Why doesn't number of plays get synced from iPod to iTunes?

ipod shuffle, the little square one, 4th or maybe 5th generation.
Mac OS X 10.7.5
itunes 11.2.2
I listen to something on my ipod. I plug the ipod into my computer. In itunes, on the ipod, I can see the track I listed to has number of plays 1. That track in the library on the computer fails to get any plays next to it. Why? Why does this stuff never really work properly? I'm sure it used to work, but I could be wrong. It's not working now. Plays on/from the ipod don't get registered on the computer. This means I don't know which tracks I've listed to and which I haven't. Great.

John,
Automatic sync of an iPod is supposed to sync the play counts back from the device to your iTunes library. Unfortunately the capability is unreliable and always has been.
Here is a thread on the topic from 2009.
I have found two things that help: try to do the sync shortly after you have rebooted your machine, and every once in a while do a Restore on the iPod. These help, but do not give you complete accuracy, and needless to add, are both a lot of trouble.
Maybe others here have additional ideas.

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'Last Played' date does not sync from ipod to itunes

Hi, I've looked through the forums and can't find an answer to this, but apologies if this has already been answered elsewhere.
I'm using itunes 7 with Windows XP and a 20gb 3rd gen ipod. I have a number of smart playlists which are based on the date songs were last played, but recently this hasn't been updated from ipod to itunes. It used to - I'm not sure if the problem has been since I updated to itunes 7 or not, but it might be. Weirdly, the play count - IS updated, so itunes knows that I played the song on my ipod, it just doesn't know when!!
Any ideas?
Thanks in advance
David

This problem is also referenced here:
http://discussions.apple.com/message.jspa?messageID=4149562#4149562
as this may be an iPod issue.

I cannot get my playlists to sync from iPod to iTunes.

A month or so ago I got a new PC and I just got around to syncing my iPod. The playlists that I had on my old PC are still in my iPod. But the playlists do not show up on iTunes on my new computer. I have rebooted my iPod, restarted my computer, tried updating iTunes (but it was already up to date) and they still do not show up.
Ideas on how to fix this would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Lauren

You're using a rule like Plays - is not - 0 OR Plays - is - 0. What's an example of a Smart Playlist that needs that rule (for songs)? I guess a Smart Playlists that only has newly added songs...
NOTE: If your old PC is still accessible, with its iTunes library intact, you can transfer your complete iTunes folder (after consolidating all of your iTunes data). Then, your iTunes library on the new computer will be the SAME iTunes library, with all supporting data, such as playcount, playlists, ratings...

How to get songs from ipod to itunes?

My old computer crashed and I had itunes on it. I got a new computer and downloaded itunes on it. I'm going to put the music on this time manually because on the old computer when I would let it sync automatic it would delete some of the songs I already had on there. So my question is how do I get the songs that are already on my ipod onto my new itunes so i can delete some songs if I need to? I hope someone can help me with this. Thanks in advance.

1). Connect your iPod to your new computer. If it is set to sync 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. iTunes will only let you copy your purchases directly from an iPod to the computer, you'll find details in this article: Copying iTunes Store purchases from your iPod or iPhone to a computer
For everything else (music from CDs, other downloads and including iTunes 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

Problem getting music from Ipod to Itunes

I have a 2nd Gen Nano and recently had to reinstall my operating system (Windows XP), which required me to back up my music. I had no external HD at the time and not enough discs so I sync'd my Ipod and stored all 812 songs to my 4GB Ipod. Now that I am back up and running, I have re-installed everything and again downloaded Itunes and authorized my computer (I only have one authorization left apparently, any way to fix this as well?).
The problem is that only songs I purchased from Itunes are in my Library. How do I get the 812 songs on my Ipod to my Itunes Library? I thought I could do it with a sync, but a window popped up saying that it would delete my current Library. I know little to nothing about computers so any plain speak will help. Thanks.

