How to Get Music From an iPod to iTunes Step-by-Step

by David McKinney, Demand Media

Recover music from your iPod in the event of a computer crash.

If the worst happens and your computer crashes, you face the possibility of losing songs you may have accumulated from your own collection of compact discs or from purchases made through iTunes. For big music enthusiasts, that kind of catastrophe could imperil thousands of songs. Yet, if you have an iPod, all is not lost. Software applications exist on the Internet that can be downloaded at no cost, enabling you to transfer music from your iPod back into iTunes and sparing yourself a calamity.

Items you will need

iPod file-transfer software
iPod-compatible USB cable
iPod
iTunes

Step 1

Make necessary repairs, if a crash caused your computer to lose music files. Power on your computer and open up your Internet browser. Download one of several available iPod utility applications, such as iRip or Copytrans, that allow you to move songs from your iPod to iTunes.

Step 2

Open the software application once it has been downloaded. Plug in an iPod-compatible USB cable into a USB port on your computer. Attach the other end of the cable to your iPod. If using iRip on a Macintosh, be sure to hold down the "command" and "option" keys simultaneously during the start-up.

Step 3

Follow prompts from the software application to begin synching your iPod with iTunes and moving music back onto your computer. Expect the process to take as long as 20 minutes if you have thousands of music files to transfer.

Step 4

Remove the USB cable from your computer and iPod when the file transfer has finished.

Tips

Several software developers want to charge as much as $50 for applications that allow for the transfer of music from an iPod to iTunes. Seek out those that offer free trial subscriptions, though be sure to cancel any subscription before you face charges.

Warnings

Developers of the iRip program warn users to hold down the "Command" and "Option" keys because, in some cases, failure to do so has led to music files being deleted from iPods.

References

Resources

About the Author

David McKinney is a newspaper reporter. He was born in Mattoon, Ill., and graduated Eastern Illinois University with a journalism degree. Since 1995, he has covered Illinois state government, including the rise of Barack Obama and the rise and fall of Rod Blagojevich.