HELP: Adding/removing music from OG iPod without MacOS

Munk · Jan 3, 2019

TL;DR I just wanna copy .mp3 files to an old iPod. Please help.

Hey there fellow Carbies.

My SO has an old-school iPod, see below.

Way back when (around 2013) I was able to use Sharepod to easily transfer music to this device on my windows-based PC.
Sharepod is now dog turds level bad.

I cannot find anything else "free" online that will work.
If you have any suggestions on how I can copy music to this iPod, I would greatly appreciate the input.

Thanks.

PS: Showing hidden folders and direct-copy-paste does not work.

Off-The-Chart · Jan 3, 2019

so what have you tried so we know not to suggest?

Rickster · Jan 3, 2019

iTunes for windows...why wouldn't this work?

Munk · Jan 3, 2019

Off-The-Chart said:
so what have you tried so we know not to suggest?

Syncios appeared to be legit then needed to "download extra files" once launched. Nope.
Sharepod = buggy mess.
PodTrans = fail.
Macroplant = fail.
iPod Share Software = fail.
Touchcopy = fail.

Rickster said:
iTunes for windows...why wouldn't this work?

I will give this a shot. Way back when this would never have been a possible feature, guess I'm just being old-fashioned about the solution.

onepowerfulcorsa · Jan 3, 2019

I was transferring music to the same iPod using iTunes on Windows around 10 years ago. Surely that is the easiest way.

Off-The-Chart · Jan 3, 2019

lol wait, now that I see it again, why wasn't iTunes the first test?

Munk · Jan 3, 2019

I'm attempting to move .mp3 files, iTunes has no issue adding them to my library but dammit I cannot for the life of me find a way to copy said mp3 files to the ipod.

jasong · Jan 3, 2019

Munk said:
I'm attempting to move .mp3 files, iTunes has no issue adding them to my library but dammit I cannot for the life of me find a way to copy said mp3 files to the ipod.

Doesn't iTunes automatically convert the MP3 files once they've been added to the library? I'm not seeing the problem here.

Munk · Jan 3, 2019

jasong said:
Doesn't iTunes automatically convert the MP3 files once they've been added to the library? I'm not seeing the problem here.

Nope. I have the ipod connected to my PC via USB. iTunes recognises the device but offers zero options to copy content to the device. I can make playlists on my PC and I can mess with playlists on the iPod. That's about it. I cannot directly copy a folder of mp3 files to said ipod. I have left and right clicked everything. There are approximately zero options to transfer music to the iPod. Everything is about creating a playlist or a library and both of these (in my case, USELESS) features are exclusive to my PC. It only makes more files on my PC, the exact opposite of what I seek. Beyond "seeing" the iPod, I can do "fuck all" with it. iTunes, yay.

Munk · Jan 3, 2019

jasong said:
Doesn't iTunes automatically convert the MP3 files once they've been added to the library? I'm not seeing the problem here.

Just checked the iPod, an album added to the iTunes library did not get added to the iPod. No amount of left/right clicking offers an option to copy the album from my PC to the iPod.

jasong · Jan 3, 2019

Munk said:
Just checked the iPod, an album added to the iTunes library did not get added to the iPod. No amount of left/right clicking offers an option to copy the album from my PC to the iPod.

Do you know how to use iTunes? I don't mean to sound as though I'm patronising you but you don't click music to add it to the iPod library. You have to firstly go into the device on iTunes, select the Music icon from the left, select the option to Sync Music, then select the playlists or albums you want to add, then press the Sync button at the bottom.

See this image for a guide:

Rickster · Jan 3, 2019

Drag from library to the iPod.

Munk · Jan 3, 2019

jasong said:
Do you know how to use iTunes? I don't mean to sound as though I'm patronising you but you don't click music to add it to the iPod library. You have to firstly go into the device on iTunes, select the Music icon from the left, select the option to Sync Music, then select the playlists or albums you want to add, then press the Sync button at the bottom.

See this image for a guide:

I have zero experience with iTunes. The screens I have do not match yours. I am going to bet this is because I am not logged in with an account.
I will experiment further later. Thank you for the feedback. I click the Music option and only see the one album I added to the library.
I still cannot find a way to copy said album to the iPod.

These are mp3 files on my PC, not files procured via iTunes.
I suspect this may have something to do with the copying issue.

jasong · Jan 3, 2019

Munk said:
I have zero experience with iTunes. The screens I have do not match yours. I am going to bet this is because I am not logged in with an account.
I will experiment further later. Thank you for the feedback. I click the Music option and only see the one album I added to the library.
I still cannot find a way to copy said album to the iPod.

These are mp3 files on my PC, not files procured via iTunes.
I suspect this may have something to do with the copying issue.

It's possible, maybe also because the current interface is somewhat different now.

Step 1 check that the music is visible and playable in the Music library of iTunes.

Step 2 click this when the iPod is connected:

Step 3 click Music then Sync Music

Step 4 select the music you want to add.

Step 5 press Sync

If that doesn't work I don't know. Those old iPods are ancient so maybe it's just not supported. But I'd be surprised if that was the case.

dash09 · Jan 3, 2019

I dont have an account but mine works exactly how jasong describes. I'm using a 3rd or 4th gen ipod

Off-The-Chart · Jan 3, 2019

wasn't someone looking for an old ipod cable because theirs didn't want them to sync/transfer files?

Heino13 · Jan 3, 2019

CopyTrans Manager

Sent from my SM-J400F using Tapatalk

SauRoN · Jan 3, 2019

Munk said:
I will give this a shot. Way back when this would never have been a possible feature, guess I'm just being old-fashioned about the solution.

Erm...it was a feature on the day the iPod launched.

Munk · Jan 3, 2019

jasong said:
It's possible, maybe also because the current interface is somewhat different now.

