Ask iLounge 4-5-07

Article

Ask iLounge offers readers the opportunity to get answers to their iPod-related questions from a member of the iLounge editorial team. We'll answer several questions here each week, and of course, you can always get help with more immediate concerns from the iLounge Discussion Forums. Submit your questions for consideration using our Ask iLounge Submit Form. We reserve the right to edit questions for grammar, spelling, and length.

The most asked question at iLounge.com:

How do I copy music from my iPod onto my computer?

Click here for the answer.

The second most asked question at iLounge.com:

How do I put DVDs on my iPod?

For converting DVDs, web video, TV shows and home movies to your iPod, iPhone or Apple TV, we have a three-part series outlining the best formats, settings, and various tools to use for converting all types of video content for use on these devices.

The Complete Guide to iPod, Apple TV and iPhone Video Formats

The Complete Guide to iPod, iPhone and Apple TV Video Conversion (Mac)

The Complete Guide to iPod, iPhone and Apple TV Video Conversion (Windows)

Top five questions most recently asked by iLounge readers:

Q: What are the best speakers to use with my iPod? (15, 76-79, and 90-92)

Q: What are the best headphones to use with my iPod? (10, 72-75, and 90-92)

Q: I really want to get a nice case for my iPod. Do you have any suggestions? (36-37, 54-67, and 90-92)

Q: How can I connect my iPod to my car stereo? (14, 32-35, 68-71, and 90-92)

Q: Are there any batteries that I can use to extend my iPod's battery life? (82-83 and 90-92)

A: Answers to these and many other questions can be found in two places. Our Free iPod Book 3.3 provides a complete report card to all of the iPod accessories we've reviewed as of summer 2007, as well as over 125 iTunes and iPod tips & tricks. Further, our new 2008 iPod & iPhone Buyers' Guide has accessory tutorials at the page numbers listed in parentheses above. These and other publications in our Library are free downloads, developed by the editors of iLounge!

And now, for this week's Ask iLounge column:

In previous versions of iTunes, I remember being able to play songs on an iPod through the computer when it was plugged in. However, in the newer versions, that feature has either been locked or taken off entirely. If it is merely locked, is there any way around it?

- Josh

Actually, this feature does indeed still exist in iTunes, and hasn’t actually gone away from previous versions. However, to play content directly from your iPod, you’ll need to switch it, at least temporarily, into “Manual” mode.

To do this, simply select the iPod itself in the source pane in iTunes (rather than the Music sub-folder), and you should see a Summary screen. Check the option labelled “Manually manage music and videos” and click the “Apply” button in the bottom-right corner. You will then be able to go into the “Music” section and the songs will no longer be greyed out. Simply double-click on any track to play it. Switching to manual mode can be done on any computer that you connect your iPod to, and once enabled, the settings travels with the iPod itself, so it will remain in manual mode on any computer you connect it to unless you UNcheck the manual mode option.

You can re-enable automatic mode at any time after connecting back to your home computer by simply returning to the Summary screen and DE-selecting the “Manually Manage…” option. iTunes will run a quick sync and recognize that your iPod still contains mostly the same content, rather than erasing and reloading the iPod. Further, the last played time and play counts of any tracks you listened to on your iPod will actually be transferred back to your iTunes library when you return to automatic synchronization mode.

I recently bought a new iMac and Universal Dock for my iPod. I love both, but the one annoying feature of the dock is the IR receiver. I don’t have a use for this feature of the dock. If my iPod is docked when I use the Apple remote to control Front Row, however, it turns my iPod on. Is there a way to disable the IR function of the dock or make it so that it doesn’t recognize the Apple remote?

- Jason

Unfortunately, there isn’t any way to actually disable the IR port on the Universal Dock, but if you have another Apple Remote, you can “pair” so that it will only accept commands from that specific remote, and then simply put that remote away somewhere else (or use it for a device in another room). The instructions on how to do this can be found in Pairing the Apple Remote with the iPod Universal Dock in Apple’s knowledge base.

Unfortunately, this determines which remotes the receiving devices listens to, as opposed to which devices a given remote will actually control. In other words, it changes the settings on the Universal Dock, not the remote itself. So pairing your existing remote with your iMac would only prevent your iMac from listening to other remotes.

Therefore, this solution will only work if you have another Apple Remote to pair the dock with. This does not have to be a remote you plan on actually using with the Universal Dock, however, and can still be used to control other Apple devices, such as a MacBook or iPod Hi-Fi.

