How to Put Songs From an iPod Onto a PC

by C. Taylor
Transferring music from the iPod to your PC requires some skillful maneuvering.

Transferring music from the iPod to your PC requires some skillful maneuvering.

Justin Sullivan/Getty Images News/Getty Images

Apple has made the iPod exceptionally capable of automatically or manually transferring songs from your PC to your iPod. However, the reverse is anything but true. In what can only be assumed as a means to combat music piracy, Apple has made transferring music to your PC exceedingly difficult, unless you know a few useful tricks, which work on all iPods except the Touch.

Step 1

Connect your iPod to your computer using the USB connector cable.

Step 2

Open iTunes and click your iPod in the list of "Devices" on the left-hand panel. Click the "Summary" tab on the right-hand panel. Click "Enable disk use" under "options" to place a check mark next to it.

Step 3

Open Windows Explorer by pressing the "Windows" key and "E" simultaneously. Click "Tools" in the top menu, and click "Folder Options." Click the "View" tab, and click "Show hidden files, folders and drives" in the "Advanced settings" section. Click "Apply," and then "OK" to close the window.

Step 4

Click "Desktop" on the top, left-hand panel of Windows Explorer. Click "New Folder." Type a new name for the folder, such as "iPod_Music." This folder will be located at the very bottom of the left-hand panel.

Step 5

Click "Computer" from Windows Explorer. Double-click your iPod under "Devices with Removable Storage" on the right-hand panel. Double-click the folder "iPod_Control," and then "music." Click any of the folders, and press "Ctrl" and "A" simultaneously to select all the folders. Click and drag the folders on top of the newly created "iPod_Music" folder at the bottom of the left-hand panel. The music is copied onto the PC. However, their names are encrypted.

Step 6

Return to iTunes. Click "Edit," and then "Preferences." Click the "Advanced" tab, and then the "General" tab below it. Click to place a check mark next to "Keep iTunes Music folder organized," and then click "OK."

Step 7

Click "File" in the main iTunes menu, and then click "Add folder to Library." In the navigational pop-up, click your "iPod_Music" folder on your desktop and click "OK." All the music should then import into iTunes and be re-organized with artist names and song titles.

About the Author

C. Taylor has been a professional writer since 2009. He has written for online publications and the "Journal of Asian Martial Arts." Taylor specializes in martial arts, traveling, sciences and computer repair. He received a Master of Science in wildlife biology from Clemson University and a Bachelor of Arts in biological sciences from the College of Charleston.

Photo Credits

  • Justin Sullivan/Getty Images News/Getty Images