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Support => Portable Devices => Topic started by: Redcraze on November 08, 2019, 04:21:37 AM

Title: Problems with ipod Classic
Post by: Redcraze on November 08, 2019, 04:21:37 AM
I've got music on an ipod classic. Some of it I bought from the Apple store, some I did not. I want to keep them on the ipod but I want to organise them better, make new playlists and so on. I can't use iTunes because it will delete those tracks that I didn't buy from Apple.  I have tried various ways around this as recommended by different people online but none of them have worked.

I had hoped that if all my music was incorporated into Music Bee my problem would be solved.  I thought I had done this but it is now apparent that the Music Bee library, although it lists all my music, only works when the ipod is connected to the computer. So I presume that there is no actual Music Bee library except the library already stored on the ipod.  I have attempted to make new playlists and they seem to work fine on the computer (as long as it is connected to the ipod) but multiple attempts to synchronise  Music Bee library with the ipod have had no effect whatever. Nothing detectable happens. The new playlists are not on the ipod and the music library is not on the computer (although it sometimes appears to be).

I've been trying different ways to get around this problem for a couple of years noe but with no success.   Does anybody have any suggestions?

Thanks

PETER GARDNER
Title: Re: Problems with ipod Classic
Post by: psychoadept on November 08, 2019, 06:46:55 AM
Hi, welcome to the forum!

Yes, unless you actually move/copy your files to your computer (which I would recommend doing, see below), MusicBee can't access them if the device isn't connected.

I think your best bet is to put the music on your computer and use MusicBee to organize it there. Part of the problem is probably that you already have your files on the same device you're trying to sync to. It's likely to work better if you sync from the computer to your device.

Someone who has actually synced iPod Classics may have more advice about playlists and such.
Title: Re: Problems with ipod Classic
Post by: hiccup on November 08, 2019, 03:53:28 PM
Does anybody have any suggestions?

I have one that you may not want to hear ;-)

Have you tried MediaMonkey?
In lot's of ways it is similar to MusicBee, except for MediaMonkey having a team of developers and (for as far as I know) ongoing development with regards to keep iStuff working and syncing.

Unless some talented coder volunteers to create (and more importantly, maintain) some iPlugin for MusicBee, you are either out of luck, or need to do searching the forum for older tips and tricks or workarounds that may or may not work for your device.
Title: Re: Problems with ipod Classic
Post by: phred on November 08, 2019, 06:51:36 PM
Someone who has actually synced iPod Classics may have more advice about playlists and such.
Before you abandon all hope and try hiccup's suggestion about using MediaMonkey, you might want to take a look at these two threads.

How to sync MB library/playlists to iPod Classic WITHOUT using iTunes
https://getmusicbee.com/forum/index.php?topic=18506.0

How to sync MB library/playlists to iPod/iPhone using iTunes
https://getmusicbee.com/forum/index.php?topic=13748.0

The first one, written in 2016, requires the use of an old version of itunes just once - to reset the classic to its original firmware.
The second uses itunes, but was written in 2014 and may not work at all now.
Title: Re: Problems with ipod Classic
Post by: Redcraze on November 08, 2019, 09:06:33 PM
Thanks to everybody.  I have tried the two existing links (with iTunes and without ITunes) but had no luck. I tried Media Monkey the other day but no success there either. I might just have to resign myself to the fact that it isn't possible to do what I want. But I do appreciate your responses.

Regards

Peter Gardner
Title: Re: Problems with ipod Classic
Post by: SkyZippr on November 10, 2019, 12:43:05 AM
I can't use iTunes because it will delete those tracks that I didn't buy from Apple.

I don't quite understand this part. I used to use iPod nano with iTunes a very long time ago, and I've never bought anything from Apple's iTunes store. iTunes was fine with it; it never deleted any tracks.
As long as you have the same music library on your computer, iTunes should be able to manage it with no problem at all.

If you're trying to manage a library that is only in your iPod but not on your computer, it's best to backup that library onto you computer first.
Google "backup ipod to computer" and you'll get a few options. I've never used any of them before, but they may be worth trying.