Alternatively, if you only have one remote, a small piece of electrical tape on the front of the dock sensor will also prevent it from receiving any stray IR signals from the Apple Remote. This may seem a low-tech solution, but it works.

When i first got my iPod early last year I authorized it to iTunes on my mother’s work computer, since then she has left the job and I have no access to that computer - which is an issue because i didnt know I had to de-authorize. I now only have 1 authorization left and I want to deauthorize that first computer. How do I go about it? I went into my local iPod store today and i was recommended this site because there was nothing they could do… am i able to do this and how would i go about it? Thanks.

- Freddie

Just to be clear, the concept of “authorization” only applies to content purchased from the iTunes Store, so there’s no need to be concerned with the authorization process unless you actually have purchased content that you want to retain access to.

When you purchase a track from the iTunes Store, you are only permitted to play it on up to five computers. iTunes keeps track of this by requiring that each computer be authorized to play that content, and retains a counter as part of your iTunes Store account that indicates how many computers have been authorized. Once that counter reaches five, you can no longer authorize any additional computers. iPod devices themselves are not subject to this limit, and you can place your purchased content on as many iPod devices as you like, provided it is transferred from one of your authorized computers.

Since each authorization is keyed specifically to a given computer, Apple recommends that you always de-authorize a computer before reinstalling your operating system or otherwise having it serviced. Even if you’re not reinstalling the operating system, changing a major component within the computer such as the main system board can cause iTunes to lose its authorization.

Although there’s no way to de-authorize a specific computer that you no longer have access to, Apple does provide an option to reset ALL of your authorizations. You can find this option in your iTunes Store account profile, which is accessed by selecting the iTunes Store in the source tree within iTunes, and then clicking on your iTunes account name that appears in the top-right corner of your iTunes window. This will present you with a page similar to the following:

Clicking the “Deauthorize All” button will reset your number of computer authorizations to zero. You will then need to re-authorize all of your computers individually by going to each one and selecting the Store, Authorize Computer menu option from within iTunes.

Note that the “Deauthorize All” option will only appear once you are at your limit of five authorizations. There is also a limit as to the number of times you can use this option within a given time period.

My iPod is set to sync automatically with my iTunes library at home, and this works well. Occasionally I’d like to be able to add a podcast episode to my iPod from work. How can I do so without affecting my regular iPod settings and running the risk of iTunes removing my iPod library?

- Vince

Depending upon how you normally manage your iPod content and specifically your podcasts, there are some different ways to accomplish this.

If you’re only looking to add the occasional podcast from work, but still want to automatically sync the majority of your content from your home computer, including podcasts, you can simply switch your iPod into “Manual” mode when you connect it to your work computer. When you first connect your iPod to a new computer, you should be presented with a dialog box similar to the following:

This is warning you that your iPod has already been associated with another iTunes library for automatic synchronization, and asking you if you want to erase the content of your iPod and replace it with the content in the current library. Simply select the “Cancel” button, and your iPod will remain connected. Once you have done this, you can switch the iPod into manual mode by selecting the “Manually manage my music and playlists” and clicking the “Apply” button:

This will set the iPod into manual management mode, which means that it will no longer automatically sync with any iTunes library. However, this also means that you can now drag and drop any content you want to load onto your iPod directly from iTunes, including podcast episodes.

When you return home, your iPod will remain in manual mode (the setting stays with the iPod, not the computer itself), and you will therefore have to UN-check the “Manually manage music and videos” option if you want to return to automatic synchronization. Of course, since you’re automatically syncing with your home library, anything you added to the iPod while in manual mode will be removed unless you’ve also copied it to your home iTunes library. For podcasts, however, this really shouldn’t be a problem, since you can easily download it again (and if you subscribe to the same podcasts at home, your computer will probably already have a copy).

Alternatively, you can also automatically sync all of your podcasts from your work computer. If you look closely, you’ll see that the “Manually manage my music and videos” option doesn’t say anything about podcasts—this is because the manual option doesn’t include podcasts. Although you can drag and drop your podcasts to your iPod like you would any other audio file, podcast subscriptions are actually synchronized separately from the rest of your content. As we explained in last week’s Ask iLounge column about syncing Calendars and Contacts, automatic sync only applies to Music, Movies, and TV Shows. This means that you can automatically sync the main music and video content from your home computer, and sync your podcasts from your work computer. You will get the warning about being synced with another iTunes library whenever you connect the iPod to your work computer, but if you simply select the “Cancel” button and carry on, iTunes will happily sync podcasts, photos, contacts/calendars and even games from your current computer if set to do so.

