How to Get the Music From CDs Onto an iPod

by Elijah Chau
Rip songs from your CDs and put them on your iPod.

Rip songs from your CDs and put them on your iPod.

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Bigger hard drives make it possible store more of your favorite music on your iPod. Use some of that extra hard drive space to start moving music from your CDs to your iPod. The process of getting music from a CD to your iPod rarely take more than 30 minutes and can be done using iTunes.

Import CD

Step 1

Insert a music CD in your computer's optical drive.

Step 2

Open iTunes (see Resources). The disc should appear beneath "Devices" as "Audio CD" on the left side of the program window. Click "Audio CD." The track listing for the disc will appear on the right side of the program window.

Step 3

Click to uncheck any boxes to the left of songs you don't want to transfer to your iPod.

Step 4

Set up iTunes to automatically search for track information before you import any tracks by clicking "Edit" from the menu bar in the upper-left corner of the program window. Click "Preferences" and then click to check "Automatically retrieve CD track names from Internet." Click "OK" to return to the iTunes program window with your track listings.

Step 5

Click "Import CD" in the lower-right corner of the program window to begin copying the songs to your computer.

Step 6

Wait until the import process is complete. The exact rip length can vary depending on your computer's disk-reading speed. It should take between two and six minutes to rip your CD to your iTunes library.

iPod Transfer

Step 1

Plug your iPod into your computer using the USB cable that came with your device. Wait for your device to be displayed in iTunes beneath "Devices" on the left side of the program window. Let your iPod finish syncing if it is set up to automatically sync when you connect it to your computer.

Step 2

Edit the information tags for the imported songs if iTunes has not done so. Your imported songs can be found within iTunes' main music library.

Step 3

Right-click each song and click "Get Info." These tags contain necessary information, such as the artist name and album title, that will help you browse for songs on your iPod. Fill in any information you use to filter for songs.

Step 4

Highlight the songs you ripped from your CD to iTunes if your iPod is set for manual editing. Click the highlighted area and then drag the songs so they are directly above the name of your iPod beneath "Devices" on the left side of the program window, causing your device to become highlighted. Release the mouse button. The songs will be copied to your iPod.

Step 5

Eject your iPod from the computer once the syncing process is complete.

Tip

  • Adjust the final quality and size of songs that are ripped from CDs to iTunes using the import settings. Within the iTunes "Preference" window the "Import Settings" button can be found on the bottom of the "General" tab.

Warning

  • Make sure your CDs are in good condition before ripping them. Scratched CDs may result in poor files; seriously damaged discs may be completely unreadable.

About the Author

Elijah Chau has been writing professionally since 2007 and has worked as a writer at publications such as "LAPTOP Magazine" and "The State News." He currently attends the University of Chicago and is working towards a bachelor's degree in political science.

Photo Credits

  • Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images