iPod 101 > Synchronizing your iPod

How do I synchronize my iPod?

Synchronizing your iPod allows you to have iTunes copy your libraries of media over to your iPod. To do this, first plug your iPod into your computer via the included USB cable. iTunes should open automatically, but if it doesn't, open it manually. If you have automatic synchronization enabled, your iPod will begin syncing, otherwise you can synchronize manually by dragging files to your iPod or selecting "Sync iPod" from the File menu.

What's the difference between manual & automatic synchronizing?

Automatic synchronization will update your iPod whenever it is plugged in with any changes that you have made since the last time it was plugged in. By default, new iPods are set to sync automatically. Manual synchronization means that you must drag and drop your audio and video files from your library to your iPod manually. If your iPod is set on manual synchronization, then nothing will be sync'ed to your iPod unless you do it yourself. You can also customize your settings to automatically sync only some of your iTunes playlists - in that case, the unselected playlists can be updated manually. Whichever option you choose for syncing, we recommend that you choose one computer as the central location for all your files.

How do I work with more than one computer?

The easiest way to manage your iTunes and iPod content is to work with only one computer and sync the iPod to it automatically. However, if you need to be able to update your iPod from more than one computer (for example, to access content in the office and at home, or to work on group projects) your iPod must be set to sync manually. If you need to move files back and forth between multiple computers, and not just update the content on your iPod, see using the iPod as a content storage devices.

A special note on voice memos

After you have recorded new voice memos on your iPod, and plugged it into your computer, a dialog box will appear asking if you'd like to import your voice memos to your iTunes library. If you chose to import them, they will no longer be in your iPod's voice memos menu. After importing, you can still listen to your memos on the iPod by finding them under the Music menu, but to copy or edit them, you will need to find them in iTunes on the local computer. Once you have located your files in iTunes, you can drag them from the iTunes window to the desktop or right-click (control-click on Mac) and selecting Show Song File (or Show in Finder on Mac). You can then rename, edit, or upload your files, or enable disk use on your iPod to transfer the file to another computer.