Have an old iPod with music you want to save? Learn how to transfer songs to a Windows PC or iPhone – with or without iTunes – while keeping your music safe.
Streaming services are now the most common way to listen to music, but older iPods still hold something that streaming platforms cannot replace: your personal music collection.
If you have an old iPod filled with songs you collected over the years, you may want to move them to a computer or iPhone for easier access. However, transferring music from an old iPod is not always straightforward, especially when the songs were not purchased through iTunes.
Fortunately, there are several ways to solve this problem. In this guide, you'll learn how to get music off an old iPod and transfer it to a Windows computer or iPhone, both with and without iTunes.
If you're wondering how to transfer music from old iPod to computer, you have two main options. A third-party iOS transfer tool can provide a more flexible transfer experience, while iTunes can be used to retrieve purchased music.
If you want to know how to get songs off an old iPod without iTunes, AOMEI FoneBackup is a convenient option for Windows users. It is an iOS data management and transfer tool designed for Windows PCs. It supports transferring non-purchased songs and purchased songs as you want.
Here's how to get music off an old iPod without iTunes:
Step 1. Connect your old iPod to the Windows computer with a USB cable. Unlock the iPod and tap Trust if prompted. Then open AOMEI FoneBackup.
Step 2. Select Phone Transfer from the left panel and choose iPhone to PC > Get Started.
Step 3. Click the Music icon and select the songs you want to transfer from the iPod. Click OK after making your selection.
Step 4. Click Transfer Settings to choose a destination on your computer as necessary. Then click Start Transfer. Wait until the process finishes before disconnecting the iPod.
If the songs on your iPod were purchased through iTunes, you can use iTunes to transfer those purchases to your computer. However, there is an important limitation: iTunes' Transfer Purchases feature is designed for purchased content. It isn't a general-purpose method for copying every song stored on an iPod.
Step 1. Disable Automatic Syncing
Before connecting your iPod, it's a good idea to prevent iTunes from automatically syncing the device. Otherwise, iTunes may synchronize the iPod with its existing library, potentially changing or removing songs on the iPod.
1. Open iTunes on your computer and go to Edit > Preferences.
2. Open the Devices section.
3. Check Prevent iPods, iPhones, and iPads from syncing automatically, then click OK.
Step 2. Transfer Music from iPod to Computer
After disabling automatic syncing, you can transfer your purchased music.
1. Connect the iPod to your computer with a USB cable and launch iTunes if it doesn't open automatically.
2. Select File > Devices > Transfer Purchases from [your iPod name].
3. Wait for the purchased songs to be transferred to your iTunes library. You can then access the music from the iTunes library on your computer.
💡 Note: The exact location of your iTunes media library can vary depending on your settings and Windows version, so it's better to check your iTunes preferences if you cannot find the transferred songs.
Once you've recovered your music from an old iPod, you may want to put the songs on your iPhone. You can first transfer the music to a computer and then move it to the iPhone.
AOMEI FoneBackup can help you move music from an old iPod to a computer and then transfer the songs from the computer to an iPhone. Because the transfer involves two stages, make sure the music has been successfully saved to your computer before disconnecting the iPod.
Step 1. Connect the old iPod to your computer and transfer music from iPod to PC using AOMEI FoneBackup as mentioned above.
Step 2. Disconnect the iPod and connect your iPhone to the computer. In AOMEI FoneBackup, select Phone Transfer > PC to iPhone > Get Started.
Step 3. Click the Music icon and add the music files by dragging and dropping them into the window or clicking the blue folder.
Step 4. Review the selected songs and click Start Transfer to move them to your iPhone.
You can also use iTunes to sync music from your computer to your iPhone.
Step 1. Transfer the music from the old iPod to the computer using iTunes as described earlier.
Step 2. Disconnect the old iPod and connect your iPhone to the computer with a USB cable.
Step 3. Open iTunes and click the Device icon. Then select Music from the sidebar.
Step 4. Check Sync Music and choose Entire music library or Selected playlists, artists, albums, and genres according to your needs.
Step 5. Click Apply to start syncing the selected music to your iPhone.
💡 Note: Depending on your current iTunes and iPhone music setup, syncing music can replace music that was previously synced from another library. Make sure you have a backup or understand what will be changed before starting the sync.
If your computer doesn't detect the old iPod, try these basic fixes:
Knowing how to get music off an old iPod makes it possible to preserve a music collection that might otherwise remain locked on an outdated device. If you only need to recover purchased songs, iTunes can transfer them to your computer. However, its syncing process can be restrictive and requires extra caution.
For a simpler and more flexible solution, AOMEI FoneBackup lets you select music from an old iPod and transfer it to a Windows PC. You can then move those songs to an iPhone when needed. What’s more, AOMEI FoneBackup can help you backup iPhone to flash drive to secure your iPhone data. Don’t hesitate to try it out!