How to extract songs off your iPod using iTunes
Question ” How do I extract songs that are on my iPod into my music library on my computer? “
Well, for this problem, we are going to use a software application which you should/would have if using an iPod, the good ol’ iTunes. Below is a simple 4 step process in which we can accomplish our goal.
Step # 1: Convert your iPod to act as a drive on your computer
As soon as you plug in your iPod to your computer, the OS would recognize the external device and install the drivers needed for it. Now go to ‘My Computer’, and see if your iPod is being recognized as a disk drive. Your iPod should fall inline after any extra hardrives or Cd-Roms and should read ‘Removable Disk’. If your iPod is showing up, great! You have completed step 1.
Step # 2: Enable ‘View hidden files’ on your iPod
This next step requires us to actually see what is on the iPod through windows explorer. Double click on your iPod icon.
Once it’s opened, go to Tools > Folder Options and click the View tab. You’ll see a bunch of different options for the way Windows displays files. In the Hidden files and folders section, select “Show hidden files and folders”, then click OK. Then close that window. Now we are able to view hidden files.
It is a little bit different if you are using Windows Vista
First double click on your iPod icon in Windows Explorer. Then click on Organize ->Folder and Search Options. In there click on the View tab then enable the show the hidden files and folders option and click OK.
Step # 3: Enable your iTunes to view the hidden songs on your iPod
After you enabled the ‘View hidden files’ option, you will see a new greyed out folder in your iPod drive. The folder name is Ipod_Control. Once you enter this folder, you will see three hidden folders: Device, iTunes and Music. The Music folder is the one storing all the music on your iPod. However the files are also hidden and your iTunes can’t see hidden files. So, right click on the Music Folder, and select properties. There should be a section that says attributes. Uncheck the hidden box and click apply. It will then ask you how you want to apply these changes. Select the “apply changes to selected subfolders and files” and click ok. Now your files should be visible for iTunes to see them.
Step # 4: Import songs through iTunes
We are going to now import the songs through iTunes using the consolidate feature in iTunes.The consolidate option is under file tab in iTunes, then Librarywith a little arrow beside it. Move mouse over that and you should see the option to consolidate library. This will copy all you songs in your iTunes Library to My Music->iTunes->iTunes Music, so if you ever need to find any songs file from your iTunes Library you will go to My Music->iTunes->iTunes Music.
Before we do this, if you are using iTunes 7, make sure that your iPod is set to manually update. If not, click on Edit tab, and click preferences. Choose iPod and first tab, Music. On the third selection you can tell your iPod to manually update. Now we are ready.
Next choose file from top menu, and add folder to library… Now browse to the iPod that is acting as a hard drive, click and open iPod control, and you should see a music folder now. When music is blue select ok, and watch all your songs from your iPod be imported into iTunes. Now that these files are in iTunes you see that the funny letters and numbers for each song do not show up anymore. Now we have our songs in the library and the actual song files are still on the iPod.
Note: If you were to disconnect your iPod the songs would not play in iTunes.
To copy all songs in your iTunes library to your computer we will use the consolidate feature, which will bring all songs from your iPod to your My music/iTunes/iTunes Music/ folder and sort the artists into folders nice and neat.
You are all set… congratulations!
Update from our user RS
By using the technique outlined in this article, if you copy the songs from your ipod to your itunes library you have to consolidate your library after. And this means you have to make a copy of your entire iTunes Library and most people have over 20gb of songs and they only want to copy the ones from their ipod.
To copy only the songs from your ipod.
After you checked off the box to see the hidden files in the Ipod_Control Properties. Go back to iTunes and click on Edit->Preferences->Advanced and check the box Copy files to iTunes Music folder when adding to library.
After this you can continue the steps above and click on File->Add Folder To Library->My Computer->Removable Drive (iPOD being regonized as a hard drive)->Ipod_Control->Music and then click OK.
The songs from your iPod will be in iTunes and the names of the songs will appear eventually. And you will be able to play the songs without your iPod plugged in.
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idump is much faster for doing this and it will retitle all the songs and arrange them all in their own foders by artist in my music
Can this be done with a Dell DJ?