What is the proper separator to use in the Composer field for ID3v2 tags? My iPod seems to treat that field as a regular text box. When I choose a composer I would like to listen to all of their songs. For example… let’s say that Bono wrote some U2 songs by himself and some others with the rest of the band. If I select Bono from composers the iPod only plays songs that he wrote himself. I want to hear every song he wrote.

- John

Unfortunately, there’s really not an easy way to deal with this in the artist or composer listings themselves, as iTunes and the iPod don’t recognize any specific separators for this data.

In fact, even the search feature on the newer model “enhanced” 5G iPods unfortunately does not include the “Composer” field within its search criteria.

The one piece of good news here, though, is that you can accomplish this by using Smart Playlists, although it requires a bit of advance planning in iTunes to decide what groupings you want before you sync. Since the criteria can be selected based on a value contained within a field, a Smart Playlist that simply chooses criteria such as Composer contains Bono should do the trick.

Additionally, other criteria can be specified to further expand or limit the selection, and the results can be grouped by artist, album, rating or whether or not they have been recently played.

Is there a way to pick what order your songs play in on an iPod shuffle in normal play mode? Right now it sorts it by artist.

- Brian

The iPod shuffle works a little bit differently from its larger-sized kin in the way that music is transferred and organized. Basically, when placing music on an iPod shuffle, you’re really just managing it like one big playlist of its own. You can therefore change the sort order of the music on the shuffle by any of the normal columns that you would sort a playlist by.

Simply connect your iPod shuffle and select it in the left-hand source pane in iTunes. You will see the normal summary screen, but at the top will be a tab to select “Contents” - simply choose this tab and you will see a list of all of the tracks on your iPod shuffle. To change the play order, simply choose one of the column headings to sort your tracks in that order.

Further, if you select the very left-hand column, this will return the content to a normal unsorted order. You can then drag-and-drop tracks into any order you prefer simply by highlighting a track and dragging it up or down in the playlist order.

Once you have the playlist on the shuffle organized in the way you’d like, simply right-click the shuffle in the source tree, and choose “Sync” and this play order will be transferred to your iPod shuffle.

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Ask iLounge Archives:

10-30-09: Authorization problems with iPod touch, Changing Grid View background in iTunes, iTunes library and Music Folder are different sizes, Older iPods and firmware updates, Reconciling two different iTunes libraries, Syncing multiple devices to one iTunes library

10-23-09: Using a laptop with an iTunes library on an external hard drive, Transferring YouTube videos to iPod, iPod touch accessibility settings, Disabling Shake to Shuffle on iPod nano, Purchased songs fail to download from iTunes Store, Charging and powering off iPhone

10-16-09: Moving iTunes to a new computer, Transferring contacts from Blackberry to an iPhone, Disabling iPhone Backups, Using AV cables for audio only, Problems syncing photos to iPod touch, Memorex iFlip and iPhone compatibility

10-9-09: iPhone OS and external keyboards, Adjusting ratings in a remote iTunes library, Excluding tracks from Genius Mixes, Moving iTunes library out of My Documents, Playlist folders on iPod touch, Refreshing random Smart Playlists

9-25-09: iTunes 9 and Shopping Cart, Restoring iTunes to an external hard drive, Using an HTTP Proxy over 3G, Problems transferring movies from iTunes to IPhone, iPod touch shuffle mode, Using an iPhone without a SIM card

See the rest of the Archives...

9-18-09: Recovering unlisted media content from iPod, Repeat and continuous video playback on iPod touch, iPhone 3G vs 3GS, Customizing iTunes sorting, Rebuilding an iTunes library, Removing artwork from iPod in iTunes 9

9-11-09: Genius Mixes and iPod classic, Drag-and-drop content to iPod, Sharing home libraries in iTunes 9, Using an iPod without iTunes, Waking to a playlist on iPod touch, Kensington LiquidAUX, Disabling Geotagging Warnings

8-28-09: Consolidating Multiple iTunes Libraries, iPod touch Bluetooth headset compatibility, iPod holds less than advertised number of songs, Transferring media between iTunes Store accounts

8-21-09: Recover Contact/Calendar info from iPod touch, Connect iPod without automatic sync, Managing On-The-Go playlists, iPhone and Stereo Bluetooth Support, Sharing an iTunes library between multiple users on the same computer, Disabling Shake-to-Shuffle on iPod nano

8-14-09: Syncing iPod touch apps and data with a new iTunes library, Automatically adding media files to multiple iTunes libraries from a network share, Downgrading to iTunes 7, iPod nano and disk mode, Displaying release dates on iPod, Playing iPod through TV USB port

