How to Copy Music from Your iPod to Your Computer

PDF download Download Article
PDF download Download Article

This wikiHow teaches you how to copy music from an iPod to a Windows or Mac computer. You can use the free Sharepod program to move music of of virtually any iPod, or you can use iTunes and your computer's file explorer program to pull music off of older iPods.

Extracting Music from iPod

  1. Enable "Prevent iPods, iPhones, and iPads from syncing automatically" in iTunes.
  2. Put your iPod into Disk Mode and attach it to your PC.
  3. Open File Explorer and select your iPod.
  4. Open the iPod_Control folder and copy the Music folder to your computer.
  5. In iTunes, go to File > Add Folder to Library .
  6. Select the Music folder and click Select Folder .
Method 1
Method 1 of 3:

Using Sharepod

PDF download Download Article
  1. While Sharepod doesn't directly interface with iTunes to move songs from your iPod to your computer, it does require iTunes to be installed and capable of sharing XML:
    • Open iTunes.
    • Click either Edit (Windows) or iTunes (Mac) in the upper-left corner of iTunes.
    • Click Preferences...
    • Click the Advanced tab.
    • Check the "Share iTunes XML with other locations" box.
    • Click OK
  2. Go to https://www.getsharepod.com/download/ in your computer's web browser. Sharepod is a free program for Windows and Mac that will allow you to transfer songs from your iPod directly onto your computer.
    • You can use Sharepod with both modern iPods (such as the iPod Touch) and classic iPods.
    Advertisement
  3. Click either Download for Windows or Download for Mac near the top of the page. The Sharepod setup file will download onto your computer.
  4. This process will vary slightly depending on your computer:
    • Windows — Double-click the Sharepod installation file, then follow the on-screen installation prompts. Sharepod may ask to install QuickTime for you; if so, accept the installation.
    • Mac — Double-click the Sharepod DMG file, click and drag the Sharepod logo onto the "Applications" folder icon, and follow any on-screen installation prompts. You may need to make an exception for Sharepod in your Mac's security settings.
  5. If you're using a non-Touch model of iPod, you'll need to enable your iPod's Disk Mode feature in order for your computer to recognize it. The process for enabling Disk Mode varies depending on the iPod: [1]
    • iPod Nano 6th or 7th Generation — Press the Sleep/Wake and either Home (7th generation) or Volume Down (6th generation) buttons at the same time until the Apple logo appears, then hold down the Volume Down and Volume Up buttons until the Disk Mode screen appears.
    • iPod with a Click Wheel — Switch Hold on and off, press and hold Menu and Select until the Apple logo appears, release the buttons, and hold down Select and Play until the Disk Mode screen appears.
    • iPod with a Touch/Scroll Wheel — Switch Hold on and off, press and hold Play and Menu until the Apple logo appears, release the buttons, and press and hold Previous and Next until the Disk Mode screen appears.
    • iPod Classic — Disk Mode is neither supported nor needed when connecting a classic iPod to your computer.
  6. Plug one end of your iPod's charger cable into one of your computer's USB ports, then plug the other end of the cable into your iPod.
    • You may need a USB 3.0 to USB-C adapter for your Mac if your Mac doesn't have any traditional USB ports.
  7. Once Sharepod is installed, double-click its app icon.
    • Sharepod may open automatically at the end of the installation process.
  8. This will take you to the main Sharepod window.
    • At this point, iTunes will re-open if you closed it earlier. You'll need to allow it to run in the background while you use Sharepod.
  9. Hold down Ctrl (Windows) or ⌘ Command (Mac) while you click each song that you want to select.
    • If you want to transfer all of your iPod's music onto your computer, skip to the next step's substep.
  10. Once your music is selected, click TRANSFER in the bottom-right corner of the window, click Transfer selected to a folder , select a folder on your computer, and click OK .
    • If you want to transfer all of your iPod's music onto your computer, click TRANSFER , then click Transfer everything to a folder... in the drop-down menu.
  11. It's a green button in the bottom-right corner of the screen. Doing so will move your selected music into your preferred folder on your computer.
    12. Advertisement
Method 2
Method 2 of 3:

