Apple could not at all times be the primary to deliver a product to market, however they’re typically the primary to make these merchandise actually blow up. The first iPhone was the product that actually precipitated individuals to make the leap to smartphones. Equally, the iPod was the product that led to the increase in MP3 players within the early 2000s.
The primary iPod hit the cabinets means again in 2001, and the gadget went by a number of iterations, together with the iPod shuffle, the iPod nano, and the iPod contact (the oddly capitalized model names of which precipitated English academics all over the place to tear out their hair).
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When the iPhone arrived, it signaled the demise of the iPod. Why purchase a devoted MP3 participant whenever you already had one constructed into your cellphone? The iPod hung round for some time, however after altering the world, the final iPod was discontinued, and most of our outdated MP3 gamers obtained thrown away or consigned to the again of a drawer.
I discovered my outdated iPod nano lately and was curious to know what music was on it. Attempting 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 I used to be in a position so as to add new (legally obtained, clearly) music and even export outdated stuff that was nonetheless on there. This is how I obtained my outdated iPod again up and operating and why perhaps it’s best to, too.
What you will want to make use of your outdated iPod in 2024
The place did I put that iPod charger?
There are some things you will want so as to have the ability to get your outdated iPod up and operating once more. You will want an iPod that is in working situation. You will additionally want the related charging cable in your iPod. In the event you’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’ll be able to join your iPod to your laptop utilizing the charging cable. The ultimate factor took me the longest to seek out; you will want some wired headphones. Bluetooth headphones weren’t a factor in 2001 both, apparently.

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Set up an outdated model of iTunes
Use Home windows for a neater experience
The issue with utilizing an outdated iPod is that it will not work with trendy apps. iTunes was at all times the app you wanted to get music on and off your iPod, however the app no longer exists in its own right. The Music app would not appear to play properly with many older iPods. One of the best 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 would not work, you’ll be able to attempt an older or new model of iTunes as a substitute to see in case you have extra success.
How you can 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 that you must do is obtain and run the related installer, and iTunes shall be put in in your PC.
- Obtain the related model of the iTunes 12.6.5.3 installer, relying in your {hardware}. iTunes 12.6.5.3 for Windows (32-bit)iTunes 12.6.5.3 for Windows (64-bit)
- Run the downloaded installer.
- As soon as accomplished, it’s best to have the ability to launch the iTunes app.
How you can set up iTunes on Mac
In the event you’re on a Mac, making an attempt to put in an older model of iTunes will deliver up an error message stating that the software program just isn’t supported in your system. Nonetheless, it is attainable to idiot macOS into considering that the app is a more recent model than it truly is. This entails operating an AppleScript, but it surely’s not as arduous because it sounds.
- Obtain the iTunes 12.6.5.3 installer for Mac.
- Open the Script Editor app in your Mac.
- Click on New Doc.
- 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/Data.plist"do shell script "plutil -replace CFBundleShortVersionString -string 13.9.9 ~/tmp/iTunes.app/Contents/Data.plist"do shell script "plutil -replace CFBundleVersion -string 13.9.9 ~/tmp/iTunes.app/Contents/Data.plist"do shell script "contact ~/tmp/iTunes.app"do shell script "ditto ~/tmp/iTunes.app /Purposes/iTunes.app"do shell script "rm -r ~/tmp"
- Click on the Run icon to run the script.
- When prompted, navigate to the situation of the installer you downloaded in step 1.
- As soon as the script has completed operating, it’s best to discover the iTunes app in your Purposes folder.
- Run the iTunes app.