How do I get the 812 songs on my Ipod to my Itunes Library?
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, 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 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.
(I only have one authorization left apparently, any way to fix this as well?).
You can't do anything about that until you hit the maximum of 5 authorizations.
From the iTunes authorization article:
+Click iTunes Store in the menu on the left side of iTunes.+
+If you're not signed in to the store, click the Account button, then enter your account name and password.+
+Click the Account button again (your ID appears on the button), enter your password, and then click View Account.+
+In the Account Information window, click Deauthorize All.+
+Note: You may only use this feature once per year. The Deauthorize All button will not appear if you have fewer than 5 authorized computers, or if you have used this option within the last 12 months.+

Getting songs from iPod to iTunes on new computer...

My old computer recently crashed and all my songs that were in iTunes are currently on my iPod. I just got a new computer, how do I get the songs off my iPod into iTunes on my new computer without losing any of the songs? Please help me!!

Install iTunes on the new PC and authorise it.
Then you can copy across in various ways...
Copy from iPod to PC
It is important not to allow your iPod to sync with an empty library. If it is set to synchronise automatically you will get a message saying your iPod is linked to a different library and asking if you want to sync – it is important to press cancel as syncing with an empty library erases all music from your iPod.
You can also prevent auto sync by holding down shift & ctrl as you plug in your iPod and keeping the keys held down until the iPod appears in iTunes.
Once you are connected, you need to set your iPod to manage music manually.
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1535
If you have an iPod with iTunes Store purchases on it, you can use it to copy your purchases to other authorized computers.
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1848
However this is not allowed for other music.
This MacMuse tip tells you how to copy music from your iPod using Windows Explorer, but it is a bit fiddly:
http://discussions.apple.com/messageview.jspa?messageID=797432
Otherwise you can use third party software to manage the transfer, there are a variety of programs out there, some free and some that will copy ratings and counts as well as the music files. Here is a selection, check them out and see what suits you.
http://www.yamipod.com/main/modules/home/
http://www.floola.com/modules/wiwimod/index.php?page=WiwiHome
http://www.ipodsoft.com/site/pmwiki.php?n=igadget.Homepage
http://www.copytrans.net/
For a more complete list see:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparisonof_iPodmanagers
There is a useful background article on copying from your iPod here:
http://www.ilounge.com/index.php/articles/comments/copying-music-from-ipod-to-co mputer/

Computer Hard Drive Crashed-How do I get songs FROM ipod to iTunes on comp?

I have tried the "Transfer Purchases from Ipod" and then it gives me an error message that the computer is not "authorized". I go thru the authorization process and it tells the authorization was successful, but then when I re-try the Transfer, I get the same message!!! Help!!!

This might help...
Plug in the iPod and open iTunes. Now go to the top and click 'File' go down till you see 'Transfer Purchases from "(the name of the iPod)'. Doing this will retreve all of the purchased songs off the iPod. The songs that were put on with CDs are easy to replace. If some songs don't show up your lolcal library might have the CDs.

Is it possible to get music from iPod to iTunes?

THis question is not as stupid as it sounds. I recently had to purchase a new computer because my old one with all my music files crashed. I have all my music files on my iPod and wanted to know if there was anyway I could take them off my iPod and put them all into the iTunes on my new computer. I also had my iPod to synch with iTunes and I want to turn that option off but I am not sure how to. If anyone knows the answers to either of these questions your help would be greatly needed. Thanks!

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. Your iPod should appear in the iTunes source list from where you can change the update setting to manual and use your iPod without the risk of accidentally erasing it. 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. Check the "manually manage music and videos" box in Summary then press the Apply button: Managing content manually on iPod
Once you are safely connected there are a few things you can do to restore your iTunes from the iPod. If you have any iTunes Music Store purchases the transfer of purchased content from the iPod to authorised computers was introduced with iTunes 7. You'll find details in this article: Transfer iTunes Store purchases using iPod
The transfer of content from other sources such as songs imported from CD is designed by default to be one way from iTunes to iPod. However 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. Have a look at the web pages and documentation, this is just a small selection of what's available, they are generally quite straightforward. You can also read reviews of some of them here: Wired News - Rescue Your Stranded Tunes
TuneJack Windows Only
iPod2PC Windows Only
iGadget Windows Only
iDump Windows Only
iRepo Mac and Windows
iPodRip Mac & Windows
YamiPod Mac and Windows
Music Rescue Mac & Windows
iPodCopy Mac and Windows
There is also a manual method of accessing the iPod's hard drive and copying songs back to iTunes on Windows or a Mac. The procedure is a bit involved and won't recover playlists but if you're interested it's available at this link: Two-way Street: Moving Music Off the iPod
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. 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.

