To listen to music on your iPod, you first need to copy any tracks that you’ve saved on your computer to Apple’s music player.
To do this, you will need a copy of Apple’s music program iTunes. Here, you’ll be shown a simple way of transferring your music to iTunes.
It’s assumed that you already have iTunes installed and that you already know how to add music to it. If not, see our guides How to download iTunes and How to add songs to iTunes.
You’ll need:
- a computer with access to the internet, ideally through a broadband connection
- an email account
- iTunes installed on the computer.
Follow these step-by-step instructions to add music to your iPod
Step 1: Your iPod will have come with a cable that will enable you to connect it to your computer. You’ll find that the smaller end will easily plug into the iPod. The other end is a USB connection that will plug into your computer.
Step 2: When your iPod is detected, iTunes should automatically load up. If not, start iTunes by double-clicking on the iTunes icon on your desktop. Alternatively, click Start, hover over ‘All Programs’, find iTunes on that list and click it.
Step 3: Open the File menu and select Devices in the menu.
Step 4: There will be a number of headings at the top of the page. Click Music.
Step 5: You now have a choice: to copy your entire music library or to select playlists, artists, albums and/or genres from a list that’s presented to you. Be sure that you have enough space on your iPod to install whatever music you select.
If you tick Entire Music Library, move on to Step 7.
Step 6: Otherwise, tick ‘Selected laylists, artists, albums, and…’ and put a tick by all the ‘Playlists’ and/or ‘Artists’ that you want to transfer to your iPod.
Step 7: Click Sync. (‘Sync’ is short for ‘synchronise’ – you’re matching what you have on your computer to what’s on the iPod.)
Step 8: If you want to disconnect the iPod, click the eject arrow to the right of the iPod listing under ‘Devices’.
Chris Quartermaine is a Digital Unite tutor for Chester, South Wirral and north-east Wales.