Using Old iPods on Windows

PDF download Download Article
  1. Older iPods, such as the iPod Nano and iPods which have click wheels, store their music in a significantly easier to access format than do iPod Touches.
    • If you want to transfer iPod Touch music onto your computer, use Sharepod .
  2. Double-click the iTunes app icon, which resembles a multicolored musical note on a white background.
    • If prompted to update iTunes, click Download iTunes and restart your computer when prompted.
    • If you don't have iTunes on your computer, install it before proceeding.
  3. In order to prevent errors or accidental file overwriting, you'll need to change a few iTunes settings before proceeding:
    • Click Edit
    • Click Preferences...
    • Click the Devices tab.
    • Check the "Prevent iPods, iPhones, and iPads from syncing automatically" box.
    • Click the Advanced tab.
    • Check the "Keep iTunes Media folder organized" box.
    • Check the "Copy files to iTunes Media folder when adding to library" box.
    • Click OK
  4. You'll need to enable your iPod's Disk Mode feature in order for your computer to recognize it. The process for enabling Disk Mode varies depending on the iPod:
    • iPod Nano 6th or 7th Generation — Press the Sleep/Wake and either Home (7th generation) or Volume Down (6th generation) buttons at the same time until the Apple logo appears, then hold down the Volume Down and Volume Up buttons until the Disk Mode screen appears.
    • iPod with a Click Wheel — Switch Hold on and off, press and hold Menu and Select until the Apple logo appears, release the buttons, and hold down Select and Play until the Disk Mode screen appears.
    • iPod with a Touch/Scroll Wheel — Switch Hold on and off, press and hold Play and Menu until the Apple logo appears, release the buttons, and press and hold Previous and Next until the Disk Mode screen appears.
    • iPod Classic — Disk Mode is neither supported nor needed when connecting a classic iPod to your computer.
  5. Plug one end of your iPod's charger cable into your iPod, then plug the other end into one of your computer's USB ports.
  6. Once your iPod's icon appears in the upper-left side of iTunes, you can proceed.
  7. Click the Windows logo in the bottom-left corner of the screen.
  8. Click the folder-shaped icon in the lower-left side of the Start window.
  9. You'll find it on the left side of the File Explorer window, though you may have to scroll down on the left-hand pane of the window to see it.
    • If you can't find your iPod's name, click This PC on the left side of the File Explorer window, then double-click your iPod's name below the "Devices and drives" heading.
  10. Click the View tab at the top of the File Explorer window, then check the "Hidden items" box. This will allow you to retrieve your iPod's music.
  11. Double-click this folder to do so.
  12. You'll find it inside the "iPod_Control" folder. Doing so will bring you to a list of folders with similar names (e.g., "F00", "F01", "F02", and so on). [2]
  13. Click any folder in the "Music" folder, then press Ctrl + A .
  14. Press Ctrl + C to do so.
  15. Go to a folder in which you want to save the music, then press Ctrl + V to paste in the music.
  16. Once the music finishes copying onto your computer, you can add it to iTunes by doing the following:
    • Open iTunes if necessary.
    • Click File
    • Click Add Folder to Library...
    • Select your folder.
    • Click Select Folder
    • Since the music will be copied to the "iTunes Media" folder when you do this, you can delete the current folder after the music finishes adding to iTunes.
    17. Advertisement
Method 3
Method 3 of 3:

Using Old iPods on Mac

PDF download Download Article
  1. Older iPods, such as the iPod Nano and iPods which have click wheels, store their music in a significantly easier to access format than do iPod Touches.
    • If you want to transfer iPod Touch music onto your computer, use Sharepod .
  2. Click the iTunes app icon, which resembles a multicolored musical note on a white background, in your Mac's Dock.
    • If prompted to update iTunes, click Download iTunes and restart your computer when prompted.
    • If you don't have iTunes on your computer, install it before proceeding.
  3. In order to prevent errors or accidental file overwriting, you'll need to change a few iTunes settings before proceeding:
    • Click iTunes in the upper-left corner of the screen.
    • Click Preferences...
    • Click the Devices tab.
    • Check the "Prevent iPods, iPhones, and iPads from syncing automatically" box.
    • Click the Advanced tab.
    • Check the "Keep iTunes Media folder organized" box.
    • Check the "Copy files to iTunes Media folder when adding to library" box.
    • Click OK
  4. You'll need to enable your iPod's Disk Mode feature in order for your computer to recognize it. The process for enabling Disk Mode varies depending on the iPod:
    • iPod Nano 6th or 7th Generation — Press the Sleep/Wake and either Home (7th generation) or Volume Down (6th generation) buttons at the same time until the Apple logo appears, then hold down the Volume Down and Volume Up buttons until the Disk Mode screen appears.
    • iPod with a Click Wheel — Switch Hold on and off, press and hold Menu and Select until the Apple logo appears, release the buttons, and hold down Select and Play until the Disk Mode screen appears.
    • iPod with a Touch/Scroll Wheel — Switch Hold on and off, press and hold Play and Menu until the Apple logo appears, release the buttons, and press and hold Previous and Next until the Disk Mode screen appears.
    • iPod Classic — Disk Mode is neither supported nor needed when connecting a classic iPod to your computer.
  5. Click Spotlight
    Mac Spotlight
    in the top-right corner of the screen, then do the following:
    • Type in terminal
    • Double-click
      Mac Terminal
      Terminal
    • Type in defaults write com.apple.finder AppleShowAllFiles -boolean true ; killall Finder
    • Press ⏎ Return
  6. Plug one end of your iPod's charger cable into the iPod, then plug the other end into your computer.
    • If your Mac uses USB-C ports instead of USB 3.0 (rectangular) ports, you will need a USB 3.0 to USB-C adapter to do this.
  7. Once your iPod's icon appears in the upper-left side of iTunes, you can proceed.
  8. Click the blue, face-shaped Finder app icon in the Dock.
  9. It's in the lower-left side of the Finder window. Doing so will open your iPod's window.
    • If you can't find your iPod's name, click This PC on the left side of the File Explorer window, then double-click your iPod's name below the "Devices and drives" heading.
  10. Double-click this folder to do so.
  11. You'll find it inside the "iPod_Control" folder. Doing so will bring you to a list of folders with similar names (e.g., "F00", "F01", "F02", and so on).
  12. Click any folder here, then press ⌘ Command + A to select the entire folder's contents.
  13. Press ⌘ Command + C to do so.
  14. Go to a folder in which you want to save the music, then press ⌘ Command + V to paste in the music.
  15. Once you've moved the music onto your computer, you can add it to iTunes by doing the following:
    • Open iTunes if necessary.
    • Click File
    • Click Add to Library...
    • Select your folder.
    • If you don't see the music folders listed (e.g., "F00", "F01", "F02", and so on), you'll need to use the Terminal to make them visible to iTunes. In Terminal, change the directory to the folder where you pasted the music folders (e.g., cd the_name_of_the_folder_you_pasted_into ). Then type xattr -c * . This will remove the attributes that are preventing iTunes from seeing the music folders.
    • Click Open
  16. After successfully importing your music, you can type defaults write com.apple.finder AppleShowAllFiles -boolean false ; killall Finder in Terminal to make hidden files be no longer visible again in Finder.
    17. Advertisement

