is it possible to copy a playlist from one ipod to aother, if so, how do I do that? Thanks! I could kick myself for accidently deleting the playlist from the first ipod but it is on my second one, i'd just like to copy it over to my first ipod, thanks in advance!
iPod nano, Windows 10, iPod classic
You can sync the playlist from iTunes to the other iPod. iTunes is designed with the assumption it acts as the main repository for all files you have on your devices and you iTunes library itself is backed up on a separate hard drive.
You can sync the playlist from iTunes to the other iPod. iTunes is designed with the assumption it acts as the main repository for all files you have on your devices and you iTunes library itself is backed up on a separate hard drive.
Do you use automatic syncing to load songs (and playlists) on the iPods (or on one of the iPods), or do you use the Manually manage music method?
I manually manage, the playlist I want to copy only shows up when the iPod with the playlist is plugged in, when I plug in the second iPod the playlist doesn't show up and I'm at a loss how to do it
If you use the Manually manage setting, you'll have this problem. For example (worst cast), if your iPod had data corruption and you needed Restore (erase) it, you'll need to manually recreate all of those playlists on the iPod again, and that could a long time (even if you could do it from memory).
In this case, you'll need to manually recreate that missing playlist on the iPod. To do this, show your Music library in iTunes (click button for Music at left end of horizontal bar). Near the middle of horizontal bar, click Playlists. Along left side of window, the sidebar with playlists appears, with your iPod listed under Devices. Click small triangle to the left of the iPod (in sidebar) to drop down the iPod's content list. Click Music there, so that you are IN the iPod's content list, and you see the iPod's song list to the right. At the bottom of the sidebar, click the Plus sign and select New Playlist. The new playlist appears on the iPod's content list, where you can name it.
Does this playlist also exist in your iTunes library? If it does, select it in the sidebar under Playlists. Click any song to the right so that you are in the playlist, and do a Select All (Ctrl-A on keyboard OR Edit -> Select All from menu bar). Drag the selection to the sidebar and drop it on the new playlist in the iPod's content list. If the playlist does not existing in your iTunes library, click Music on the iPod's content list. From the iPod's song list, drag the songs you want to the new playlist on the iPod's content list.
That should solve your current problem, but going forward (long term), you should consider using automatic syncing to avoid this type of problem and make things more convenient, instead of the Manually manage setting. This will be easy, IF all of your playlists (and songs) that are on your iPods exist in your iTunes library. Select iPod in iTunes (click its device button on horizontal bar) to show its settings screen in iTunes window. Along left side of window (in the sidebar), under Settings, click Music. To the right, the iPod's Music settings screen is shown.
NOTE: Any songs on iPod that are not in your iTunes library (on the computer) will be lost.
Checkmark the box for Sync Music. Below that, choose the option to sync Selected playlists, artists, albums, and genres. Below that, under Playlists, select (checkmark) the playlists in your iTunes library that you want on the iPod. You can do this separately and differently for each iPod. If such playlists do not currently exist in your iTunes library, you'll need to create them first. Click Apply to sync your selection to the iPod. Going forward, update those playlists in your iTunes library. The iPod does not need to be connected. The next time you connect the iPod (or click Sync if already connected), iTunes automatically updates the iPod (both of your iPods) with the same changes.
If you ever need to do a Restore on your iPod (or if you need to get a new iPod), it will only take you a few minutes to set it up to automatically sync the same playlists from your iTunes library. Playlists will not get "accidentally deleted" on your iPod, because they existing your iTunes library.
The playlist is NOT in my iTunes library only on the one ipod, but I'd like to put it on the second iPod, and when I create a new playlist in iTunes and open the plalylist that I want to copy/drag and drop from to the new playlist so that I can sync it to the iPod without it, it won't let me drag the songs over, it just gives me the red circle with the line through? What am I doing wrong, it can't be this complicated 😟
If you are trying to drag songs from one iPod to the other iPod, that won't work. iTunes syncing of media is designed to be from the computer's iTunes library to the iPod (in one direction). Not from iPod to computer and not from device to device.
If the songs for the playlist are already on the iPod (that needs this playlist), drag it from that iPod's Music list to its own new playlist. Otherwise, drag the songs from your main iTunes music library list to the iPod's new playlist. Obviously, this will be more time consuming if the playlist does not already existing there.
This is why it is much better to create all playlists in your iTunes library, and then use automatic syncing to load them on BOTH of your iPods. If you want to update a playlist, you just do it once (in your iTunes library) and the change syncs automatically to BOTH iPods. You can pick and choose which playlists are used on each iPod, if you want them different. You can't accidentally delete a playlist from your iPod. And if you ever need to erase your iPod (or you get a new device), you can set it up to sync the same playlists from your iTunes library in a few minutes (instead of having to manually re-create them on the device).
I have a classic, older ipod, and a newer ipod nano, I accidently deleted a playlist from one ipod, but it shows up on my other ipod, is ...