Step 1 check that the music is visible and playable in the Music library of iTunes.

Step 2 click this when the iPod is connected:
View attachment 44126

Step 3 click Music then Sync Music
View attachment 44127

Step 4 select the music you want to add.

Step 5 press Sync
View attachment 44128

If that doesn't work I don't know. Those old iPods are ancient so maybe it's just not supported. But I'd be surprised if that was the case.

No such buttons are available to me, despite the ipod being connected.
Thank you for the effort though, I do appreciate it.

Heino13 said:
CopyTrans Manager

Sent from my SM-J400F using Tapatalk

Thanks, will give it a look.

SauRoN said:
Erm...it was a feature on the day the iPod launched.

I spent about a week in 2012/2013 trying to transfer files. iTunes didn't take, plain jane copy-paste failed. I've never found a non-software related guide to copying music to and from an iPod using a Windows-based PC. Please enlighten me oh all-seeing eye.

Munk · Jan 3, 2019

Heino13 said:
CopyTrans Manager

Sent from my SM-J400F using Tapatalk

Thank you for the help but this was a fail. I want to copy files from a Windows PC to an iPod. I don't want to copy songs from an iPod to iTunes.

jasong · Jan 3, 2019

Munk said:
No such buttons are available to me, despite the ipod being connected.
Thank you for the effort though, I do appreciate it.

Man, if you want to come pay me a visit I'm happy to look at it on my PC. Seems like more effort than such an old device is worth but there's something really cool about those old things, I'd love to try jailbreaking it with Rockbox:

Why You Should Ditch Your MP3 Player’s Firmware In Favour Of Rockbox
Breathe New Life Into Your Classic Old iPod With These Top Tips

SauRoN · Jan 4, 2019

Munk said:
I spent about a week in 2012/2013 trying to transfer files. iTunes didn't take, plain jane copy-paste failed. I've never found a non-software related guide to copying music to and from an iPod using a Windows-based PC. Please enlighten me oh all-seeing eye.

I’m sorry but I can’t fathom why anyone ever needed any third party software to get this done.

iTunes does it now and has always done it.

I suspect you just can’t operate iTunes it appears, or can’t find the right place to make the magic happen.

It’s identical on Windows and Mac.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

onepowerfulcorsa · Jan 4, 2019

SauRoN said:
I’m sorry but I can’t fathom why anyone ever needed any third party software to get this done.

iTunes does it now and has always done it.

I suspect you just can’t operate iTunes it appears, or can’t find the right place to make the magic happen.

It’s identical on Windows and Mac.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

Have to agree here. I am baffled. I had the same iPod and could copy anything across.

Munk · Jan 4, 2019

jasong said:
Man, if you want to come pay me a visit I'm happy to look at it on my PC. Seems like more effort than such an old device is worth but there's something really cool about those old things, I'd love to try jailbreaking it with Rockbox:

Why You Should Ditch Your MP3 Player’s Firmware In Favour Of Rockbox
Breathe New Life Into Your Classic Old iPod With These Top Tips

I Rockbox'd my Sansa Clip Plus. Was fantastic till one day the thing just flat-out died.

I have never used iTunes, it's that simple. I'm starting to suspect the whole deal here is that if I simply add all the music to an iTunes playlist/library then I will be able to export (copy) that list of songs from my PC to the iPod. The SO has a neat bay-station/music-player thing that only works with the old iPods and I'm not allowed to sell either so that's why I am here.

I will dig more into how to use iTunes and report back. Please don't mistake me for a moron @SauRoN, it's rather sardonic of you.

ninjaman509 · Jan 4, 2019

I'm also a bit baffled as iTunes is quite simple to use. First you add your music (no matter by what arrrr means they have been acquired) to the iTunes library. From there you can literally just drag a song onto the iPod. All of this happens in iTunes. You don't use Explorer to copy the files.

EDIT I'm also not trying to be mean here at all. I want it to work because it's great that people are still using iPods. I'm always on the hunt for an iPod Classic just because they are awesome. The click wheel is just the best navigation tool

SCHUMI4EVER · Jan 4, 2019

Im amazed that no one has mentioned he should use an old version of iTunes. Something like 11.3 should work. Anything newer will not.

ninjaman509 · Jan 4, 2019

Mast3rBlast3r said:
Im amazed that no one has mentioned he should use an old version of iTunes. Something like 11.3 should work. Anything newer will not.

Do the new version of iTunes not support syncing a library with an iPod? That's crazy

It's almost like Apple is where they were just before rehiring Steve Jobs. The product lineup is all cluttered and the naming scheme confusing. And why would they make iTunes not do the thing that it was used for for a decade and more? Is it because of Apple Music?

jasong · Jan 4, 2019

Mast3rBlast3r said:
Im amazed that no one has mentioned he should use an old version of iTunes. Something like 11.3 should work. Anything newer will not.

I wasn't aware of that

SCHUMI4EVER · Jan 4, 2019

gordanfreeman50 said:
Do the new version of iTunes not support syncing a library with an iPod? That's crazy

It's almost like Apple is where they were just before rehiring Steve Jobs. The product lineup is all cluttered and the naming scheme confusing. And why would they make iTunes not do the thing that it was used for for a decade and more? Is it because of Apple Music?

Yes and no.
Theres some sort of obsolecense compatibility issue affecting everything below an iPod Touch 5th generation as far as I recall on newer iTunes versions.

ninjaman509 · Jan 4, 2019

Mast3rBlast3r said:
Yes and no.
Theres some sort of obsolecense compatibility issue affecting averything below an iPod Touch 5th generation as far as I recall on newer iTunes versions.

That's quite interesting actually. Do you think it's intentional?

HELP: Adding/removing music from OG iPod without MacOS

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