add songs without syncing to iTunes

OK, enough suffering of reading all the comments of you guys. Read the below steps very carefully and think before you start screaming "it doesn't work", well guess what.. it does!

I have iTunes 11.1.3.8.

1. Open up iTunes and stay in the iTunes Library.

2. Select "Music" and go to the "Playlists" tab. (Screenshot: http://imageshack.com/a/img28/6189/glfo.jpg)

3. In the bottom left corner there is a "+". Click on it and select "New Playlist". (Screenshot: http://imageshack.com/a/img202/5175/uoqw.jpg)

4. Name your playlist however you'd like and click "Done". (Screenshot: http://imageshack.com/a/img13/1294/1dm0.jpg)

5. Drag and drop the songs you want on your iPhone into this playlist. (Screenshot: http://imageshack.com/a/img30/2729/thls.jpg)

6. Go to your iPhone, and select the tab "On This iPhone". You do not have to check "Manually manage music and videos" (see screenshot). However, I do have this checked on my main computer to which my iPhone is synced. (Screenshots: http://imageshack.com/a/img12/3931/f9ul.jpg, http://imageshack.com/a/img6/3020/ynvc.jpg)

7. On the bottom of the list you have "Autofill From: (dropdown)". Select the playlist where you added all the music you want to have on your iPhone. (Screenshot: http://imageshack.com/a/img703/4499/7jzr.jpg)

8. Click on "Settings" and uncheck all the boxes (especially the top one!). Then click "OK".(Screenshot: http://imageshack.com/a/img716/5706/s6tu.jpg).

9. Now click "Autofill" and iTunes should add the songs to your iPhone without deleting anything.

Once again, read carefully before you start asking questions!

(thanks man u really help me a lot...now i can manage my songs w/out erasing all my songs... this is the best way! so read carefully)

Yeah none of these work anymore, I followed everything to the T and when it came down to it, I trusted the replys and no matter what I did it came down to "erase and sync". Ended up wiping all my songs. **** you apple and **** you Steve Jobs. I'm switching to android TODAY.

Im using itunes 11.1.5.5 and the screens are just a bit different, but in the end I was able to add new music to my iphone. It makes no sense to me why Apple designed it this way, but since it works I don't really care.

Props and thanks to you AV.RV for taking the time to post this WORKING solution!

I also couldn't find the autofill button. In iTunes I clicked on my iPad. In the Summary section, I checked 'Manually manage music and video' and then clicked on Library (top right) to go back to my Itunes library. It asked me if I wanted to save changes which I did. Then I went back into my iPad and 'On this iPad', hey presto! the 'autofill from' button was there.

But I didn't use it because I thought I would try simply dragging the mp3's from Finder (on Macbook Air) straight into 'On this iPad' and it worked fine.

This may also work by dragging files from Explorer but I can't test that.

The main reason I couldn't originally transfer files manually is because I had checked the box 'Manually manager music & videos' but I had not submitted and saved this change before trying anything.

This Works Perfectly just follow the instructions exactly how Johnherrera019 wrote it.. im using itunes 11.3 and an iphone 5s with Ios 7.1.2 and it worked i added songs from my hp laptop itunes and my phone is synced to my macbook and it did not erase my existing music.

YES this is the solution! Once you clicked "manage manually ..." and then click apply, you will get the warning that everything will be erased! Click OK and immediately unplug your iPhone from the computer! next time you plug the iPhone, the box "manage manually ..." is checked and you can drag and drop music to your iPhone!

You do not have to do all this to get songs that are on your computer onto your iPhone, without syncing. In order to do this, you must know where the music files you want on your iPhone are stored on your computer, because you will need to copy them to a Folder (the "Automatically Add to iTunes" folder) within your C:/Users/<username>/Music/iTunes/iTunes Media folder. Make sure that iTunes is set to Not Automatically Sync via the Preferences. Otherwise, when you open iTunes it will delete anything on your iPhone that had not already been synced from your Computer. If you must change this setting first, then after you are done, Close iTunes. If you already know how to copy the files and find the folder/directory (old school term...lol) then do that and then go to the third paragraph when you have completed the copy. Otherwise, go on to the next (2nd) paragraph.

Now, open My Computer and Go to your <Username> folder. Once there, scroll down to your Music folder and open/double click it. Look for the iTunes Folder (open it), and then within it the iTunes Media Folder. This is where you will find the Automatically Add to iTunes folder. On the left side of My Computer you should also see the tiered levels of folders showing like an outline...the Automatically Add to iTunes folder should be visible there as well. Do not close/Hide them. Use this left column to click on and open/view the folder that has the music files you wish to get onto your iPhone. Select these files either one at a time, or all at once. If contiguous/no files in-between them you do not want, then click on the top file, press and hold the SHIFT key and click on the last one. If you have non-contiguous, then press and hold the CTRL key while clicking on each file that you want to copy. Release the SHIFT or CTRL key once all the files are highlighted. Now, right-click on any of the highlighted files and choose Copy from the pop-up menu. Then, on the left where all the folders are visible in the outline format, find the Automatically Add to iTunes folder again. Select it, right-click and choose Paste from the pop-up menu.

