Six Quick Steps for Uploading Music to Your iPod Nano
If you've been trying to figure out how to upload music to your new iPod nano, don't worry. We'll have you playing great songs on your iPod nano in no time. Of course, you might not be so interested in music. But maybe you bought your nanos to play videos or games. Well, good news! Once you're uploading music to your nano you'll know how to upload all the other goodies too.
1) Load the music files onto your computer
Most of us start out with our iPods by loading up the CDs we've collected over the years, so let's start there. Copy the files from your CDs onto your computer's hard disk so it'll be available to your iPod manager. Note: If you use iTunes and have "Copy files to iTunes music folder" selected, you can skip copying the files to the PC -- just having the CD in your computer's CD drive will be enough.
2) Import the music into your iPod manager
You'll use an "iPod manager" application to handle moving files to and from the iPod. Apple's free iTunes software is the iPod manager most of us use. You're welcome to look at the other options -- Wikipedia has a pretty good list. If you're new to iPods I suggest you start with iTunes. Once you know what you do and don't like about iTunes you'll be in a better position to decide whether you want to look for a different iPod manager.
Don't worry, using iTunes to manage your iPod doesn't keep you from buying music at other stores. I buy music downloads from Amazon and eMusic, in addition to iTunes.
Quick tip: If you want iTunes to put a copy of the file in the main iTunes library directory, choose Edit, Preferences, Advanced from the menu and click the "Copy files to iTunes Music folder when adding to library." I like to do this to make it easy to find my music files. I know that music files anywhere else on my hard drive aren't part of the iTunes library and can safely be deleted.
Wherever you got your music from, once it's on your computer you can import it into iTunes. You have a couple options. One way is to select (from the top menu) File, Add Folder to Library, and find the folder holding your music. Click "OK" and iTunes will now show the music in the Library music list. Another way is to use the Control & O keys. Navigate to the files' location and click on the files you want to add.
3) Connect your iPod nano
If your iPod isn't already connected, get your USB cable (came with your iPod) out and connect the computer and iPod. The left-hand menu should show your iPod when it's successfully connected.
Next you need to decide if you want to let iTunes handle synchronizing with your iPod or if you want to handle things manually. I like the "manually manage" approach -- it lets me decide which files to move to my nano. It also lets me synch up different computers to just one iPod.
4) Upload your music
If you decide to let iTunes manage the uploads, click your iPod's icon and select "Sync" in the lower right corner.
Will you manage uploads manually? You'll need to do a quick, one-time setup. In iTunes, click the nano's icon and select "Manually manage music and videos" on the iTunes screen. Now you just select the music you want and drag it onto the iPod icon. Voila! The music uploads.
5) Eject your iPod safely
Never disconnect your iPod nano without ejecting it first. Not taking that extra minute risks corrupting the files. Eject from iTunes by clicking the button at bottom right of the screen.
6) Go find more music
If you've followed these steps you know how to upload music to your nano. Time to download more games, videos, books, and music for your nano. See my web site for suggestions of where to find great downloads for reasonable prices.
1) Load the music files onto your computer
Most of us start out with our iPods by loading up the CDs we've collected over the years, so let's start there. Copy the files from your CDs onto your computer's hard disk so it'll be available to your iPod manager. Note: If you use iTunes and have "Copy files to iTunes music folder" selected, you can skip copying the files to the PC -- just having the CD in your computer's CD drive will be enough.
2) Import the music into your iPod manager
You'll use an "iPod manager" application to handle moving files to and from the iPod. Apple's free iTunes software is the iPod manager most of us use. You're welcome to look at the other options -- Wikipedia has a pretty good list. If you're new to iPods I suggest you start with iTunes. Once you know what you do and don't like about iTunes you'll be in a better position to decide whether you want to look for a different iPod manager.
Don't worry, using iTunes to manage your iPod doesn't keep you from buying music at other stores. I buy music downloads from Amazon and eMusic, in addition to iTunes.
Quick tip: If you want iTunes to put a copy of the file in the main iTunes library directory, choose Edit, Preferences, Advanced from the menu and click the "Copy files to iTunes Music folder when adding to library." I like to do this to make it easy to find my music files. I know that music files anywhere else on my hard drive aren't part of the iTunes library and can safely be deleted.
Wherever you got your music from, once it's on your computer you can import it into iTunes. You have a couple options. One way is to select (from the top menu) File, Add Folder to Library, and find the folder holding your music. Click "OK" and iTunes will now show the music in the Library music list. Another way is to use the Control & O keys. Navigate to the files' location and click on the files you want to add.
3) Connect your iPod nano
If your iPod isn't already connected, get your USB cable (came with your iPod) out and connect the computer and iPod. The left-hand menu should show your iPod when it's successfully connected.
Next you need to decide if you want to let iTunes handle synchronizing with your iPod or if you want to handle things manually. I like the "manually manage" approach -- it lets me decide which files to move to my nano. It also lets me synch up different computers to just one iPod.
4) Upload your music
If you decide to let iTunes manage the uploads, click your iPod's icon and select "Sync" in the lower right corner.
Will you manage uploads manually? You'll need to do a quick, one-time setup. In iTunes, click the nano's icon and select "Manually manage music and videos" on the iTunes screen. Now you just select the music you want and drag it onto the iPod icon. Voila! The music uploads.
5) Eject your iPod safely
Never disconnect your iPod nano without ejecting it first. Not taking that extra minute risks corrupting the files. Eject from iTunes by clicking the button at bottom right of the screen.
6) Go find more music
If you've followed these steps you know how to upload music to your nano. Time to download more games, videos, books, and music for your nano. See my web site for suggestions of where to find great downloads for reasonable prices.
About the Author:
Wondering where to find great music and game downloads? Head over to Lydia Vaughn's review of the best sites for downloads for your iPod nano at Nanos Reviewed.
posted by Marcondes Allen at 12:33 PM
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