How to Transfer Music From iPod Touch to a Computer
You have got the best mp3 files from all over the world in your Apple iPod touch. You are extremely proud of your collection, but wait, you have not yet created a backup file in your computer! Or you have recently formatted your computer and have lost your proud collection. And the only option left to retrieve your files is through transfer of music from your iPod touch to your PC.
Transferring Music With iTunes
The first solution to transferring music from iPod to computer is by using iTunes. You need to update your iTunes with the latest available software update and then connect your iPod touch to your computer. You will see your iTunes start-up and you need to make sure auto sync on iTunes is turned off, or else all your songs on iPod will get deleted. If you cannot find auto sync, just press cancel when you see the 'Erase and Sync' tab.
You should now use iTunes to recover all the music that you have purchased on your iPod. All you need to do is go to the 'Authorized Computer' tab you will find in the 'Store Menu' button. Then, you need to enter the iTunes Apple ID and password that you have used to buy your music files. Now, click on the 'File' menu and select 'Transfer Purchases from your iPod's name'. When you do this, you will get a new pop up window that will contain all the files that you have purchased. These mp3 files will now be transferred to your PC and iTunes library.
Transferring Music With Software
You can connect your iPod to the computer and launch iTunes. You need to go to iPod management screen and scroll down to Options. Here, select 'Enable disk use'. You will get a warning from iTunes, and you have to select OK. After this step, your iPod shows up as a drive on the desktop. You need to download a software called Houdini on your computer. This program helps you view the music folder in iPod that is automatically hidden. You need to launch Houdini and click on 'Folders'. Then, select 'Reveal' and locate iPod. Open 'iPod_controls' and highlight 'Music'. Select 'Choose'.
When you are in iPod folder, you need to open iPod_Controls > Music. You can highlight all the folders and drag them into the folder on you computers hard drive. You can now transfer the music to your iTunes or other media players after the transfer to your computer hard drive is complete.
Transferring Music Without Software
For this, you will need to manually transfer the files to your computer. You need to click on the iPod icon and on the left you will find an icon that says 'Enable Disk Use' and click on it. Then, go to 'My Computer' and search for 'Devices with Removable Storage', that is, your iPod. You will need to double-click the iPod icon and find a list of folders displayed. You need to look for a folder that says, 'iPod_control' and if it is not visible, you need to click on 'Tools'. Here, you need to click on 'Folder Options' and click 'View'. You need to locate the tab that says, 'Show Hidden Files and Folders'. You will find your 'iPod_control' folder visible now.
In this folder, you need to go to the 'Music' folder and just drag the files you want to save on your computer. You can even copy the entire folder using iTunes. Then, you need to go to 'File' and 'Add Folder to Library'. However, this will not be able to save your playlist, ratings, last played details, etc., correctly. In order to transfer your playlist as it is, you need to use a third-party software.
Transferring Music Without iTunes
There are a number of software available that help in transfer of music from iPod touch to computer. You can try software's that can be bought, like PhotoTrans, CopyTrans, iGadget, iPod.iTunes, Music Rescue, iPodRip, etc. You can also use free software's like iDump, YamiPod, SharePod, SenUti, etc. You need to download the software and install it on your computer. Then launch the program and connect your iPod to your computer. You need to cancel the iTunes syncing process, if it starts. Then, launch the third-party program and search for 'iPod_control/Music' or 'iTunes_control/Music' folder. You can then, select 'Save Folder In' or 'Backup Folder' and save it to the folder you want to save it on. Once the files have been successfully transferred to your computer, you can close the iPod music transfer software.
iTunes automatically starts syncing the iPod files and saves it in its library on the computer. You can try the free software's available on the Internet and transfer not only your music files, but also your videos, photographs, etc. to your computer. Hope this has helped give you some basic idea that has helped you understand how to transfer or copy music from iPod to computer. So, say goodbye to all your worries regarding losing your irreplaceable music collection!
