Uploading song from iPod to computer

[Masaki-kun]

Umm... Literal as the title can be made. My iPod is full of songs much like a fruit is full of delicious juice. However, I can't figure out how to get those music files onto my computer so they can be worked with, backed up, ect. If my iPod goes, for example, I lose all the music I've collected since high school because none of it is backed up anymore. iTunes has a "transfer purchases" option but that seems to only work with purchases, not cd burns, legit free music, or, you know.

[A Zarkin' Frood]

I use Winamp. It stores the files in folders sorted by Artist, Album or whatever you want.
YamiPod does the same I assume, but I never really used it because it requires iTunes to be installed. And iTunes isn't exactly my favorite media player, if you know what I mean.

I'm pretty sure the Foobar plugin I use sometimes does the same thing, but I'm too lazy to check.

[Meister]

Found this on Google - I can't vouch for how effective it is but it seems promising.

1. Insert your iPod to a Windows PC USB or FireWire port. (PC should runs Windows XP or other Windows operating system).

2. If your Windows PC still doesn?t have iTunes installed, skip this step. If iTunes is already installed and prompt a message on whether if you?d like to associate this iPod with this computer and deleting its content, click No. Or else you will lose your only copy of library on iTunes. Beside, ensure that ?Enable Disk Use? is selected.

3. Open My Computer or Windows Explorer, the iPod should be automatically detected as a portable hard drive.
4. Click on the iPod icon or the iPod portable hard drive letter to open the contents of the drive.

5. If you don?t see a folder called ?iPod Control?, it?s hidden and invisible. To unhidden it so that it?s visible, go to Tools -> Folder Options -> View, and then check (enable) the option ?Show hidden files and folders.?

6. Open the ?iPod Control? folder, and then the Music folder.

7. The Music folder contains the iPod?s music and videos, divided into folders. Copy the library to local computer hard drive?s My Music folder.

8. The files copied have unintelligible four-letter file names. To reveal the names of the songs and other data tags, add the files to the Windows Media Player or iTunes libraries or switch to ?Tiles? view in Windows Explorer.

9. Rename the file if necessary.

Beside above manual ways to copy and transfer song library from iPod to computer, or import into iTunes, there are several third party program or more commonly called iPod Manager that has the iPod copying function such as SharePod (freeware) or PodPlus (shareware).

The linked site has links to those, too.

[A Zarkin' Frood]

I almost forgot: Winamp renames the files if desired.
According to whichever conventions you like, I think. Or not. I've only set this up once.

EDIT: Yeah it does.
The whole thing is a lot simpler than I remembered...

Step one: Wait until winamp detects your iPod
Step two: hit ctrl + p and select portables from the list. Now uncheck "Use CD-Rip settings" if you want to specify the folder and naming conventions.
A slash or backslash in the naming conventions denotes a sub folder. In this example there would be one folder for each album. I personally prefer having them sorted by artists as well, though, to do that you could just put a slash between the <artist> and <album>. Or click format help, which... helps you formatting...


Step Three: Open the Media Library Viewer and select your iPod under portables. Then select all the files you want or... uh.... select "All", right click, Copy to Local Media.


Step Four: Wait till it's done

I hope this helped and YES, my iPod is called French Toast. Don't ask.

[Viridis]

Songbird and SharePod would both do what you're asking for.

[Masaki-kun]

I don't really like winamp, it tries to get aol stuff on my computer. Sharepod wouldn't download off that link, so songbird it is. I'll try tomorrow.

[synkr0nized]

Originally Posted by Masaki-kun

I don't really like winamp, it tries to get aol stuff on my computer.

lol? It's not like you have to install any of that.

I mean, don't use it if you don't like it. But don't blindly click through installation screens, either. ;)

[Viridis]

Better SharePod link. One useful thing is that the program is very small. About 1MB. Small enough to easily run it off the iPod itself (which is what I do).

[Masaki-kun]

Sharepod hasn't worked either, I really am pretty hopeless at this. It says it can't recognize the iTouch.

[Fenris]

Originally Posted by Masaki-kun

Sharepod hasn't worked either, I really am pretty hopeless at this. It says it can't recognize the iTouch.

I had this problem earlier this year.

I used Winamp.