Community Q&A

Search
Add New Question
  • Question
    Copy from iPod to PC worked, but the files are in code (F01, F05, etc.) and not the name of the song, and they are hidden. Can I copy them to an iPod, and will the song info display at that time?
    Community Answer
    You need to copy the database files in the iTunes folder as well.
    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
    Thank you for your feedback.
    If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
    Yes No
    Not Helpful 7 Helpful 4
  • Question
    What does it mean when if iTunes does not provide the option to "Enable disk use"?
    Community Answer
    This feature is not available on iPod Touch, iPhone, or iPad because they are not storage devices.
    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
    Thank you for your feedback.
    If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
    Yes No
    Not Helpful 23 Helpful 11
  • Question
    How do I copy iPod music to iTunes without deleting the music on the iPod?
    Community Answer
    You can easily add music to your iPod without losing any of the files currently on your iPod by going to your iTunes preferences and selecting "Prevent iPods, iPhones, and iPhones from syncing automatically." Next, plug in your iPod, and go to your device options in iTunes and select "Manually manage music and videos." This will allow you to drag and drop music onto your iPod without losing the contents on your iPod.
    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
    Thank you for your feedback.
    If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
    Yes No
    Not Helpful 44 Helpful 11
See more answers
Ask a Question
200 characters left
Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered.
Submit
      Advertisement

      Video

      Tips

      • You can transfer iPod Touch purchases to your computer by opening iTunes and signing in with the Apple ID that you used to purchase the music. Once the music appears in iTunes, you can download it by right-clicking the album and clicking Download ; when the download finishes, right-clicking a song in the album and clicking Show in File Explorer (Windows) or Show in Finder (Mac) will take you to the album's folder on your computer.
        Thanks
        Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
      Submit a Tip
      All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published
      Name
      Please provide your name and last initial
      Submit
      Thanks for submitting a tip for review!
      Advertisement

      Warnings

      • Some music on your iPod (especially if you're using a classic iPod) may be encrypted. If so, you most likely won't be able to play it even if you can get it off of the iPod.
        Thanks
        Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
      Advertisement

      You Might Also Like

      Using Spotify's DJ Mode to Play Music at Parties
      What Equalizer Settings Are Best for Bass? (And Other Equalizer Settings Explained)
      How to
      Use a Mixer
      How to
      Hook up an Equalizer
      How to
      Fix an Airpods Microphone
      4 Ways to Reduce Static Noise in a Microphone
      All You Need to Know to Use a Headset Mic on a PC or Mac with One Jack
      How to
      Increase Bass on a Windows PC or Mac Computer
      How to
      Set the Default Audio Track in VLC
      3 Easy Ways to Connect a Soundbar to a Windows Computer
      How to
      Burn Music to an Audio CD
      How to
      Tell if Beats Are Fake
      Hook Up a Surround Sound System: Speakers, TV & Stereo
      How to
      Check the Real Bitrate of Audio Files
      Advertisement

      References

      1. ↑ https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201544
      2. ↑ https://www.makeuseof.com/tag/transfer-music-ipod-computer/

      About This Article

      Article Summary X

      1. Install Sharepod.
      2. Enable Disk Mode on older iPods.
      3. Connect the iPod to the computer.
      4. Open Sharepod .
      5. Select music from the iPod.
      6. Select a transfer folder.
      7. Click Go .

      Did this summary help you?
      In other languages
      Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 3,397,706 times.

      Is this article up to date?

      Advertisement