Play Count and Last Played not updating from iPod in iTunes

I've had this problem with 2 of my iPods over 2 different computers, and I have no idea what is causing it.
For some reason, sometimes when I have finished listening to my iPod for the day and then go in to plug it and sync it with iTunes, none of the Play Count or Last Played updates from the iPod. But sometimes it DOES update, which is what frustrates me, as I cannot seem to pinpoint the problem.
These are my specs at the moment:
iPod: Fifth-gen 30GB video
iTunes: 7.0 (also had this issue with 6.x and 4.x before this)
Computer: P4 3.0GHz dual-core, 1GB RAM, WinXP Pro, USB 2.0 ports (also experienced this exact problem with Firewire ports).
I always have iTunes set to automatically sync with the iPod. I have also gone through the 5 suggested steps (including restoring the iPod, restarting the computer and trying out other ports) on several occasions already.
I also had this exact same problem with my old computer and old iPod, the specs which were as follows:
iPod: Third-gen 20GB
Computer: P3 450MHz, 384MB RAM, WinXP Pro, USB 2.0 and Firewire ports.
Has anyone experienced this particular issue before? If so, is there a solution to this issue? It has been bugging me for a while now, and I don't know what other action to take. Thanks heaps in advance!
P4 dual-core 3.0GHz Windows XP Pro 1GB RAM, iTunes 7, USB2.0

hi ozfrog80! sorry, my english is poor...i´ve got a similar problem with a 30gb-video-ipod at mac mini (g5).i just updated itunes 7 at saturday and it ran for 2 days without a problem. okay, some playlists seemed strange, but no problems with the sound (see other topics).
i updated the ipod-software to the latest software-version on saturday too.
while "connection" of ipod/itunes the sync.-symbol never dissappeared. but no new data was transmitted.
yesterday, the ipod froze while running and had to be resetted. result: now the connection to itunes fails because "itunes doesn´t react".
the ipod is "empty" now.
i re-installed both quicktime and itunes (as considered in other topics) but that didn´t solve the problem.
funny: itunes runs without a problem but won´t connect to ipod.
i don´t know what the problem is.....i´m waiting for an update....thanx and good luck from mainz/germany.

Sync from ipod to itunes

Due to computer issues we had to reload itunes so now songs are on ipod but I can't figure out how to get them to itunes. I want to "reverse sync". Thanks for any help.

If you have any iTunes Music Store purchases the transfer of purchased content from the iPod to authorised computers was introduced with iTunes 7. You'll find details in this article: Copying iTunes Store purchases from your iPod or iPhone to a computer
The transfer of content from sources such as songs imported from CD is designed by default to be one way from iTunes to iPod. However 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. Have a look at the web pages and documentation, this is just a small selection of what's available, they are generally quite straightforward. You can read reviews and comparisons of some of them here:
Wired News - Rescue Your Stranded Tunes
Comparison of iPod managers
TuneJack Windows Only (iPhone and iPod Touch compatible)
iPod2PC Windows Only
iDump Windows Only
SharePod Windows Only
iPodRip Mac & Windows
YamiPod Mac and Windows
Music Rescue Mac & Windows
Floola Mac & Windows
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 - Windows version only)
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
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.
One more thing, If your iPod is set to update automatically you need to take care connecting to an empty iTunes. You can use a keyboard command to prevent your iPod auto-syncing with iTunes. While connecting the iPod to the computer on Windows with iTunes 7.3 or later installed hold down the Shift + Ctrl keys together. This will stop the iPod from auto-syncing with iTunes and the iPod will appear in the source list. Wait until you are sure the iPod has mounted, and that it will not auto sync and then you can let the keys go. This may take between 20 to 30 seconds depending on your computer: iTunes - Keyboard Shortcuts for Windows
When your iPod appears in the iTunes source list change the update setting to manual, that way you can continue to use your iPod without the risk of accidentally erasing it. Also when using most of the utilities listed above 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
Whichever of retrieval method 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

