silly iPod/iTunes q

In My Humble Opinion
1

This is too silly to put in GQ, but it is bugging me so I turn for advice!

So I got a new car with an iPod/USB auxiliary plug so I decided to enter this century and get an iPod. I have ripped all my CDs to it and download amazon music using their MP3 downloader which automatically copies to iTunes on the computer (the one at home), and then I Sync to the iPod. It’s been working great and I am happily collecting songs I love.

Here is the trouble: I go to work and have iTunes on the machine there with a bunch of songs I bought a while ago, which I still like and would want to Sync to the iPod. The iPod shows up in iTunes and everything looks like it does at home, and I set it to Trust this computer. However, when I click Sync like I would at home, it does not copy the checked songs to the iPod. And if I try Sync under Music, it threatens to replace the iPod’s Library with this one which would be not good, not good at all.

Is there a way to get the work tunes onto the iPod or am I stuck buying them again at home and downloading/Syncing there?

2

Copy them to a USB thumb drive and bring them home, then copy them to your music folder at home (wherever Amazon is downloading to). If they don’t show up in your home iTunes, import them using the “File” menu.

Then you can proceed as normal as if you purchased new music from Amazon at home.

Altho…did you buy the music at work on Amazon? If so you might be able to skip the USB stick step and just open the Amazon music manager thingy at home and download to home. Not sure on that.

3

Thanks, I will try this. It’s been a while but I think I bought them through the iTunes Store, although I will doublecheck if they are in the amazon Library.

Thanks!

4

There’s no need to copy the songs to a usb. When you connect the iPod to the work computer, just select “Manually manage music” NOT Sync, and drag the songs from the library onto the iPod.

5

OK, thanks for the info on that selection.

6

NOTE
Be aware that if you check the ‘Manually manage music’ box, the moment you click ‘Ok’ to the ‘Are You Sure?’ question, iTunes is going to immediately wipe everything off your iPod and force you to start with a clean slate. It will not assume that you want to keep what’s on there and just start adding new stuff now (nor will it let you do that). I found this out the hard way*!*

7

Sorry, but that’s bullshit and I am not sure why you are trying to frighten **gigi **into not using “Manually manage music” by saying that won’t even work.

I have an iPhone. I connected it to a new computer at work, selected Manually manage music, and can add songs to it, nothing is deleted.

I connected it to a new computer at my parents house, selected Manually manage music, and added songs to it, nothing deleted.

8

When I changed that setting and went to Sync (not at the usual button but in a different spot, it DID ask was I sure I wanted to replace the contents with what was in the current iTunes.). I backed out of that!

I do see that you mean I should drag/copy and paste individual songs rather than synching.

I am backing the whole iPod up on an external drive now in case I goof up!

9

It sounds like you’ve always used ‘Manually manage music’ mode. If that’s the case then yes, you can just choose ‘Manually manage’ on another computer. But you cannot switch from ‘Sync’ mode to ‘Manually manage’ mode without it wiping your library each time.

I’m not trying to frighten them into not using ‘Manually manage’ mode, I much prefer manual to sync. I’m just pointing out what will happen when you switch from sync to manual. Note that this will only happen once, when you switch from sync mode. You’ll have to reload your library that first time.