Once the copy is finished, all the files should be visible in the Automatically Add to iTunes folder. If you iPhone is currently connected to you computer, eject it. Now, open iTunes, and then reconnect your iPhone it (this is just so we make sure it shows as connected in iTunes). When you open iTunes, it will automatically import those songs you copied. Those files will show in the MUSIC section for iTunes Library...NOT YOUR DEVICE Music section. We still have to copy them within iTunes. I may have a different version of iTunes, so just go and view the Music in the iTunes Library. Find the songs and highlight them...all or individually (use the same SHIFT/CTRL method if you wish). Now, drag them to your iPhone device/device picture on the left. There will be a rectangular marquee as your drag possibly with the number in the corner of the total # of files being copied (the newest version has that). If you look at the top of your iPhone you may see a syncing symbol (two arrows) moving in a circle. The files should now be present on your iPhone with your other music.

If you have an iPod it works differently, and you can transfer Music through the My Computer once the device is connected and recognized. There is a Music folder that you can drag the files/songs to within my computer similarly to how you did it above with the Automatically Add to iTunes folder. Just think of the iPod as a folder/directory...double-clicking and viewing and copying is all the same basic method.

I did the above steps with the new version of iTunes and Windows Vista, as well as over a year ago with an earlier version of iTunes and Vista. Windows 7 (should be basically identical to Vista I believe) and Windows 8 should work similarly, but THIS PC is the My Computer of Windows 8. It sounds lengthy, but that is just with the DETAILS for copying and dragging files/songs around. Other than that is super easy.

Sorry - i forgot to say before you close iTunes to do the copy, with your iPhone still connected, select your device, click on Summary on the left, scroll down to Options, and check the 'Manually manage music and videos' check box. 😝

It seemed that things get complicated when using iTunes to sync iPhone data. To easily transfer music from iPhone to iTunes, try other iPhone Transfer software. There are many available, you can go google it.

For the sake of adding songs from iPhone without sync to iTunes, I think you must need to select "Prevent your iPods synced automatilcally" from "Edit">"Preference">"Device" firstly. Then, put your iPhone plugged in, click on the iPhone button near the top right next to iTunes Store. Click "On This iPhone" and "Add To". So you can transfer music to your iTunes from your albums, songs list, playlists, etc.Tips for you: pay attention to launching the newest version of iTunes which can give you new visual enjoyment!

so i can confirm that jake.fromstatefarm's idea worked. spent forever trying to find that **** autofill button and resorted to trying this way even if it was pretty scary lol. thought all my music was gonna be gone but everything worked!!

I'm not sure why I thought this would work with me but it didn't. I unplugged my iPod Classic as soon as I clicked "apply". A few moments later I plugged it in again (it was still carrying my MP3 collection) but somehow it continued to sync. The whole process did not take more than 5 seconds and my collection was gone and the iPod was as clean as a surgery room. It'll take me hours upon hours to re-sync my music collection on iTunes, relabel all files, albums and what not and then finally upload the whole thing. I'm just too upset to do this right now.

Apple is amazing except when it's the worst brand in the world with all its ridiculous monopoly policies. I hate to love it.

I can't believe it, this actually worked!!! It wasn't half scary though. My advice would be that IF, when you reconnect it, it starts to SYNC - unplug immediately and don't bother. Of course I'd seen that comment where it was wiped for someone like that and panicked. However I reasoned with myself, and agreed to do what I suggested there in worse case scenario. It worked for my iPhone 5c, with the second newest iTunes software (07/01/16). I think if it's an older gen/ iPod, it tends not to work. Couldn't find the auto-fill button anywhere by the way!!!

Just to add to the kudos - I don't have the latest iPhone OS (still in the 8 series) but have the latest iTunes on a brand new Windows 10 computer and my phone is a 5s and this worked without a hitch. I was so paranoid that I barely waited for it to start syncing before I pulled the phone. Don't know if others wrote about this but there is a tip way back in the thread about checking the "never allow autosync" button in iTunes (part of a different solution). I did that and would assume it prevents the phone from continuing to sync when you plug it back in so that seems like a good step to take before you try this. That Apple won't just let you transfer music from an authorized computer to a device you're logged into on the same ID without resorting to this is insane. Thanks again.

Under the iPod tab in itunes, you can scroll down to options and check "manually manage music and videos." You can then drag and drop your music and movies from each computer to your iPhone.