8-7-09: Clean up album artwork in iTunes, Syncing media content and calendar/contact info from different computers, Reorganizing recovered tracks in iTunes, Using multiple iPods and iPhones on one computer

7-31-09: Using an iPod and a Zune, iPod and on-TV menus, Backing up Notes from IPod touch, Sharing an iTunes library between a Mac and a PC, Waterproof earphones, 3G iPod and iPhone Accessory compatibility, Shure earphones

7-24-09: Displaying recent plays on web site, iPhone and car integration, iPod classic TV output, Renaming iPhone, Sound quality on different iPod models, iPod shuffle accessory compatibility

7-17-09: Transferring saved application data to new iPhone, Recovering Content from Mac iPod on Windows, iPhone 3GS and charging accessories, Recreating Recently Added playlist, Restoring old iPod touch, Track sorting on iPod classic

7-10-09: Passwords on iPod touch, iPod headphone jack problems, Tagging tracks imported from CD, Adding chapter markers to audiobooks, first-generation iPhone and stereo Bluetooth, Nike+ shoes

7-3-09: iPhone Recent Calls list and location info, iPod touch Bluetooth audio support, Car interface fails after 3.0 upgrade, iPhone battery life, iPhone stereo audio recording,

6-26-09: Recovering a dead iPod touch after 3.0 update, Battery Percentage Display on iPhone 3.0, Options hidden after 3.0 update, iPhone locked after 3.0 update, Managing videos on iPhone, iPod classic accessory compatibility

6-12-09: Conserving power on iPhone, Syncing iPhone Notes, Syncing Apps on new iPod touch, Block pop-ups in Safari, Syncing new iPhone, Playing multiple albums

5-29-09: Sorting tracks in iTunes, iPhone Bluetooth Headset Dock, Recovering Mac-formatted iPod on Windows, Screen damage on 4G iPod nano, Syncing purchased tracks back to iTunes, Managing a class set of iPods

5-22-09: Syncing iTunes content between computers, Importing music into iTunes, Re-transferring apps from a new iTunes library, New iPods and charging accessories, Using multiple iTunes libraries

5-15-09: Starting out with an external hard drive, Syncing playlists manually, Recovering lost iPod serial number, Music count vs Playlist count, Multiple iTunes Store accounts on the same computer, Optimizing album artwork

5-8-09: Organizing audiobooks, Problems transferring purchased items back to iTunes, Keeping played podcast episodes on iPod, Transferring iTunes library to a new computer, iPod shows no content, Using a new iPod with an existing iTunes library

4-24-09: Playing iTunes purchases on a non-networked computer, Finding iPod manuals online, Sharing an iTunes library between separate user accounts, Equalizer on iPod shuffle, Recovering content from Apple TV, Screenshots on iPod touch

4-17-09: Converting tracks to higher bit-rates, Using iPod with non-iTunes content, Using iTunes with an external hard drive, Expired rentals don't delete on iPod, Using only part of a song, Restoring 4G iPod stuck on AC adapter icon

3-27-09: Transferring iTunes library from XP to Vista, Using iPhone as an alarm clock, Splitting iTunes library across two iPods, Recovering iPod onto a computer with an existing iTunes library, Purchased TV Shows stuck in downloads folder, Tagging tracks as Audiobooks in iTunes 8

3-20-09: Using two iPods on a single computer, iPod shuffle 2G/3G accessory compatibility, Displaying TV Show seasons separately in iTunes, Playing iPod through secondary computer, Stopping iPod playback on iPhone, iPod touch 2G and Dock audio

3-13-09: iPod touch vs iPhone, Storing music only on your iPod, Problems transferring rented content, Managing content manually on iPod shuffle, iPod lyrics display, Playing video out to TV from iPhone

3-6-09: iPhone playback on other computers, Games on iPod classic and 5G, Transferring iTunes tracks to SD cards, Group compilations on iPhone, Transferring your iTunes library, iPhone Car Integration

2-27-09: Problems transferring iTunes content to external hard drives, Using an iTunes library database from an external hard drive, Converting Palm address book for iPod touch, How iTunes organizes music videos, Preventing iPhoto from opening when connecting an iPod touch

2-20-09: Video docks for 5G iPod, Connecting an old iPod to a new iTunes library, Downloading iTunes 8 on another computer, Erasing a used iPod and starting fresh, Recovering photos from an iPod, Tracking purchases in iTunes

