In order to erase all the contents of your player and download the contents of your new iTunes account to it, you can set your iPod to automatically sync with your iTunes library. If you only want to sync some of the content from your library, such as playlists, you can manually set up adding music to your iPod. Below are three ways you can learn how to manage the content of your player.
Steps
Method 1 of 5: Preparing the Electronics
Step 1. Make sure your computer has a USB 2.0 port and the latest version of iTunes
If you don't have the most recent version of iTunes, update it by running the iTunes updater on your computer and follow the installation instructions.
- If you have a Mac: Launch the App Store app on your Mac, click Updates at the top of the App Store window; if any macOS or iTunes updates are available, click Install.
- If you have a Windows PC: There are different ways to update depending on the version of iTunes installed. If you downloaded iTunes from the Apple website, launch iTunes. From the menu bar at the top of the iTunes window, choose Help> Check for Updates. Follow the directions to install the latest version. If Check for Updates is missing from the Help menu, you downloaded iTunes from the Microsoft Store. If you downloaded iTunes from the Microsoft Store, iTunes downloaded from the Microsoft Store updates automatically when new versions are released.
- You can also visit the Apple website and download the current version of iTunes from there by clicking on "Download Now".
Step 2. Make sure your Mac is running 10.6 or higher
If you are using a PC, make sure it is running Windows 7, 8, Windows Vista, Windows XP Home or Professional with Service Pack 3 (SP3), or later.
Learn how to update macOS or Windows before proceeding
Method 2 of 5: Connect your iPod
Step 1. Open iTunes
Run the program before connecting your iPod to your computer to avoid errors in device recognition.
Step 2. Connect the USB cable to the appropriate port on your computer
Make sure you are not using a USB port that is not part of your computer, such as a USB hub (USB hub) port or a USB keyboard port.
Disconnect other peripherals from the USB ports so they don't interfere with your iPod
Step 3. Connect the other end of the cable to your player
Use the cable that came with your iPod.
- If your computer has USB ports on the front and back, connect the player to the ones on the back.
- If iTunes does not recognize your player after connecting, try restarting the program.
- If the program still doesn't see your iPod, completely restart your computer and try again.
Method 3 of 5: Sync your iPod automatically
Step 1. Select your iPod
Depending on the version of the program you have installed, the name of your player will be displayed either in the "Devices" list on the left side of the program window or in the upper right corner of the iTunes window.
Step 2. Check if there is enough space on your iPod to sync your music library
Pay attention to the free space indicator at the bottom of the program - according to its data, you will understand whether there is enough space on the player for synchronization.
Step 3. Select "Music" from the drop-down menu below your iPod's name
A folder with music on your player will open.
Step 4. Check the box next to "Sync Music"
Below this item, the settings will be displayed, with which you can configure the synchronization of your library. To sync music, select Entire Library. To sync only selected playlists, songs, artists, and more, select Favorite Playlists, Artists, Albums, and Genres. There is also a third setting for video synchronization.
Step 5. Click "Apply" for iTunes to automatically start the sync process
Do not disconnect your iPod during the sync process. The program will notify you when the synchronization is complete.
Step 6. Remember that syncing will erase all of your data from your iPod
If you don't want to delete the existing content on your player and sync the data again, you can manually distribute the music on your iPod.
- You can also automatically sync only the data you select. To do this, for example, open the "Videos" tab and select "Sync automatically".
- If you choose only certain files to sync, then you will have to manually configure the syncing of the remaining content in iTunes.
Method 4 of 5: Synchronizing iPod manually
Step 1. Select your iPod again
Depending on the version of the program you have installed, the name of your player will be displayed either in the "Devices" list on the left side of the program window or in the upper right corner of the iTunes window.
Step 2. Open the "Overview" tab
This tab is located in the upper left side of the window, right below the music player and above the main control window.
Step 3. Find the "Options" window at the bottom of the player control window and select the "Handle music and video manually" option
This way, your iPod won't automatically sync your library when connected to your computer.
Step 4. Click "Apply" to keep manual sync preferred
Now you can add and remove content from your iPod yourself.
Step 5. Click the “On This iPod” tab, lined up with the “Browse” tab, at the top right of the screen
Step 6. Click the "Add" button located in the upper right corner
A pop-up window will open in iTunes, in which you can select the necessary files to sync with your player.
Step 7. Browse your library for the files you want to download to your iPod
You can select the file and drag it to the right side of the window, to the tab with the name of your player. When the plus icon appears next to the pointer, release the mouse button. You can drag and drop playlists in the same way.
Step 8. To delete any data, simply select it and move it to the trash
Alternatively, you can select a file, right-click on it, then select the Delete or Delete from iPod option.
Method 5 of 5: Sync iPod with AutoComplete
Step 1. Set up sync manually using the tips above
As soon as you enable manual sync, you can activate the auto-fill function of the player when you connect it to your computer.
Step 2. Open your music library and select the "Automatically fill free space with songs" option
This item is at the bottom of the main iTunes window.
Step 3. To sync music using this function, select the Music tab from the drop-down menu next to the auto-complete option
You can also sync your playlist (s). On the right, click on "Autocomplete". With this sync, iTunes will fill your player with music until it runs out of space or songs in your library. As soon as the seat runs out, synchronization will stop.
Advice
- Syncing your iPod will delete any music on it that is not in your iTunes library. To avoid this, move the songs to the player manually.
- To disconnect a device, click on the eject icon to the right of your player's name at the top of the window. You can also choose Eject iPod from the File menu.
Warnings
- If you have images on your computer and you start syncing images, then all the images from a special folder on your computer will end up on the player (and take up a lot of free memory).
- Do not disconnect your iPod from the computer until you press the eject button and the player's screen returns to normal.