How do I get my music off my iPod and onto my PC again?

April 19, 2013 5:24 AM

I recently messed up a backup and as a result the only easily-accessible digital copy of my entire music collection is the one on my iPod. What's the best way to copy the files from my iPod back onto my laptop?

I used to have Anapod Explorer but I see that it has been discontinued (probably ages ago), so I can't download it again.

Is there another program I can buy (or = free is even better!) which will enable me to get the music back from my iPod? The alternative is to purchase a hard drive with my files on it, which Backblaze will send out to me. It's great to have that option as a last resort but it will set me back $189 so I'd prefer to get the files from the iPod if at all possible.

I use a PC.

Thanks for your help!

posted by rubbish bin night to Computers & Internet (8 answers total)

I used SharePod to transfer music from an iPhone to PC last year and it seemed to work well. Some people seem to have problems using it as a replacement for iTunes (i.e., sending music both directions) but for simply copying over from an iOS device to PC it works great.
posted by drlith at 5:37 AM on April 19, 2013 [1 favorite]

copytrans. It is $20 but its worth it. iTunes only needs to be installed for the drivers. Make sure you set it to not come on when the ipod is plugged in. Its worth it to not have to use iTunes.

Copytrans manager is free. that program is used to copy music to the ipod
posted by majortom1981 at 6:07 AM on April 19, 2013

iExplorer has a PC version and although I haven't used it, the Mac version has worked well for me in the past. It's a bit more expensive ($35) but it does also extract other information like SMS, contacts, etc.
posted by bcwinters at 6:15 AM on April 19, 2013

I too have used SharePod a few times in the past, and it worked well for getting music from the iPod to the PC. Bonus for cheapskates like me is that it's freeware.
posted by BurntHombre at 6:56 AM on April 19, 2013

Wired has an article on this on their How-To wiki, which includes an interesting kludge solution:

1. Connect your iPod to your PC
2. Enable "show hidden files" on your iPod (in Windows Explorer, under Tools > Folder Options > View)
3. Copy the messy iPod music collection to your iTunes music folder
4. Open iTunes and set it to "Keep iTunes Music folder organized" (Edit > Preferences, Advanced tab)

If you don't want to use iTunes any more or wish to use another program to organize your files, there are other freeware options, but I'll come back to that if you'd like to use this option.
posted by filthy light thief at 7:15 AM on April 19, 2013 [2 favorites]

another shout for Sharepod. I've used it a couple of times with no issues
posted by lloyder at 7:17 AM on April 19, 2013

I've successfully used YamiPod for this exact purpose.
posted by flabdablet at 7:20 AM on April 19, 2013 [2 favorites]

Nthing Sharepod. After trying out a couple of other freeware programs with frustrating limits on file transfers, Sharepod was almost unbelievably easy.
posted by dil.emma at 5:10 PM on April 21, 2013