How do I remove a few individual songs from my iPod entire song content? Say: I want to remove 5 specific songs. I want to keep the rest, and I certainly do not want to remove any of these songs from my iMac existing music library.

Question

How do I remove a few individual songs from my iPod entire song content? Say: I want to remove 5 specific songs. I want to keep the rest, and I certainly do not want to remove any of these songs from my iMac existing music library.

How do I remove a few individual songs from my iPod's entire song content? Say: I want to remove 5 specific songs. I want to keep the rest, and I certainly do not want to remove any of these songs from my iMac existing music library. This is a simple problem iTunes used to solve easily. Not so with MUSIC or FINDER. It seems it is now you either remove everything or keep everything- no individual selection of songs is possible.

Anyone has a solution? I am up to date on Catalina, and my iPod, though among the last generation produced and hence old, works very well with PODCASTs. I can remove podcasts individually and add them individually. Why is up with MUSIC?

iPod nano (7th Gen)

Posted on Jul 18, 2020 7:10 PM

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Answer 1

Cunnla

Level 6

8,263 points

Jul 19, 2020 1:44 AM in response to PercyMortimer

Hello again Percy,

All is not yet lost. The following setup worked on my iPhone iOS 10.13.6 and also on the iPod iOS 6.1.6 (on which you can also delete individual songs by swiping right). Probably best to connect the device to your computer.

First, on the Mac's Music app's song list, uncheck the songs you want to delete from the device. Then, In the Finder window sidebar, select your device and open the General tab. Go to Options and tick "sync only checked songs and videos." Then hit Sync at bottom right.

This works for individual scattered songs. If you want to delete albums, artists, etc. just to go to the Music tab in the Finder window and deselect the ones you want to delete.

No need for manual managing.

Good luck!

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Answer 2

Cunnla

Level 6

8,263 points

Jul 18, 2020 8:17 PM in response to PercyMortimer

Well, people more knowledgeable than I still use the term iTunes. The library is still the same Check out the post by Niel here and at least try the suggestion. https://discussions.apple.com/thread/251313028

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Answer 3

Jul 18, 2020 8:31 PM in response to Cunnla

Thank you, Cunnla. I appreciate your efforts. But since there is no iTunes to access, Neil's notes are moot. I do not where Niel came up with this solution: maybe he was still using an old operating system with his iPod when he wrote that. Now, you either access Music, Podcast or TV separately- no central library- and MUSIC offers no possibility to delete individual entries in the plugged in iPod (whereas PODCAST does. So I think it is an Apple design flaw there. Sync music manually is frankly a complicated operation now on the iTunes's avatar.) If you plug your own iPod into your iMac in Catalina you will realize that.

Take good care.

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Answer 4

Cunnla

Level 6

8,263 points

Jul 20, 2020 5:17 AM in response to PercyMortimer

You can uncheck all the songs in your library in one go by doing Control + A in the song list which selects them all then Control click on the song window and a contextual menu should appear from where you select "uncheck selection." You can recheck them all in the same way.

Another thing you could do is make a playlist or a number of playlists, select songs, use Control click and "Add to playlist." You could then use the Music tab in Finder and check the playlists you created and hit Apply.

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Answer 5

Jul 18, 2020 7:50 PM in response to Cunnla

Indeed, my iPod nano 7th generation does not allow swiping to Delete.(that would be so nifty, wouldn't!)

Actually, nothing deletes songs attahced to my iPod- anywhere. Can't touch them from the Finder or the MUSIC app. I am actually confused by your use of the expression "iTunes": iTunes does not exist anymore. It has been replaced a year ago by the MUSIC , TV , and PODCAST apps. So none of the solution you suggest is applicable. iTunes used to work well, but MUSIC is not friendly to the revolute iPods: period. I will call APPLE SUPPORT tomorrow and see if they, hum, care.

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Answer 6

Cunnla

Level 6

8,263 points

Jul 20, 2020 5:47 PM in response to PercyMortimer

Yes, I have had trouble with Control+A (and Select All in the Edit menu on Music). Sometimes it works and sometimes not. Could be something syncing in the background and blocking the operation. Also had problem with Control click not bringing up the contextual menu. Found a workaround by going into Safe mode to check /uncheck all. This may work for Select all as well. It's a bit tedious going in and out of Safe mode, however.

The latest update (10.15.6) to Catalina yesterday did not fix these issues.

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Answer 7

Cunnla

Level 6

8,263 points

Jul 18, 2020 7:33 PM in response to PercyMortimer

You can delete a song from the iPod song list by swiping right and clicking delete. (on my old iPod.) It will remain in your iTunes library but will return to the iPod when you sync unless you uncheck it on the Mac library if you have "sync only checked songs" selected.

EDIT just checked and it seems the iPod nano 7th gen won't let you delete. Try unchecking the songs on your iTunes library first, and then sync iPod with iTunes. The songs will be deleted from your iPod.

Here's a tip from Niel on the same subject. Remove them from the list of items in iTunes set to sync with the iPod, or if syncing it manually, select the iPod in the iTunes sidebar, find that music, and press Delete.

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Answer 8

Jul 19, 2020 2:19 PM in response to Cunnla

Thank you, Cunnla! This does work indeed. However, it is not a quick operation. Knowing I have maybe 6000 songs in my library- and all of them are checked because I listen to them from my iMac as well plugged into good speakers, if I only want to install 200 songs in my iPod (I cannot fit a lot of songs anyway in my Nano -they live there along space-taking podcasts, and the Nano does not have a huge capacity) , if I use "sync only checked songs and video", then I have to first uncheck 5800 songs in my library. It can be done, sure, but that is not as practical as swiping away an individual unwanted song like on your iPhone or newer iPod. I can see how APPLE cannot or does not want to adapt its newer operating systems to old gizmos like the Nano iPods it has not made in over 5 years. I think APPLE probably decided "the heck with these old iPods: people should buy our latest devices anyway". It is understandable. But very annoying. iPods Nanos were small and light and easy to take on the go: they are great, as far as I am concerned. I think APPLE should make them again!

Thank you so much for your patience and expertise, Cunnla. Much appreciated. Take good care.

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Answer 9

Jul 20, 2020 11:48 AM in response to Cunnla

The Control+A did not work for some reason (it did nothing at all), but creating playlists seems like a very valid solution. Since adding music in the iPod is not the problem (the problem is removing individual songs), and there is a specific tab for "Playlists" in the syncing control of Finder, I can see how removing then entering modified playlists will solve my problem. I will try later when I have more time. Thank you for your help, Cunnla!

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How do I remove a few individual songs from my iPod entire song content? Say: I want to remove 5 specific songs. I want to keep the rest, and I certainly do not want to remove any of these songs from my iMac existing music library.

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