How to use an old iPod in 2024

Key Takeaways

• Apple revolutionized the music business with the iPod and iPhone, altering the way in which we eat music ceaselessly.
• To revive your outdated iPod, get the required cables, set up iTunes 12.6.5.3 on Home windows, and use disk mode to extract music.
• Listening to your outdated iPod permits for a distraction-free music expertise, serving to you recognize songs with out digital interruptions.

Apple could not all the time be the primary to convey a product to market, however they’re typically the primary to make these merchandise actually blow up. The primary iPhone was the product that basically induced individuals to make the leap to smartphones. In an analogous method, the iPod was the product that led to the increase in MP3 gamers within the early 2000s.

The primary iPod hit the cabinets method again in 2001, and the gadget went by way of a number of iterations, together with the iPod shuffle, the iPod nano, and the iPod contact (the oddly capitalized model names of which induced English academics all over the place to tear out their hair).

When the iPhone arrived, it signaled the loss of life of the iPod. Why purchase a devoted MP3 participant, whenever you already had one constructed into your telephone? The iPod hung round for some time, however after altering the world, the ultimate iPod was discontinued, and most of our outdated MP3 gamers bought thrown away or consigned to the again of a drawer.

I discovered my outdated iPod nano not too long ago and was curious to know what music was on it. Making an attempt to get it going once more was a little bit of a problem, however with a little bit of analysis, I discovered that it was easy sufficient to do, particularly utilizing Home windows. I used to be ready so as to add new (legally obtained, clearly) music and even export outdated stuff that was nonetheless on there. Here is how I bought my outdated iPod again up and working and why perhaps it is best to, too.

What you may want to make use of your outdated iPod in 2024

The place did I put that iPod charger?

There are some things you may want so as to have the ability to get your outdated iPod up and working once more. You will want an iPod that is in working situation. You will additionally want the related charging cable in your iPod. If you happen to’ve misplaced yours, Amazon or eBay ought to have what you want.

You will additionally want a pc with a USB-A port (as a result of USB-C wasn’t a factor in 2001) so you may join your iPod to your laptop utilizing the charging cable. The ultimate factor took me the longest to seek out; you may want some wired headphones. Bluetooth headphones weren’t a factor in 2001 both, apparently.

Set up an outdated model of iTunes

Use Home windows for a better journey

The issue with utilizing an outdated iPod is that it will not work with trendy apps. iTunes was all the time the app you wanted to get music on and off your iPod, however the app now not exists in its personal proper. The Music app does not appear to play properly with many older iPods. The perfect plan is to put in an outdated model of iTunes, particularly iTunes 12.6.5.3. This appears to be the candy spot for supporting a variety of outdated iPod fashions. If it does not work, you may attempt an older or new model of iTunes as an alternative to see when you have extra success.

Tips on how to set up iTunes on Home windows

Bizarrely, contemplating that iPods are Apple merchandise, it’s miles simpler to put in an older model of iTunes on Home windows than on Mac. All it is advisable to do is obtain and run the related installer, and iTunes can be put in in your PC.

1. Obtain the related model of the iTunes 12.6.5.3 installerrelying in your {hardware}. iTunes 12.6.5.3 for Home windows (32-bit)iTunes 12.6.5.3 for Home windows (64-bit)
2. Run the downloaded installer.
3. As soon as accomplished, it is best to be capable to launch the iTunes app.

Tips on how to set up iTunes on Mac

If you happen to’re on a Mac, attempting to put in an older model of iTunes will convey up an error message stating that the software program just isn’t supported in your system. Nevertheless, it is potential to idiot macOS into considering that the app is a more moderen model than it truly is. This entails working an AppleScript, but it surely’s not as laborious because it sounds.

1. Obtain the iTunes 12.6.5.3 installer for Mac.
2. Open the Script Editor app in your Mac.
3. Click on New Doc.
4. Copy and paste the next script into the highest pane of the Script Editor:

   set theDMG to decide on file with immediate "Please choose iTunes dmg file:" of kind "dmg"do shell script "hdiutil mount " & quoted type of POSIX path of theDMGdo shell script "pkgutil --expand /Volumes/iTunes/Set up iTunes.pkg ~/tmp"do shell script "hdiutil unmount /Volumes/iTunes/"do shell script "cd ~/tmp/iTunesX.pkg; cat Payload | gunzip -dc |cpio -i; ditto ~/tmp/iTunesX.pkg/Purposes/iTunes.app ~/tmp/iTunes.app;"do shell script "plutil -replace CFBundleGetInfoString -string 'iTunes 13.9.9' ~/tmp/iTunes.app/Contents/Information.plist"do shell script "plutil -replace CFBundleShortVersionString -string 13.9.9 ~/tmp/iTunes.app/Contents/Information.plist"do shell script "plutil -replace CFBundleVersion -string 13.9.9 ~/tmp/iTunes.app/Contents/Information.plist"do shell script "contact ~/tmp/iTunes.app"do shell script "ditto ~/tmp/iTunes.app /Purposes/iTunes.app"do shell script "rm -r ~/tmp"

5. Click on the Run icon to run the script.
6. When prompted, navigate to the placement of the installer you downloaded in step 1.
7. As soon as the script has completed working, it is best to discover the iTunes app in your Purposes folder.
8. Run the iTunes app.

