Transfer Music From iPod to iTunes: Steps

Copy Purchased Songs Off Your iPod First

Purchased tracks are the ones iTunes and the Music app copy back for you. Songs bought from the iTunes Store move across with Transfer Purchases on Windows, or they download again from your Apple Account on a Mac.

Music you added from CDs or your own files does not copy back through Apple software, so that content takes a separate route covered lower down. Start with the steps that match your computer.

Turn Off Automatic Syncing Before You Plug In

Set this first so a fresh sync does not wipe songs off the iPod before you copy them. The switch sits in the iTunes settings on Windows and in the device screen on a Mac.

1. Open the iTunes app on your PC with no iPod connected yet. The library window opens.
2. Click Edit, then click Preferences. A settings box appears.
3. Click the Devices tab at the top of that box. A list of options loads.
4. Check the box that reads Prevent iPods, iPhones, and iPads from syncing automatically, then click OK.

On a Mac, connect the iPod, open its screen in the Finder, and leave the sync options unchecked until you have your music. That keeps the device from overwriting itself.

Transfer Purchases on a Windows PC

iTunes still ships for Windows, and Apple is rolling out separate Apple Music and Apple Devices apps alongside it. The Transfer Purchases command lives inside the iTunes app.

1. Open the iTunes app on your PC. The main library window opens.
2. Plug in your iPod with its USB cable. A small device icon appears near the top left of the window.
3. Click Account, point to Authorizations, then click Authorize This Computer. Sign in with your Apple Account so the songs are allowed to play here.
4. Click File, point to Devices, then click Transfer Purchases from your iPod. A progress bar runs along the top while items copy.
5. Click Recently Added in the sidebar. Your bought tracks show up in the list.

This command only moves items tied to your Apple Account. It leaves ripped or imported songs where they are, which the section below explains how to handle.

Download Purchases Again on a Mac

macOS Catalina and later dropped iTunes. The Music app holds your library, and the Finder handles the iPod when you plug it in.

1. Open the Music app from your Applications folder. Your library loads in the sidebar.
2. Click Account in the menu bar, then click Sign In. Enter the Apple Account that bought the songs.
3. Click Songs in the sidebar to see your whole library. Tracks kept in the cloud show a small cloud icon with a down arrow.
4. Click that cloud icon next to each purchased track. The song downloads onto your Mac.

When you connect the iPod itself on a Mac, it shows in the Finder sidebar under Locations, which is where device syncing now happens. If you are not sure where the Music app sits, this guide on how to find and open the Applications folder on a Mac points you to it.

Where Your Music Lives on Each System

The tool you reach for depends on your operating system. This table shows which app runs your library and where the iPod connects.

System	Music software	Where you connect the iPod
Windows 10 or 11	iTunes app, with Apple Music and Apple Devices apps rolling out	File menu inside iTunes
macOS Catalina or later	Music app	Finder sidebar
macOS Mojave or earlier	iTunes app	Inside iTunes

Songs You Did Not Buy From Apple

Music you ripped from CDs or dropped in as your own files does not copy back through iTunes or the Music app. Apple software only moves items tied to your Apple Account.

Pulling those other tracks off an iPod calls for third party software built for the job, which this guide does not endorse or link. Weigh that against re adding the songs from your original CDs or files if you still have them, since that keeps everything inside Apple software. For a related task, see how to upload your own tracks to Apple Music.

Classic iPod vs iPod touch

A classic iPod with a click wheel is not an iOS device, so it shows up as a plain drive and syncs only through iTunes on Windows or older Macs. Transfer Purchases still works for the iTunes Store songs synced to it.

An iPod touch runs iOS and behaves like an iPhone, so Transfer Purchases on Windows and account downloads on a Mac both apply. If your purchases will not appear, read why purchases sometimes need a fresh redownload from Apple Music.

Once your songs are back in place, it is worth learning about lossless audio in Apple Music, and you can also back up your Mac library to iCloud so the collection is safe.

Sources

• Apple Support: Transfer iTunes Store purchases to your PC
• Apple Support: Use the Finder to sync your iPod touch with your Mac
• Apple Support: Download previous iTunes purchases