From music library to iPod

That's a simple job!

It may not look it as you read these instructions, but it really is very simple.

The easiest way is to Sync selected Playlists, artist, albums and genres, instead of syncing the complete Library (or using the Manually Manage method). What follows are set-up steps. Once done, the procedure for maintaining your iPod (also given below) is much quicker and even more simple.

The steps that follow assume an empty iPod, because:

• if you currently use Sync, these steps will remove some songs unless you include them in your specific choices for Syncing.
• if you currently add songs by manually managing, now is the time to consider switching to Sync. It is the easiest way to manage the music on your iPod and you retain full control over what music is added (and if anyone tells you that you don't retain control, don't believe them!)

The steps are as follows:

• In iTunes, before connecting the iPod to your computer, create any Playlists that you want to have. For example, if you want some, but not all songs from any album on your iPod, add all of those songs to one Regular Playlist. (You will not have to play by that Playlist if you don't wish to. The Playlist is simply the method to get a miscellaneous collection of songs onto your iPod. In my example, we'll call this Playlist Misc Songs
• Connect iPod to iTunes and when it appears in iTunes, click on the iPod icon at the top of the iTunes window:

• which will switch to the Device/Settings/Summary panel:

Notice that we're looking at the Summary section. The heading Summary is in grey, between the two orange-ringed boxes (that we'll come to). Notice also, that I suggest you do not look in the On My Device section, that I've ringed. It will confuse things if you do.

• Make sure Sync only ticked songs and videos is selected. It will come in useful later
• Select Device/Settings/Music (1.) It's the orange ringed heading, just below the Summary option). The screen will now look similar to this one:

• Select Sync Music (2.)
• Select Selected playlists, albums, artists and genres (3.). Only then will the boxes in 4. appear
• In the areas marked 4., choose the Misc Songs Playlist(s) that you specifically created for this purpose and choose any additional Playlists you have prepared (by ticking the tick-box to the left of each title). Also choose any artists, whose album you want. Beneath these sections (not shown in the screenshots), are sections for the individual albums and genres; choose any of those that you want on your iPod
• once you have selected everything you want, click the Sync button in the lower right of the iTunes window (not shown in screenshots). Until you do this, your selections will not be added to the iPod
• once the Sync has completed (the messages in the top panel of the iTunes window will stop), click on the eject icon (also know as the safely disconnect icon) to disconnect the iPod from iTunes. The icon will replace the spinning arrows that are shown in the screenshot above, just above the battery icon. Then unplug the iPod from your computer

That's it.

On your iPod will be the selections you have made. Although the miscellaneous songs will be in one Playlist, you do not have to play them as one playlist; instead you can still select them by their album title, artist name or genre, just as you have always done.

See additional post for more instructions.

(... Don't ask!)

To maintain and edit the set-up outlined in my previous post:

• before connecting your iPod to the computer, make your changes and edits in your Library
• to add any additional miscellaneous songs to your iPod, add them to the Misc Songs Playlist that you created earlier. Remove songs from this Playlist if you no longer want them on your iPod
• connect the iPod to your computer and let a Sync complete
• IF this is the only change, eject the iPod
• BUT - if you wish to add or remove any artist, album or genre, there is an additional procedure to perform now. (You can begin making your changes while a Sync is taking place, but you will need to manually select Sync later to put your changes into effect as the automatic Sync will have completed before you finish):
  • click on the iPod icon shown in the first screenshot
  • switch to the Device/Settings/Music heading (1.) as shown in the third screenshot
  • (don't change settings in 2. or 3. (in screenshot above)
  • add or remove ticks in the appropriate boxes in section 4., (Playlists, Artists, Albums and Genres)
• Once the Sync completes, it's job done and you can eject the iPod

On your iPod now will be the revised selection you made

Oh! Remember the Sync only ticked songs and videos box I mentioned (a long time ago)?

Suppose you want to remove one (horrible) song (on a full album) from your iPod: instead of removing the whole album from the iPod and then having to add the rest of the songs to the Misc Songs Playlist, simply untick the song in your Library. At the next Sync, it will be removed from your iPod. (It will also not play in iTunes, unless you specifically select it.) Want it back on your iPod? Simply turn on the tick again and Sync the iPod with iTunes.