Tips on how to add music to an outdated iPod in iTunes

Get your new tunes onto your outdated iPod

Upon getting the iTunes app up and working, it is time to join your iPod. You may then begin including music, creating playlists, and extra.

1. Plug the charging cable in your iPod into your laptop.
2. Plug the opposite finish into your iPod.
3. If issues go properly, your iPod ought to join and seem in iTunes.
4. If they do notyou may even see a message that it is advisable to restore your iPod so as to use it. Click on OK after which click on the Restore iPod button to return your iPod to manufacturing facility settings. This can delete any music already on the gadget.
5. As soon as your iPod seems within the left-hand menu in iTunes, click on it to see what’s inside.
6. Relying on the kind of iPod you will have, you would possibly see folders for Music, Movies, TV Reveals, Films, Audiobooksand extra, in addition to any playlists you created again within the day.
7. Any music you wish to hold you may depart in place. To take away music, right-click a music and choose Delete from Library. It’s also possible to export music out of your iPod as defined within the subsequent part.
8. If you’re prepared so as to add new music, click on File > Add File to Library so as to add particular person songs or File > Add Folder to Library so as to add complete folders of music.
9. Proceed including as a lot music as you want (or till your iPod is full).
10. If you’re prepared to start out listening, hover over the title of your iPod within the left-hand menu and click on the Eject button.
11. Now you can take away your iPod from the cable and begin listening.

Tips on how to get music off an outdated iPod

Use disk mode to show your iPod into a tough drive

In case your outdated iPod has songs on it that you do not have copies of any longer, then you may extract music out of your iPod by placing it in disk mode. This lets you learn the laborious drive in your iPod like all detachable disk, permitting you to repeat your music out of your iPod.

Tips on how to put an iPod with a click on wheel into disk mode

In case your iPod has the traditional click on wheel, by which the controls are on the scroll wheel itself, you need to use the next steps to place your iPod into disk mode.

1. Toggle the Maintain swap on and off.
2. Press and maintain the Menu button and the Middle button.
3. When the Apple brand seems in your iPod display screen, press and maintain the Play/Pause button and the Middle button.
4. The display screen ought to present that it’s in disk mode.
5. If it does not, repeat the steps once more.

Attempt urgent additional towards the outer fringe of the
Menu
and
Play/Pause
buttons if you cannot get these steps to work.

Tips on how to put an iPod nano (sixth or seventh gen) into disk mode

The later fashions of iPod nano did not embody the long-lasting scroll wheel. You probably have one in all these fashions, you may to make use of the next methodology to place your iPod into disk mode.

1. For the sixth gen iPod nano, press and maintain the Sleep/Wake button and the Quantity Down button.
2. For the seventh gen iPod nano, press and maintain the Sleep/Wake button and the Dwelling button.
3. When the Apple brand seems, press and maintain the Quantity Up button and the Quantity Down button.
4. Your iPod ought to enter disk mode.
5. If it does not, repeat the steps once more.

Tips on how to put an iPod with a contact or scroll wheel into disk mode

If you happen to’re actually old-fashioned, you are rocking an iPod with a scroll wheel that has separate buttons both round it or above it. On this case, you may want to make use of the next steps to place your iPod into disk mode.

1. Toggle the Maintain swap on and off.
2. Press and maintain the Menu button and Play/Pause button.
3. If you see the Apple brand, press and maintain the Earlier button and the Subsequent button.
4. Your iPod ought to enter disk mode.

As soon as your iPod is in disk mode, you may copy recordsdata immediately out of your iPod’s laborious drive. This can be seen in File Explorer or Finder in your laptop, though chances are you’ll must make hidden recordsdata seen so as to see your music.

1. Open File Explorer on Home windows or Finder on Mac.
2. Choose your iPod from the detachable units within the left-hand pane.
3. Open the folder known as iPod_Control.
4. If you cannot see this folder on Home windows, click on View > Present > Hidden Objects.
5. If you cannot see this folder on Mac, press Cmd+Shift+Interval to make hidden recordsdata and folders seen.
6. Contained in the iPod_Control folder, choose Music.
7. You will see a listing of folders.
8. Now you can copy these folders to any location in your laptop you would like.
9. Alternatively, open the folders to see the person recordsdata. You may copy whichever recordsdata you want to export.

The draw back to this methodology is that these recordsdata are given bizarre four-character names and are not all the time saved in an apparent method, so it might take some time to determine which recordsdata are which. There are third-party apps that may extract songs out of your iPod, so that you would possibly wish to attempt one in all these when you have a variety of music you wish to get off your iPod.

Escape distractions along with your outdated iPod

No interruptions, simply you and the music

You probably have a telephone and an app resembling Spotify or Apple Music, you have already got entry to tens of millions of songs, so why would you trouble utilizing your outdated iPod? Nicely, there’s one thing very calming about with the ability to take heed to music with out worrying about notifications popping up in your telephone or getting the urge to shortly scroll by way of Reddit.

An old-school MP3 participant helps you to focus purely on the music for a short while, and it is also a good way to cease your self from attempting to take heed to the entire music that exists. You could have a restricted variety of songs to select from, so that you would possibly get to know a few of your favourite songs or albums an entire lot higher, or give your self an opportunity to lastly perceive why the remainder of the world appears so obsessive about Taylor Swift’s discography. Why not crack out your outdated iPod and provides it a attempt?