2-13-09: Waterproof cases and sound quality, Upgrading to iTunes Plus with a manually managed iPod, Reinstalling games on the iPhone, iPhone 3G Dock options, Fixing album artwork problems, Display iTunes Applications category

2-6-09: iPod nano voice memo format, Buying iPods abroad, Skipping a playlist when shuffling, Adjusting playback speed of music tracks, Not all TV Shows syncing to iPod, Checking and unchecking multiple items in iTunes

1-23-09: Synchronizing contacts to iPod touch, Pairing iPhone Remote app, iPhone call audio via Dock Connector, Recovering iPhone apps, New iPods and charging, Remote control of Windows via iPhone

1-16-09: Creating Smart Playlists based on other playlists, Transferring or syncing an iTunes library between two computers, Converting Mac-formatted iPod to Windows, Using Artist and Sort Artist fields, Using an iPod on more than one computer, Importing audiobook CDs as audiobooks

1-2-09: Parents controls on iPod touch, Running iTunes from an external hard drive, Search feature on 5G iPods, Syncing videos to iPod touch, Safari problems on iPod touch, Other content on iPod shuffle

12-19-08: Keeping podcast episodes, iPod and TV USB inputs, Converting PC-formatted iPod to Mac, iPod touch e-mail accounts, Backing up iTunes to a hard drive, Managing and syncing iPod touch On-The-Go playlists

12-12-08: Classifying videos in iTunes 8, Sharing music between iPods, Sharing apps between iTunes libraries on the same computer, iH9 and iPhone compatibility, Recreating Purchased folder, Locating Music Videos

12-5-08: Creating custom slideshows for Apple TV, Optimal album artwork size, Transferring iPod touch from PC to Mac, Upgrading to a new iPod touch, Authorizing iPod Games on new computer, Managing iPod content manually

11-21-08: iPod keeps resetting, Organizing iPhone apps, iPod touch video accessories, iPod-compatible online music sources, Reordering playlists manually

11-14-08: Cover Flow on 4G iPod nano, Setting up iPod touch without Internet access, Internet radio for iPod touch, Apps button missing on iPod touch, mm50 speakers and new iPod models, Including Year field on iPod

10-31-08: iPod charging accessory compatibility, Adding tracks to multiple albums, Removing pre-installed games, Transferring contacts from iPod touch to a second computer, iPod touch accessory compatibility, iPod synchronization to a new computer

10-24-08: Importing folders with M3U files, AV cables with 2008 iPods, Moving iTunes libraries between computers, Unknown albums after importing music, Newly added tracks don't show up on iPod

10-17-08: Backup up your iPod, iPods and viruses, Using an iPod on Mac and Windows, Managing photos on an iPod manually, Adding iTunes Shared Music to iPod, iPod video out

10-3-08: Displaying lyrics on iPod touch, Calculating playlist sizes, Transferring tracks to iPod in manual mode, Purchasing older iPod models, Using iPhone without phone service, Shuffle modes

9-26-08: iTunes HD TV episodes showing up twice, Shure MPA-3C and iPod touch, Synchronizing iPod to a new iTunes library, Problems updating iPhone applications, Managing iTunes media files on an external hard drive, Managing multiple iPods on one computer

9-19-08: Removing Genre column in iTunes 8, Syncing TV Shows by playlist, Recovering Mac-formatted iPod on Windows, Recovering photos from iPod, XtremeMac Luna X2, iPod flash memory capacity, Restoring older iPod models

9-12-08: Managing iPhone Backups, iPod disk mode and deleted items, iPod Plays only single tracks, iPhone and T9 predictive text, Copying ratings and play counts from iPod to computer, Automatically retrieving CD information and album artwork

9-5-08: AV output from iPhone 3G dock, New playlists not appearing on iPod, Transferring music on iPod touch from multiple computers, Resetting iTunes Store authorization counts, Editing tag information, iPhone task applications

8-29-08: Disabling data on iPhone 3G, iTunes Plus and Apple Backup, Deleting photos from iPod, iPhone v2.0 and TV Out accessories, Consolidating multiple iTunes libraries, Restoring iPod touch from backup

8-22-08: Cleaning up applications in iTunes, Playing back all songs on iPod, Excluding podcasts from Smart Playlists, Bookmarking tracks, Playing tracks back at a consistent volume level

8-15-08: Transferring play counts back to iTunes, Playing iPod while charging, Customizing iPhone alerts, Syncing movies to iPod nano, iTunes not recognizing new CDs, Sudoku reviews

