I have an iPad Air generation 5 with usb drive. I would like to attach an external cd drive and import music from it into the Music app on the IPAD. I do not have a laptop or other computer to use to transfer the music to and then use iTunes.
iPad Air, 10
iOS/iPadOS devices fundamentally do not support optical media drives. To import music to your iPad from optical media, you must use either a Windows PC (with iTunes for Windows installed) or a Mac computer (with iTunes or Finder - as appropriate for the installed version of macOS).
After a legitimate copy of the CD music has been copied to your iTunes Music Library, you simply need to synchronise your iPad with your computer:
Sync iTunes content on PC with devices on Wi-Fi - Apple Support
iOS/iPadOS devices fundamentally do not support optical media drives. To import music to your iPad from optical media, you must use either a Windows PC (with iTunes for Windows installed) or a Mac computer (with iTunes or Finder - as appropriate for the installed version of macOS).
After a legitimate copy of the CD music has been copied to your iTunes Music Library, you simply need to synchronise your iPad with your computer:
Sync iTunes content on PC with devices on Wi-Fi - Apple Support
The reason for this limitation, deliberately imposed by Apple, is to protect Copyright. In the case of iPadOS/iOS, Digital Rights Management (DRM) prevents direct copying of copyright material, this measure being intended to prevent the creation of illegal copies of potentially copyright material.
The iTunes Music Library on your PC/Mac maintains an authorised copy your media - whether this material is loaded from a CD, or downloaded from the Apple iTunes Service - and media derived from this library can be transferred to your iThings. In Apple’s architecture, the computer handles the DRM aspects of managing your Music Library.
None of this prevents purchase and download (actually Licensing) of Music titles purchased directly from Apple’s Music App.
I was afraid of that but I’m not willing to buy a new computer because we are traveling by bicycle most of the year and just using our iPads. Thanks for responding.
Transfer music directly from external cd drive to music app on iPad mini 5th generation
