Manually manage songs and video (ITUNES)

Connect your Device to Computer. Select your iPhone under "Devices" on the left Pane.

On the right Pane, under "Summary" tab, make sure "Manually manage Music and videos" box is checked. Then click the APPLY button on the lower right Window.

Now you can drag songs onto your iphone without using the Sync.

You can Sync with multiple computers provided you manually manage music and videos.

Refer to this article:

Using iPhone, iPad, or iPod with multiple computers

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1202

It only seems to work with some iDevices. I got a new song and wanted to add it to both my iPhone and iPod, both of which are synced to other libraries. In each case I selected the "Manually manage" checkbox. On the iPod this worked, and I was able to drag the new song onto the iPod successfully without losing anything. However on the iPhone it would not let me manually manage without insisting on erasing everything on the phone and syncing with the local iTunes. Needless to say I did not do that.

From other threads I get the impression the iPhone is more restrictive in this regard, which is really frustrating. Conceptually I don't see why I cannot just add a new song without having to wipe everything that is already there. Sad to say, it was much easier to get this music onto an Android phone than the iPhone.

wiclee wrote:

You can Sync with multiple computers provided you manually manage music and videos.

Refer to this article:

Using iPhone, iPad, or iPod with multiple computers

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1202

That is NOT correct.

From the link you provided:

"iPod shuffle and iPhone are intended for use with a single computer. You cannot load music from multiple computers or iTunes libraries onto iPod shuffle and iPhone like you can with other devices."

You should be able to:

• Backup the device to the new installation
• Transfer your purchases into a newly authorized library
• Recover any other media using third party tools as suggested in this post from forum regular Zevoneer
• Restore the device from the backup

This process should switch the association of the device to the new library, preserving the data and settings in your apps. Once you've done that you can afford to switch into manual mode, if you still need to...

May also be prudent to attempt a backup to iCloud directly from the device before you start... Settings > iCloud > Storage & Backup > iCloud Backup > On. It won't save any media but it would preserve the general account settings and documents in case anything goes wrong while you are trying to extract your other data.

When you get it all fixed, make a backup!

tt2

we on the same boat its kinda ****** me off that i gotta delete everything jus to add some new songs

the problem with this is that iTunes forces you to only change to the "mamnually manage mode" only if u r on the original computer. if u switch mode on any other computer, it will force to erase everything there.

would suggest apple to change this in the next itunes, such that one can switch mode without having to erase and sync with the current computer. this way, for example, if i lost a computer, i can still preserve the songs that are already on the iphone, while adding new songs.

this will not transfer song from the iphone to the computer, and wouldnt violate the obstensive copyright requirement.

THe position is unlikely to change. Backup your iTunes library and it isn't an issue. Otherwise see Recover your iTunes library from your iPod or iOS device for advice on how to set up your devices with a new library.

tt2

I am sick and tired of having same problems over and over again with iTunes, I am switching to Samsung Galaxy! bye-bye Apple!

I understand that you do not have music on your computer but have it on the iPhone/iPad..

So you must make a backup of this iPad music first before you do anything else.

Otherwise a sync with the computer will destroy the music on your iPhone.

To copy Files from the iPhone to the computer without using Streaming, do the following:

Download a third party app that handles the iPad as an external drive, I use Diskaid already for a long time. Download that app to the Computer (there is a Windows version and a Mac version).

Start it, it will ask you to connect the iPhone with the USB cable. Then it thibks sevral seconds and the displays all data on the iPhone (like Finder or WondowsExplorer). highlight the songs that you want to backup to the computer. Now you have a backup.

You can manually handle the files in the iPhone with that app: delete copy to computer, add from computer, etcetera.

I just bought a new computer and now I realize that if I want to add more song to my iphone I have to delete every thing? Could it be less practical? Apple: for some things so amazing, for some things so ********

See Recover your iTunes library from your iPod or iOS device.

tt2

this is INSANE that to add a new album to my iphone i have to delete everything else. i'm on my original computer, but itunes doesn't recognize it because i installed a new hard drive. bye bye apple, not dragging and dropping new tunes is incredibly over complicated and stupid.

But it is how it works. If you had backed up your library you would not have a problem. See Recover your iTunes library from your iPod or iOS device for a workaround.

tt2