8-8-08: iPhone and SIM card contacts, Syncing iPhone contacts, Hiding SMS previews on iPhone, Playing iPod touch on secondary computer, Syncing photos to iPod, Resuming interrupted iTunes WiFI Store downloads

8-8-08: iLounge Editor-in-Chief Jeremy Horwitz responds to reader questions on all things iLounge, including technical issues related to iPhone 3G, and behind-the-scenes editorial issues

8-1-08: iPhone Edition: Switching between apps, Car charging accessories, Activating older iPhone models, Sending MMS, App Store in wrong language, Excel and A2DP support

7-25-08: MobileMe on iPhone for Calendars only, Buying iPods for International use, Voice recorders for 4G iPods, Free Music for iPod, Problems transferring purchased content to iPod, Playing AAC files in Windows Media Player

7-18-08: Ask iLounge iPhone v2.0 Edition: Installing apps on multiple devices, Converting videos for iPhone 3G, Activating first-gen iPhones, Saved photos on iPod touch, Push e-mail support

7-4-08: Recovering a corrupt iPod, Hard cases for iPhone, Reimporting CDs into iTunes, iPod shows only Other content, Managing multiple audio formats in iTunes, Optimum iPod video output cables

6-27-08: Creating Smart Playlists for Purchased items, Keeping place in multi-track audiobooks, Backing up iTunes before a reformat, iPod Games on 5G and classic, Editing CD tracks before import, Getting Album Artwork automatically

6-20-08: Third-party iPod management tools, Transferring large files on iPod, Shuffling On-The-Go Playlists, Removing played podcasts from iPod, Continuously playing one track, Moving iTunes from PC to Mac

6-13-08: Artists not appearing on iPod, Unchecked items do not play in iTunes, iTunes shows incorrect CD track information, Podcast support on older iPod models, Upgrading to a new iPod, Photo albums on iPod touch

6-6-08: Downloading YouTube videos onto iPod, Selling old iPod models, Fit iTunes Window to Screen, Handing down an iPod, Dock Compatible iPod cases, Problems transferring music from iPod to Mac

5-30-08: Burning iTunes purchases to an MP3 CD, Playing iPhone via computer, Pre-loading a gift iPod on another computer, Music Video playlists on Apple TV, Music videos on 2G iPod nano, Importing existing MP3 and WMA files into iTunes.

5-23-08: Finding and backing up purchased music, Syncing duplicate tracks to iPod, Restoring 4G iPod and AC power, Syncing iPod to a laptop when travelling, Finding photos on iPod, Storing a large iTunes library in multiple folders

5-16-08: Using the iPhone with integrated in-car Bluetooth, Problems with iPods and depleted batteries, Transferring content to a new iPod, iPod displays audio but no video, Removing photos and album artwork from iTunes, Overdrive Media and iPods

5-9-08: About iPod battery life and charging, Using Apple FM Radio remote on older iPod models, Scan and Fix dialog using iPod on Windows Vista, Preserving iTunes metadata when reinstalling Windows, Importing multiple tracks into iTunes, About iTunes and ID3 tags

5-2-08: Transferring digital camera movies to iPod, Reordering and shuffling playlists, Transferring playlists between iTunes libraries, Importing audiobooks, Correcting tags on CD import, Burning CDs with longer gaps

4-25-08: Finding Duplicates in iTunes, Setting files to open in iTunes automatically, Resetting authorizations, 1G iPod nano and voice recording, Syncing a library larger than your iPod capacity, Grouping multi-disc albums

4-17-08: Ripping CDs to external hard drive, Zeppelin speakers and USB port, Bluetooth stereo on iPhone, Converting TV shows to iPod, Audio recording on iPod touch, Wireless security on iPod touch

4-10-08: Transferring LPs to iTunes, Movie Rentals and 5G iPod, New iPod models on older Macs, Maintaining Playback Position on iPod, Importing CDs on multiple computers

4-3-08: Using several iPods on one computer, Renaming imported CD tracks, iM7 and iPod nano, Burning different CD types, Purchasing from iTunes while travelling, Importing CDs on MacBook Air, Sending photos from iPhone

3-28-08: iPod capacity and bit-rates, International iTunes Gift Cards, iPhone charging accessories, Moving iTunes purchases to another computer, iPod touch and third-party tools, iPod videos play only audio

3-21-08: Basic DVD conversion, 5G iPod and subtitles, Slideshows on iPod touch, Using the Voice Memo function, iPod classic TV output quality, iPod Dock Connector extender cables