Problem syncing from iPod Touch - iTunes with apps

I recently reformatted me computer in order to move Windows to a different harddrive. I plugged in my iPod Touch. I authorized my computer and transferred all my apps from my iPod Touch to my iTunes. All apps appear; works great.
I want to add a new application that is in my iTunes library. If I check "Sync Apps" I get a popup saying "Are you sure you want to sync apps? All existing apps and their data on the iPod ... will be replaced with apps from this iTunes library". I do not want to lose app of my application data.
Is there a solution to this? I work for a company that creates iPhone applications (I do not make them myself), and I am trying to install one for testing purposes...so I cannot just download the app from iTunes.
Thanks.

The ipod touch will sync itunes content from one and only one computer/library.
When you reformatted, it became a new library.
Your itunes content will be erased and replaced with content from the new library.
I don't believe that the data will be lost ( if the apps are in itunes), but I am not sure.

Do song ratings get synchronized from iPod to iTunes?

I have recently tried to re-rate my iTunes library, while at the same time listening to my iPod with all of the old song ratings. If I plug my iPod into my computer, will the song take the rating of the last listened to? Or will it go with iTunes over the iPod.
Should I try manually updating music to play it safe?

so when taking the ratings of iTunes to the iPod for
what purpose u can rate the songs on the iPod as
well?
You can rate the songs on the iPod as well and they will be copied back to iTunes on the next sync.
just another question: What is the rating option of
songs for? Does a high rating mean a song is played
preferred i.e. in the random play mode?
Rating is your personal rating, and you can use it in smart playlists and such. It has no other impact.

How to get music from ipod into itunes?

i cannot find the way to import my music whuich is already onto the ipod into the itunes folder? i reformatted my computer and transferred all my music files onto the ipod to save them but i cannot get them back onto the computer!!
thanks a great deal,
claire

I face a similar challange as Claire
By doing some research I found out that it seems to be difficult, but haven't found the solution.
Would be helpful to post a solution (if there is one) or share the information that there is none, instead of just suggesting more research...
So, any hints where to look?
Cheers
Alex

HELP ME PALEEEZE!!!! how to get music from iPOD to iTUNES on new computer

I bought this iPOD overseas and started the music downloading thing from the iTUNES on my friends' computer.
Now I'm back home in the states and have my own computer and don't have a clue how to get the music from my iPOD to MY computer.
How can I get ALL this music from my iPOD to MY computer? I don't want to lose all this music b/c I don't have the cd's b/c I got the music from someone else.
I'm new to this iPOD game as you can tell any help would be greatly appreciated. Please help me!!!!!!!
30GB Windows 2000

It's still stealing. Your friend bought those CDs - You did not. He has the license to copy that music to his iPod - You do not.
I don't think you're likely to get help here as it is a violation of this forum's Terms of Use to discuss illegal activity.
Cheers!
-Bryan

Trying to sync my iPod with iTunes and I am getting this message:"This computer is no longer authorized to play purchased items that are on the ipod"... I have deauthorized and reauthorized the account and still getting the same error.

Trying to sync my iPod with iTunes and I am getting this message:"This computer is no longer authorized to play purchased items that are on the ipod"... I have deauthorized and reauthorized the account and still getting the same error. I have read and followed the instructions in the support article TS1389. I do NOT have an SC info folder at /Users/Shared/ directory to delete.
I just installed Lion yesterday, and am running iTunes 10.4. First attempt to sync since upgrade.
Thanks
Dan

Yup,
Me too...this is stupid, stupid, stupid. Just purchased my 200 (ish) mac and now I am told that my new Mac Book pro is not "authorized".
Which if my 200 macs are authorized. Can someone please tell me???
I "deauthorized" my old MBP and still told I cannot use my iPhone with iTunes.
Interesting that my old $2500 MBP, my new $3000 MBP and my $500 iPhone all cannot work cuz of some pinhead's decision to use this assorization process.
Yes I am very, very, very mad.

Why doesn't number of plays get synced from iPod to iTunes?

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