# Can I get some REAL instructions for my i-Pod? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 24, 2010, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-get-some-real-instructions-for-my-i-pod/526233 "2010-01-24T15:28:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Super\_Kapowzler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a698b9/32.png) [@Super\_Kapowzler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Super_Kapowzler)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2010, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-get-some-real-instructions-for-my-i-pod/526233/1 "2010-01-24T15:28:23Z")
Got my first iPod. 160GB Classic. The instructions are cartoons. I haven’t plugged it in yet. They guy at the store said it would automatically sync-up to my iTunes and load the music. The problem is that I have over 91,000 songs in My Music. About 438GB. Can I choose what I want to put on it, or is it going to sync-up and only get songs from artists A-K, before it implodes? ---
**Author:** ![HongKongFooey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c4cdca/32.png) [@HongKongFooey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HongKongFooey)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2010, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-get-some-real-instructions-for-my-i-pod/526233/2 "2010-01-24T15:31:48Z")
You can choose what you want to put on it. I create a variety of playlists and sync those to mine. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2010, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-get-some-real-instructions-for-my-i-pod/526233/3 "2010-01-24T15:46:39Z")
> [@Super\_Kapowzler](#): > > The problem is that I have over 91,000 songs in My Music. About 438GB. Just out of curiousity, does iTunes calculate how long that is, back-to-back? 91,000 songs, at 3:30 each, is 221 days worth of music (longer if you take breaks, like to sleep). ---
**Author:** ![myskepticsight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/cc9497/32.png) [@myskepticsight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/myskepticsight)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2010, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-get-some-real-instructions-for-my-i-pod/526233/4 "2010-01-24T15:55:08Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > Just out of curiousity, does iTunes calculate how long that is, back-to-back? 91,000 songs, at 3:30 each, is 221 days worth of music (longer if you take breaks, like to sleep). Yes. It will tell you in days (I have 12.9) and hours (12:23:19:08) and gigs (21.86). ---
**Author:** ![Super\_Kapowzler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a698b9/32.png) [@Super\_Kapowzler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Super_Kapowzler)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2010, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-get-some-real-instructions-for-my-i-pod/526233/5 "2010-01-24T16:10:44Z")
Mine says: 91188 Items 249.5 Days 438.23GB ---
**Author:** ![GrandWino](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grandwino/32/67_2.png) [@GrandWino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrandWino)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2010, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-get-some-real-instructions-for-my-i-pod/526233/6 "2010-01-24T17:58:16Z")
You can set the options so that it does not sync automatically and instead will let you manually add songs to your iPod. That’s what I do and it works great. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2010, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-get-some-real-instructions-for-my-i-pod/526233/7 "2010-01-24T18:26:48Z")
So you build your playlists, you turn auto-sync off, then you just drag and drop playlists? I’m about to have to start doing this myself, as my playlist is getting too big for my iPod. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2010, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-get-some-real-instructions-for-my-i-pod/526233/8 "2010-01-24T18:44:27Z")
> [@Cat\_Whisperer](#): > > So you build your playlists, you turn auto-sync off, then you just drag and drop playlists? I’m about to have to start doing this myself, as my playlist is getting too big for my iPod. Yes, you can do precisely that. That’s how I put music onto my iPhone. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2010, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-get-some-real-instructions-for-my-i-pod/526233/9 "2010-01-24T18:46:52Z")
Then you can turn auto-sync back on, after the playlists are built. That way you can modify/add tunes and such, and the iPod gets the new info when you charge it. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2010, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-get-some-real-instructions-for-my-i-pod/526233/10 "2010-01-24T19:08:51Z")
No need to turn auto-sync back on. You can manually add individual tunes to any playlist you have on your iPod. You can even change their order within a playlist. I keep mine on manual all the time. ---
**Author:** ![HongKongFooey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c4cdca/32.png) [@HongKongFooey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HongKongFooey)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2010, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-get-some-real-instructions-for-my-i-pod/526233/11 "2010-01-24T19:52:20Z")
You can do all those things without ever manually managing the music. Just create a new playlist or modify an existing one. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2010, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-get-some-real-instructions-for-my-i-pod/526233/12 "2010-01-24T19:59:39Z")
> [@HongKongFooey](#): > > You can do all those things without ever manually managing the music. Just create a new playlist or modify an existing one. I always recommend against syncing. Once you add a song from another computer, syncing starts screwing you over. ---
**Author:** ![HongKongFooey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c4cdca/32.png) [@HongKongFooey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HongKongFooey)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2010, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-get-some-real-instructions-for-my-i-pod/526233/13 "2010-01-24T20:06:08Z")
I suppose. I add all my music to my library so that isn’t an issue with me I guess. I find the playcounts indispensable for creating smart playlists. Syncing is mandatory if you want to do anything like that.