3-14-08: About Skip Count, iPhone alarm clocks, 5G firmware updates, Cleaning up after a library move, Syncing new playlists to iPod nano, Authorization of multiple iTunes Store accounts

3-7-08: Transferring MP3 files to new iTunes library, iPhone ringtones on Windows, Wired remotes for iPod classic, Sharing iTunes with multiple users on one PC, iTunes library and Time Capsule, Chargers for 3G iPods

2-29-08: Finding iPhone Backups, Contact Display on iPhone, Automatic vs manual iPod management, iTunes CD burning restrictions, iTunes movie rental expiry on iPods, Downloading podcasts to iPhone

2-22-08: Upgrading your iPhone, Recovering data from corrupted iPod, Recreating default playlists, Syncing iPod Games from more than one computer, Problems playing purchased TV shows on iPod, Output settings when playing movies from iPod to TV

2-15-08: Setting up an AirTunes network, Shuffling music, Playing podcasts sequentially, Firewire support on modern iPods, Recovering Mac-formatted iPods on Windows, Recovering iTunes library from a virus

2-7-08: Transferring music from iPod touch, Voice recorders for 2007 iPods, Cover Flow on 5G iPod, Renaming your iPod, iTunes and iLife, Organizing music transferred from the iPod

1-31-08: Apple TV AirTunes Support, iPod Games on 5G and classic, Keeping videos only on iPod, Syncing iPod using checked songs, Charging with Universal Dock, International iPod and iTunes Store use

1-18-08: Macworld Expo 2008 Special Edition: Questions about the new iTunes Movie Rentals and Apple TV features, including Time Capsule and the Apple TV, Renting HD Movies from iTunes, Transferring rented movies to and from the iPod, Fifth-generation iPods and movie rental support, AirTunes support on Apple TV Take Two.

1-10-08: TV output quality, iPod windows driver installation errors, Connecting iPod to portable DVD player, Syncing games, iPhone charger compatibility, Reformatting iPod for Mac

1-3-08: 2007 iPod models and speakers, Video resolution vs bit-rate, Preventing auto-deletion of podcasts, Videos with no sound, Using iTunes Store when travelling abroad, Transferring videos to iPod, Importing Audiobooks

12-27-07: Your First iPod, Differences between iPod models, Accessory compatibility, Converting DVDs for iPod, New iPods and older computers, Earphone Recommendations, Troubleshooting iPod Problems

12-21-07: Other space on iPod, Search feature on iPod touch, Adding third-party ringtones to iPhone, iPod suddenly shows no content, TV Dock compatibility, Artists appearing more than once on iPod

12-14-07: New iPods - Buy now or wait? Transfer music from an old iPod, Convert MP3 to Lossless, Listening to videos and battery life, Bluetooth headphones for iPod nano, Universal Dock and line-out volume

12-7-07: Using Compilations settings, Re-syncing iPod after hard drive replacement, Locating iTunes Plus tracks, New iPod firmware - video output and iPod Hi-Fi support, Mac-formatted iPods, Cover Flow on iPod, iPhone screen goes blank when on a call

11-29-07: Photo resolution on the iPhone, Obtaining video content for the iPod touch, Restoring older iPod models, Sharing iTunes library on a single computer, Transferring iTunes via external hard drive, Auto-deleting played podcasts

11-22-07: Syncing games to iPod, Removing album artwork, Replacing files in iTunes library, Limiting volume on iPod, Preventing iPod sync when connecting with iTunes, Skipping audiobooks when shuffling songs

11-16-07: iTunes and Vista, iPod classic video output (revisited), Transferring iTunes from PC to Mac, Organizing Music Videos in iTunes, Using newer iPods with older OS X versions, Sorting photos on iPod

11-9-07: Editing calendar on iPod touch, Multiple iTunes libraries on one computer, Creating an iTunes Store account without a credit card, Burning CDs with track names, iPod/iPhone remote control, iPhone TV output from Safari

11-2-07: TV Docks for new iPod models, Calculate song file sizes, iPhone backup and restore, Sync selected content with iPhone, Universal Dock compatibility, Managing podcast synchronization

10-26-07: iTunes Plus, Play Slideshow on iPod nano, Activate TV out on new iPods, Recover Mac iPod in Windows, Add descriptions to TV shows, iTunes not opening when iPhone is connected

10-18-07: iPod and Windows Autoplay, Reinstalling iTunes, Manually Managing Videos, iPod charging accessories, iPod touch power and sleep modes, Resyncing recovered iPod content

