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New to Uploading Music to iPod nano? Here's How

by: LydiaVaughn
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If you've been trying to figure out how to upload music to your new iPod nano, don't worry. We'll have you playing great songs on your iPod nano in no time. Of course, you might not be so interested in music. But maybe you bought your nanos to play videos or games. Well, good news! Once you're uploading music to your nano you'll know how to upload all the other goodies too.

1) Load the music files onto your computer

Where are your music files? For a lot of new nano owners the answer is "on my CDs." If so, you'll want to make the files available to your computer. Most people start by copying the files from CDs onto the computer's hard disk. Note: If you use iTunes and have selected "Copy files to iTunes music folder," it's enough to just have the CD in your computer's CD drive.

2) Import the music into your iPod manager

You'll use an "iPod manager" application to handle moving files to and from the iPod. Apple's free iTunes software is the iPod manager most of us use. You're welcome to look at the other options -- Wikipedia has a pretty good list. If you're new to iPods I suggest you start with iTunes. Once you know what you do and don't like about iTunes you'll be in a better position to decide whether you want to look for a different iPod manager.

By the way, using iTunes to manage iPod files does NOT keep you from buying music from other companies -- I buy music downloads from three different vendors but use iTunes to move them back and for from my iPod.

Decide if you'd like to have all your files in one location on the computer. If so, it's easiest if you tell iTunes to copy all the files there for you. In iTunes choose Edit, Preferences, Advanced from the menu and click the "Copy files to iTunes Music folder when adding to library."

Okay, you're ready to import the music to iTunes. There's several ways to import, but the most common is to click (from the top menu) File, Add Folder to Library, and find and select the directory that contains your music. Click the "OK" button to add the music to the library's music list. You can also use the Control + O keys and select single files to add.

3) Connect your PC and your nano

Connect your iPod to the computer with the USB cable that came with your iPod. (Yes, I know most of you knew this...just playing it safe.) The iPod should appear on the left-hand menu.

How you upload the music depends on whether you're letting iTunes manage your iPod or have elected to "manually manage" your iPod. I prefer the "manually manage" approach because it lets me to pick and choose which files to move to my nano. It also allows me to pull files from multiple computers to the one iPod.

4) Finally! Start uploading music to your nano

If you decide to let iTunes manage the uploads, click your iPod's icon and select "Sync" in the lower right corner.

Will you manage uploads manually? You'll need to do a quick, one-time setup. In iTunes, click the nano's icon and select "Manually manage music and videos" on the iTunes screen. Now you just select the music you want and drag it onto the iPod icon. Voila! The music uploads.

5) Last step: Eject your iPod before disconnecting

Always, always, always click the eject button on the lower-right corner of the iTunes screen. Don't risk corrupting your iPod files.

6) Go find more music

If you've followed these steps you know how to upload music to your nano. Time to download more games, videos, books, and music for your nano. See my web site for suggestions of where to find great downloads for reasonable prices.

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About the Author

Wondering where to find great music and video downloads? Head over to Lydia Vaughn's review of the best sites for downloads for your iPod nano at Nanos Reviewed.  

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