Yes I have a Dell DJ.
ok ive done all the steps and everything works out. But is there a way to make it so you can eject the ipod and still listen to the music that you’ve transferred to iTunes. The main idea i did this is because i got an new computer and new ipod and i just wanted to use the old ipod as a “memory card” to put it one the new computer and then on to the new ipod. sounds confusing but the help would be VERY apreciated. Thanks
Did anyone ever get an answer to the question posted by “Dude”? I’ve followed all of the steps and it worked in moving all of the music to my itunes library, but once the ipod has been disconnected, when I try to play one of the songs I get the following message: “The song “***” could not be used because the original file could not be found. Would you like to locate it?” Then, if I click “locate” it just takes me to all of my files and I’m not really sure what to do, as none of them open? HELP!
Thanks so much
I have the same situation. I cannot get the files off of my library on to my new Ipod which is what I wanted to do because all of the songs have exclamation marks next to them. How do I get them to play and how do I transfer them on to my new I pod. PLEASE X X
u haven’t read the last bit of this article but ill copy and paste it for u in this reply , it works ive just done it and wen i take my iPod off i can still listen to the songs wen the i pods not connected
Update from our user RS
By using the technique outlined in this article, if you copy the songs from your ipod to your itunes library you have to consolidate your library after. And this means you have to make a copy of your entire iTunes Library and most people have over 20gb of songs and they only want to copy the ones from their ipod.
To copy only the songs from your ipod.
After you checked off the box to see the hidden files in the Ipod_Control Properties. Go back to iTunes and click on Edit->Preferences->Advanced and check the box Copy files to iTunes Music folder when adding to library.
After this you can continue the steps above and click on File->Add Folder To Library->My Computer->Removable Drive (iPOD being regonized as a hard drive)->Ipod_Control->Music and then click OK.
The songs from your iPod will be in iTunes and the names of the songs will appear eventually. And you will be able to play the songs without your iPod plugged in.
sorry nicky the reply was meant for dude and carrie
iTunes 9 doen’t appear to have consolidate
For iTunes 9 just go to File > Library > Organize Library…, then check the box next to “Consolidate Library”
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Does this work for the Ipod Touch?
Or is there a different set of steps? Because when I go to click on the iPod folder it shows it as a Digital Camera and I can only download pictures/wallpaper off of it. There doesn’t seem to be any hidden folders either.
Please help!
it so doesnt work for the ipod touch:(
Is there any way possible to get music of your ipod touch to your computer, i tried these steps and i it wont let me do it
Use sharepod. After much search and trialing a few commercial tools for this. Sharepod proved to be a lifesaver.
Worked like a charm!! Thanks for this! Was time consuming but well worth it – thanks!
Thanks yo, got confused a bit but all in all I respect you for the help.
BOUGHT A SONG LAST NITE NOW A WHOLE CD AND ITS NO ON MY IPOD WHY NOW
bought a song and cd this morn now none of that is on my ipod why
Thank you, thank you, thank you! My tower pc and my laptop had completely different iTunes libraries for almost a year before I got fed up and tried to fix it myself. Now it all gets to be on my iPod.
Thank you, thank you, thank you!
this is awesome!! thanks a lot!
thank you so much! the new itunes transfered all the songs!
When I tried to click on _Ipod_Control File, it wouldn’t let me acess it. It came up with this message saying that the computer didn’t know how to open it, and it gave me a list of programs. I clicked to open the Ipod Control file with Itunes, and it didn’t do anything. What should I open the Ipod Control file with?
Seems iTunes 9 is a bit different. Any updated process for this version of iTunes?
is there any way to do it if the ipod you’re using is not synced with the laptop that you’re trying to get the music onto? It keeps on being removed as a ‘removable software device’ from my computer? “/
how to make it work for ipod touch…..???
please help me out……..
thank you…….
Use sharepod for this. Worked great! Was so hard to find the solution to this problem online.
Thanks worked great i always knew there was some way Apple was able to make this impossible to do now i don’t need any bull crap programs like IPod to computer to extract my music from multiple IPod’s. Great info man thanks a lot!
i jus did a simple copy and paste from my computer and it worked fine now im uploading them 2my other ipod.. i thought it would b much more of a task then it was… the transfer takes longer then ne thing else..lol… thanks for the infor askstudent!!!!!
Thank you so much for the great advice. This worked GREAT for me and is truly a lifesaver.
Wow I find this very interesting. lol
Guys you solved a problem that had been bothering me for years. It worked!!, THANKS form Argentina
Doesn’t seem to work on itunes 9….tried a few times, but still didn’t work.
dude im so confused in my ipod i only have “internal storage” thats it. after i go through this method, it still it only “internal storage” it doesnt change, and based on the other tutorials ive looked at its not just supposed to say “internal hardrive” alone >_< someone help?!