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How to Copy Music from Your IPod to Your Computer

Learn how to Copy Music from Your IPod to with clear steps, useful examples, and practical tips. Complete the task correctly and avoid common mistakes.

Table of Contents

This updated guide explains how to Copy Music from Your IPod to Your Computer through clear steps, practical examples, and important checks that help prevent common errors.

Method 1 of 3:

Using Sharepod

  1. Copy Music from Your IPod to Your Computer — Using Sharepod screenshot 1
    Enable iTunes sharing. 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. Copy Music from Your IPod to Your Computer — Using Sharepod screenshot 2
    Open the Sharepod website. 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.
  3. Copy Music from Your IPod to Your Computer — Using Sharepod screenshot 3
    Download Sharepod. 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. Copy Music from Your IPod to Your Computer — Using Sharepod screenshot 4
    Install Sharepod. 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. Copy Music from Your IPod to Your Computer — Using Sharepod screenshot 5
    Put your iPod in Disk Mode. 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. Copy Music from Your IPod to Your Computer — Using Sharepod screenshot 6
    Attach your iPod to your computer. 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. Copy Music from Your IPod to Your Computer — Using Sharepod screenshot 7
    Open Sharepod. Once Sharepod is installed, double-click its app icon.
    • Sharepod may open automatically at the end of the installation process.
  8. Copy Music from Your IPod to Your Computer — Using Sharepod screenshot 8
    Click Done when prompted. 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. Copy Music from Your IPod to Your Computer — Using Sharepod screenshot 9
    Select music. Hold down Ctrl (Windows) or ? Command (Mac) while you click each song that you may need to select.
    • If you may need to transfer all of your iPod's music onto your computer, skip to the next step's substep.
  10. Copy Music from Your IPod to Your Computer — Using Sharepod screenshot 10
    Select a transfer folder. 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 may need 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. Copy Music from Your IPod to Your Computer — Using Sharepod screenshot 11
    Click GO. 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.
Method 2 of 3:

Using Old IPods on Windows

  1. Copy Music from Your IPod to Your Computer — Using Old IPods on Windows screenshot 12
    Understand that this won't work with iPod Touch models. 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 may need to transfer iPod Touch music onto your computer, use Sharepod.
  2. Copy Music from Your IPod to Your Computer — Using Old IPods on Windows screenshot 13
    Open iTunes. 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. Copy Music from Your IPod to Your Computer — Using Old IPods on Windows screenshot 14
    Change your iTunes settings. 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. Copy Music from Your IPod to Your Computer — Using Old IPods on Windows screenshot 15
    Put your iPod in Disk Mode. 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. Copy Music from Your IPod to Your Computer — Using Old IPods on Windows screenshot 16
    Attach your iPod to your computer. 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. Copy Music from Your IPod to Your Computer — Using Old IPods on Windows screenshot 17
    Wait for the iPod to display in iTunes. Once your iPod's icon appears in the upper-left side of iTunes, you can proceed.
  7. Copy Music from Your IPod to Your Computer — Using Old IPods on Windows screenshot 18
    Open Start
    Copy Music from Your IPod to Your Computer — Using Old IPods on Windows screenshot 19
    . Click the Windows logo in the bottom-left corner of the screen.
  8. Copy Music from Your IPod to Your Computer — Using Old IPods on Windows screenshot 20
    Open File Explorer
    Copy Music from Your IPod to Your Computer — Using Old IPods on Windows screenshot 21
    . Click the folder-shaped icon in the lower-left side of the Start window.
  9. Copy Music from Your IPod to Your Computer — Using Old IPods on Windows screenshot 22
    Click your iPod's name. 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. Copy Music from Your IPod to Your Computer — Using Old IPods on Windows screenshot 23
    Enable hidden folder viewing. 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. Copy Music from Your IPod to Your Computer — Using Old IPods on Windows screenshot 24
    Open the "iPod_Control" folder. Double-click this folder to do so.
  12. Copy Music from Your IPod to Your Computer — Using Old IPods on Windows screenshot 25
    Open the "Music" folder. 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. Copy Music from Your IPod to Your Computer — Using Old IPods on Windows screenshot 26
    Select all folders inside the "Music" folder. Click any folder in the "Music" folder, then press Ctrl+A.
  14. Copy Music from Your IPod to Your Computer — Using Old IPods on Windows screenshot 27
    Copy the folders. Press Ctrl+C to do so.
  15. Copy Music from Your IPod to Your Computer — Using Old IPods on Windows screenshot 28
    Paste the folders into a folder on your hard drive. Go to a folder in which you may need to save the music, then press Ctrl+V to paste in the music.
  16. Copy Music from Your IPod to Your Computer — Using Old IPods on Windows screenshot 29
    Add the music to iTunes. 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.
Method 3 of 3:

Using Old IPods on Mac

  1. Copy Music from Your IPod to Your Computer — Using Old IPods on Mac screenshot 30
    Understand that this won't work with iPod Touch models. 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 may need to transfer iPod Touch music onto your computer, use Sharepod.
  2. Copy Music from Your IPod to Your Computer — Using Old IPods on Mac screenshot 31
    Open iTunes. 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. Copy Music from Your IPod to Your Computer — Using Old IPods on Mac screenshot 32
    Change your iTunes settings. 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. Copy Music from Your IPod to Your Computer — Using Old IPods on Mac screenshot 33
    Put your iPod in Disk Mode. 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. Copy Music from Your IPod to Your Computer — Using Old IPods on Mac screenshot 34
    Enable hidden folder viewing. Click Spotlight
    Copy Music from Your IPod to Your Computer — Using Old IPods on Mac screenshot 35
    in the top-right corner of the screen, then do the following:
    • Type in terminal
    • Double-click
      Copy Music from Your IPod to Your Computer — Using Old IPods on Mac screenshot 36
      Terminal
    • Type in defaults write com. apple. finder AppleShowAllFiles -boolean true; killall Finder
    • Press ? Return
  6. Copy Music from Your IPod to Your Computer — Using Old IPods on Mac screenshot 37
    Attach your iPod to your computer. 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. Copy Music from Your IPod to Your Computer — Using Old IPods on Mac screenshot 38
    Wait for the iPod to display in iTunes. Once your iPod's icon appears in the upper-left side of iTunes, you can proceed.
  8. Copy Music from Your IPod to Your Computer — Using Old IPods on Mac screenshot 39
    Open
    Copy Music from Your IPod to Your Computer — Using Old IPods on Mac screenshot 40
    Finder. Click the blue, face-shaped Finder app icon in the Dock.
  9. Copy Music from Your IPod to Your Computer — Using Old IPods on Mac screenshot 41
    Click your iPod's name. 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. Copy Music from Your IPod to Your Computer — Using Old IPods on Mac screenshot 42
    Open the "iPod_Control" folder. Double-click this folder to do so.
  11. Copy Music from Your IPod to Your Computer — Using Old IPods on Mac screenshot 43
    Open the "Music" folder. 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. Copy Music from Your IPod to Your Computer — Using Old IPods on Mac screenshot 44
    Select all folders inside the "Music" folder. Click any folder here, then press ? Command+A to select the entire folder's contents.
  13. Copy Music from Your IPod to Your Computer — Using Old IPods on Mac screenshot 45
    Copy the folders. Press ? Command+C to do so.
  14. Copy Music from Your IPod to Your Computer — Using Old IPods on Mac screenshot 46
    Paste the folders into a folder on your hard drive. Go to a folder in which you may need to save the music, then press ? Command+V to paste in the music.
  15. Copy Music from Your IPod to Your Computer — Using Old IPods on Mac screenshot 47
    Add the music to iTunes. 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. Copy Music from Your IPod to Your Computer — Using Old IPods on Mac screenshot 48
    Make hidden files not visible in Finder again if you want. 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.

FAQ

What is the easiest way to Copy Music from Your IPod to Your Computer?

Start with the requirements in this guide, then follow each step in order. Check the result after every major change so problems are easier to identify.

Can beginners follow these instructions?

Yes. The process is organized into practical steps, and you can repeat any step before moving forward.

What should I check if the method does not work?

Confirm your software or device version, permissions, settings, file format, and internet connection when the task depends on online services.

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