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How you can add music to an outdated iPod in iTunes
Get your new tunes onto your outdated iPod
After you have the iTunes app up and operating, it is time to join your iPod. You’ll be able to then begin including music, creating playlists, and extra.
- Plug the charging cable in your iPod into your laptop.
- Plug the opposite finish into your iPod.
- If issues go properly, your iPod ought to join and seem in iTunes.
- If they do not, you may even see a message that that you must restore your iPod to be able to use it. Click on OK after which click on the Restore iPod button to return your iPod to manufacturing facility settings. This may delete any music already on the gadget.
- As soon as your iPod seems within the left-hand menu in iTunes, click on it to see what’s inside.
- Relying on the kind of iPod you may have, you would possibly see folders for Music, Movies, TV Exhibits, Motion pictures, Audiobooks, and extra, in addition to any playlists you created again within the day.
- Any music you wish to maintain you’ll be able to go away in place. To take away music, right-click a tune and choose Delete from Library. It’s also possible to export music out of your iPod as defined within the subsequent part.
- Whenever 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.
- Proceed including as a lot music as you want (or till your iPod is full).
- Whenever 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.
- Now you can take away your iPod from the cable and begin listening.

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How you can 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’ll be able to extract music out of your iPod by placing it in disk mode. This lets you learn the arduous drive in your iPod like every removable disk, permitting you to repeat your music out of your iPod.
How you can put an iPod with a click on wheel into disk mode
In case your iPod has the basic click on wheel, during which the controls are on the scroll wheel itself, you should use the next steps to place your iPod into disk mode.
- Toggle the Maintain swap on and off.
- Press and maintain the Menu button and the Middle button.
- When the Apple emblem seems in your iPod display screen, press and maintain the Play/Pause button and the Middle button.
- The display screen ought to present that it’s in disk mode.
- If it would 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.
How you can put an iPod nano (sixth or seventh gen) into disk mode
The later fashions of iPod nano did not embrace the long-lasting scroll wheel. If in case you have one in all these fashions, you will to make use of the next methodology to place your iPod into disk mode.
- For the sixth gen iPod nano, press and maintain the Sleep/Wake button and the Quantity Down button.
- For the seventh gen iPod nano, press and maintain the Sleep/Wake button and the House button.
- When the Apple emblem seems, press and maintain the Quantity Up button and the Quantity Down button.
- Your iPod ought to enter disk mode.
- If it would not, repeat the steps once more.
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How you can put an iPod with a contact or scroll wheel into disk mode
In the event you’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 will want to make use of the next steps to place your iPod into disk mode.
- Toggle the Maintain swap on and off.
- Press and maintain the Menu button and Play/Pause button.
- Whenever you see the Apple emblem, press and maintain the Earlier button and the Subsequent button.
- Your iPod ought to enter disk mode.
As soon as your iPod is in disk mode, you’ll be able to copy information instantly out of your iPod’s arduous drive. This shall be seen in File Explorer or Finder in your laptop, though you could have to make hidden information seen to be able to see your music.
- Open File Explorer on Home windows or Finder on Mac.
- Choose your iPod from the detachable gadgets within the left-hand pane.
- Open the folder known as iPod_Control.
- If you cannot see this folder on Home windows, click on View > Present > Hidden Objects.
- If you cannot see this folder on Mac, press Cmd+Shift+Interval to make hidden information and folders seen.
- Contained in the iPod_Control folder, choose Music.
- You will see a listing of folders.
- Now you can copy these folders to any location in your laptop you would like.
- Alternatively, open the folders to see the person information. You’ll be able to copy whichever information you want to export.
The draw back to this methodology is that these information are given bizarre four-character names and are not at all times saved in an apparent method, so it could take some time to determine which information 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 in case 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
If in case you have a cellphone and an app corresponding to Spotify or Apple Music, you have already got entry to tens of millions of songs, so why would you trouble utilizing your outdated iPod? Properly, there’s one thing very calming about having the ability to take heed to music with out worrying about notifications popping up in your cellphone or getting the urge to rapidly scroll by Reddit.

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An old-school MP3 player permits you to focus purely on the music for a short while, and it is also a good way to cease your self from making an attempt to take heed to all of the music that exists. You’ve got a restricted variety of songs to select from, so that you would possibly get to know a few of your favourite songs or albums rather a 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?
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