iPod won't play nice with iTunes store

March 24, 2008 7:49 AM

I bought an iPod Touch last month. Since the last time I plugged it into the computer to recharge it, it won't play any songs I downloaded from the iTunes store - it acts as if it's playing the song, but all I hear is static, no matter how high I turn up the volume. Songs I ripped from CDs or downloaded from other sources are fine. What's going on?

iTunes wanted me to download some new iPod software, but I didn't because I currently don't have any internet at home. Could that be why it's not playing?

(I do live nearish to an Apple store, but it's always incredibly crowded.)

posted by Jeanne to Technology (12 answers total)

Response by poster: Oh, I should note that songs I downloaded from the iTunes store do play normally on my computer -- just not on the iPod.
posted by Jeanne at 7:50 AM on March 24, 2008

Could it be your earbuds or the jack connection to them?
posted by iconomy at 7:55 AM on March 24, 2008

Response by poster: I don't think it could be the earbuds, since it's only the songs I bought from the iTunes store that won't play.
posted by Jeanne at 7:58 AM on March 24, 2008

Just brainstorming here as I have never bought anything from itunes, but it may have something to do with DRM. Did you jailbreak your iPod Touch?
posted by mjger at 8:00 AM on March 24, 2008

mjger may be right. I did the iPod touch jailbreak and ever since I haven't been able to play DRMed purchases from the iTunes store.
posted by DoctorFedora at 8:03 AM on March 24, 2008

Response by poster: I have not tried to jailbreak it, but... I don't think I could've done that accidentally, could I? Or accidentally convinced the iPod that I had done the jailbreak?
posted by Jeanne at 8:06 AM on March 24, 2008

Best answer: Since you're only having trouble with songs you've purchased from Apple, and not songs you ripped yourself, the problem is almost certainly with the software on the iPod. Your best bet is to get online somehow to download the software update. Alternately, you can try restoring to factory settings, but Apple claims you need an Internet connection even to do that.
posted by jjg at 8:15 AM on March 24, 2008

Did you buy it new, or used? If used, the previous owner might have done the "jailbreak" on it.
posted by Class Goat at 8:16 AM on March 24, 2008

I just did this, otherwise I wouldn't have known it existed, but you can make an appointment (online or on the phone) to see someone at the Apple store, thus avoiding the long waits. It's free.
posted by FlyByDay at 8:55 AM on March 24, 2008

Best answer: This sounds very much like a software problem on the iPod touch, albeit not one I've heard of before. Per jjg's comment above, your first step should be restoring the touch to factory settings, and then try copying the music over again. If at that point the music that was purchased from the Apple Store still sounds like static on your now non-jailbroken restored-to-factory-defaults Touch, I would take it into Apple and see what they say.
posted by dyslexictraveler at 9:43 AM on March 24, 2008

Which version of ITunes are you using? If it's not at least 7.6, you need to upgrade.
posted by oneirodynia at 4:46 PM on March 24, 2008

Response by poster: Thanks for your help - I was hoping to figure out a solution that wouldn't require the internet, but fortunately when I came home I found that our internet had been hooked up, and after downloading the necessary updates everything is fine.
posted by Jeanne at 6:07 PM on March 24, 2008