
Something to be aware of however when using an iPod in manual mode is that the "Do Not Disconnect" message will remain on the display until you physically eject the device. In that case use Safely Remove Hardware icon in the Windows system tray on your desktop or check this link: Safely Disconnect IPod
You can read more about using multiple iPods on this page: How to use multiple iPods with one computer

Need advice on multiple iPods on one computer

I have found the article on running more than one iPod on a computer. The directions seem simple. I just wanted to post my situation and ask an additional question.
My wife's laptop recently died but we were able to save the hard drive. So her iTunes library should still be there in tact (everything else is). With the current state of the ecomony we are trying to save money and have her "share" my laptop. Is there a way to copy over her library from that hard drive without screwing up my library?
In looking at the instructions for running multiple iPods on one computer, option 3 seems like the best method for the time being. I also have an HP Smart Media Server that has an iTunes system for sharing but I have not had the time to explore that in much depth and have not found much in the documentation that comes with the server. I would greatly appreciate any advice you may have.

Yes, if you are both on your laptop with one windows user login, method 3 can work.....but it can also be really confusing.
You will both have to train yourselves to ALWAYS do the itunes shift-start before opening itunes, every time. Your ITL file is on the laptop and hers is on the salvaged hard drive. I assume you put it in an enclosure and it's connected via USB?
You might also need to check the preferences every time.
For instance if you want your new additions to go to the laptops's hard drive. She wants her podcasts to go to the salvaged drive. You'd have to change your preferences every time using method 3.
You might want to get he media server going before too much longer! And switch to Method 1 with a shared folder on the server.

Adding multiple IPods to one computer

I would like to connect more than one Ipod to my Itunes. Right now, the second Ipod has a discreet playlist, but I cannot set up playlists under it. Is there a way to have two Ipods with multiple discreet playists connected to one Itunes program running on one computer?

Are you trying to set up playlists within a playlist? That can't be done I'm afraid. You can choose to sync multiple playlists to the iPod but not create playlists within playlists: How to use multiple iPods with one computer

How do I sync multiple iPods to the same iTunes Library?

How can I sync multiple iPods to the same iTunes Library?

The same way you sync just one. If y want different media on each iPod then only select the items you want synced to each iPod
iTunes: Syncing media content to iOS devices and iPod
Try syncing using the manual method
Managing content manually on iPhone, iPad, and iPod
Also, I would go to iTunes>Preferences>Devices and check the box that says prevent iPods... for syncing automatically so that you can more easily check what you want syned

How do i sync multiple ipods to itunes

Hi can anyone tell me how u can sync multiple ipod touch to i tunes. Have 2 i phones and 2 ipod touches in the house xx help

The same way you sync just one. If y want different media on each iPod then only select the items you want synced to each iPod
iTunes: Syncing media content to iOS devices and iPod
Try syncing using the manual method
Managing content manually on iPhone, iPad, and iPod
Also, I would go to iTunes>Preferences>Devices and check the box that says prevent iPods... for syncing automatically so that you can more easily check what you want syned

I synced my ipod to my laptop and now I can't find my music on my ipod it's all gone and some of the songs I purchased thru itunes

I synced my ipod to my laptop and now I can't find my music help. I called the support but was told that that help expired. I did not even know I had that offered to me HELP!!!!

You may be able to redownload your iTunes purchases by:
Downloading past purchases from the App Store, iBookstore, and iTunes Store
BTW, did you sync to the laptop before? Yu can only sync to one iTunes library. If you sync to to another library the iPod will be eerased and it contents replace with what is in the iTunes library on the computer.

Syncing two iPods to one library

I have two iPod Classics, an 80gb and a 120gb, which I sync identically to my library. I just bought my wife a Touch 8gb.
We share some musical tastes, but not all. Can I sync selected songs and podcasts from my library into her iPod? If so, how can I do it.
I'm willing to copy the selected songs into another folder if that will help, but that would mean I'd need to change the library location every time i switched from syncing mine to syncing hers and back, right?
Surely, we're not the only couiple who has run into this. Can anyone help, please?
Thanks.

Hello there,
There are several different methods for handling multiple iPods with one computer. I would recommend checking out this Apple support document that explains and provides step-by-step instructions for each method.
[How to use multiple iPods with one computer|http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1495]
Hope this helped.
B-rock

Syncing multiple Ipods to one laptop

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