Deleting unwanted music from iPod

The current iPod nano is still 7th gen. There was a recent change in color choice, but the latest iPod nano design is essentially the same.

If you are using the Manually manage setting to load the iPod (drag and drop songs on iPod in iTunes), here's how to manually remove songs. Select the iPod in iTunes (click its device button on horizontal bar) to show its settings screen in iTunes window. Along the left side (in the sidebar), under On My Device, click Music. To the right, the iPod's current song list is shown. Select the song you want to remove and press Delete on keyboard. You can do this with more than one song selected at the same time. This removes song from iPod, not your iTunes library.

Only delete option will also delete it from main iTunes library also.

NOTE: If you are using the Manually manage setting, deleting a song from iTunes library does not remove the same song from iPod.

If you have the iPod set to use automatic syncing (iTunes keeps iPod in sync with iTunes music library), then you must use a different method if you want the iPod to only have a selected portion of your complete iTunes music library. The manual method described above does not work. Please post back for more info.

It would be nice to describe the final outcome, for the benefit of other users reading your topic with the same or similar question... 🙂

Did you have the iPod set to automatically sync, which prevents you from removing songs manually? Did you then set it to Manually manage music and videos? If so, there is a more convenient way to use automatically syncing, but only have songs you want on the iPod.

Thanks for reporting back with outcome. Later, if you want to try it a different way (using automatic syncing), it is often more convenient (depending how often you update songs on the iPod). If your iTunes music library becomes much larger, this may be a better way to manage songs on your iPod.

First, create a new playlist in your iTunes library; you can call it iPod Songs (or whatever you want). From your music library, add all of the songs you want on the iPod to this playlist. You can do this by showing your music library using the Artists or Albums or Genres view, to drag a large set of songs to the playlist at the same time. You can also use the plain Songs list view, and select multiple songs at the same time (such as the songs on an album minus a few songs you don't like).

Then, select the iPod in iTunes to show its settings screen in iTunes window. In the sidebar (along left side), under Settings, click Music. To the right, the iPod's Music settings screen is shown, where you set up automatic syncing.

NOTE: At the time you do this, any songs on the iPod that are not in your iTunes library (on the computer) will be lost. Right now, all songs on the iPod may be in your iTunes library, but when using the Manually manage setting, the iPod's song list is no longer "in sync" with your computer's music library. Over time, there may be songs on the iPod that are no longer in your iTunes library.

On the iPod's Music settings screen, checkmark the box for Sync Music. This turns on automatic syncing. Below that, choose the option to sync Selected playlists, artists, albums, and genres. Below that, under Playlists, find and select (checkmark) that iPod Songs playlist. You don't need to select anything else on this screen. Click Apply to sync your selection to the iPod.

Going forward, to update songs on the iPod, update that iPod Songs playlist in your iTunes library (add/remove songs). 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 with the same changes. The key advantage... If you ever need to erase (Restore) your iPod due to data corruption, or you get a new iPod (or other Apple device), the iPod Songs playlist exists in your iTunes library. It only takes a few minutes to set up automatic syncing again. It would take hours to manually add the same songs to the iPod, if you can even remember.

I use this method with my iPod nano, except I have several playlists (not just one) that I automatically sync to my iPod, for different purposes. For example, a few of them are for my running. One has my favorite songs, with 5-stars for Rating.