10-11-07: Managing a class set of iPods, New firmware and older iPods, Windows ME support, Sorting artists by last name, 3G iPod car audio compatibility, Resetting iPod language

10-5-07: iTunes WiFi Store, Videos with no sound, Managing video content manually, Tagging TV Shows, Renaming iPod, Flash support on iPhone, Removing multiple artwork images, iPhone and multi-recipient SMS, US/UK iPod compatibility, Photo storage on iPod touch

9-27-07: iPod classic audio quality, New iPod models: features and accessory compatibility, Transferring music from iPod 5G to classic, iPod nano voice recording, Storing multiple bitrates in iTunes

9-7-07: Special Edition on the new iPod lineup - users most common questions answered about the new iPod lineup and new iTunes release, including accessory compatibility and new software features.

8-30-07: Playing single tracks, iPhone sleep timer, Deleting iPod content, TV shows do not appear on iPod, Manually sorting playlists, Fitting content onto audio CDs, Car line-out solutions

8-23-07: Set Video Kind within files, Authorization and iPod transfer, Chat Clients for iPhone, Importing CDs for gapless playback, Tethering iPhone, Burning Purchased Tracks

8-16-07: Managing podcasts, Bookmarking audiobooks, No artwork in Cover Flow, Storing iTunes content on two hard drives, Sleeping with an iPod, ROKR sunglasses and iPhone, Selling an iPod

8-9-07: Playing Podcast episodes in sequence, Recording radio in iTunes, New iPod with songs already on it, Authorized Computers, Sync iPod with a new computer, Transferring a Windows iPod to a MacBook

8-2-07: Syncing the iPhone to more than one computer, Transferring iTunes music to the Blackberry, Continuous video playback on the iPod, Problems editing track info in iTunes, Transferring content from iPhone to computer, Video playback from the iPhone, Sending MMS messages from the iPhone

7-26-07: Transferring photos from iPhone, Using iPhone speaker and dock, Song volume adjustments in iTunes, Transfer from a Mac-formatted iPod in Windows Vista, iTunes Other category and TV show syncing, Printing track lists from iTunes

7-19-07: Importing MP3 CDs, Using two iPods on one computer, Showing current track in Windows Messenger, iPod nano accessory compatibility, Keeping content only on the iPod, Transferring between two iTunes libraries

7-12-07: Sorting in iTunes 7.3, Joining CD tracks, Selecting TV Shows for sync, Recovering photos from iPod, Tagging multiple video tracks, iPhone activation requirements

Next: The Complete Guide to Apple TV Optimization

Previous: EMI/Apple: How Jobs' Essay Shook iTunes & Industry

Comments

1

Hi. I’m having a problem I can’t fix. I’ve had two different ipods which were both used with the same computer. After the first one, a monochrome 30 gig got destroyed, I replaced it with a color photo ipod, also 30 gig. Whats happened recently is that somehow my computer thinks that my ipod is the old one. Itunes on the computer shows the ipod name and serial number as the original one and now it’s not showing any photos. How can I change the serial number back to the new one allowing the photos to load and display on the ipod? Thanks!

Posted by red_boxster on April 9, 2007 at 6:42 PM (PDT)

2

Hi, some one else at home already has an ipod, so all their tunes from the Itunes libary is automatically sync’d to their ipod. However i have just purchased an ipod and i dont want her songs from the libary to go onto my ipod so i put it on “manually manage” mode. But is their a way of making my own sort of libary or playlist so i import all my tunes onto their an they go straight to my ipod? rather than dragging all the tunes i want from the libary then deleting them after. please help

Posted by shiv_991 on April 14, 2007 at 4:25 AM (PDT)

3

I’ve quite recently got an Ipod Nano, and got around 200 songs on it, and a few videos, my computer had a crash and everything had to be wiped, I’ve downloaded another Itunes from Apple, is there any way that i can change it to manual sync before I connect my Ipod because otherwise it will sync and all the songs will be deleted.
Thanks

Posted by Olly on February 29, 2008 at 2:31 PM (PDT)

4

If you’re using a new iTunes library (as opposed to having deleted all of the content from your old one), then you should be able to just connect the iPod. iTunes will recognize that your iPod is associated with another iTunes library, and prompt you with the option to either ‘Erase and Sync” or “Cancel.”

Just select “Cancel” and the iPod will not sync, but will remain connected. You can then set it to Manual mode as you normally would.

Posted by Jesse David Hollington in Toronto on February 29, 2008 at 5:25 PM (PDT)

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