The iPod Is Back. But How Do You Get Music on It?

The iPod was supposed to be dead.

Apple discontinued the iPod line in 2022, but old models are finding a new audience. Back Market reported a 48% increase in iPod sales in 2025, while younger listeners are embracing dedicated music players as a way to listen without the distractions of a smartphone.

Buying an old iPod is the easy part.

The slightly harder question is: how do you get your music onto it ?

There are three main approaches: use Apple’s traditional syncing tools, replace the original firmware with Rockbox, or use a modern device manager such as iMazing.

Method 1: Use Apple’s Music app or iTunes

If you want to keep everything as Apple intended, start with Apple’s own software.

On Windows, older iPods can be managed with iTunes. On a Mac, iTunes was discontinued in 2019, so you’ll use the Music app instead. You connect the iPod to your computer, add the music you want to your computer’s music library, and then sync that music to the device.

For a straightforward setup, this is still the most obvious option.

How it works

First, connect your iPod to your Mac or Windows PC.

On Windows, open iTunes. On a Mac, open the Music app. If you have music files stored on your computer, add them to your music library by dragging them into the app. You can then select the iPod and choose which music, albums, artists, playlists, or other content you want to sync to it.

If you bought music through iTunes in the past, download the purchased tracks to your computer first, then add them to your library and sync them to the iPod.

The important word here is sync.

Apple’s traditional approach is built around keeping an iPod synchronized with a computer’s music library. That’s convenient if your iPod and computer have always belonged together.

It becomes less convenient when they don’t.

For example, imagine buying a used iPod Classic that already contains hundreds of albums. You connect it to a different computer, but that computer doesn’t contain the same music library. You may not want to replace what’s already on the iPod just to add a few new albums.

That’s where Apple’s traditional workflow starts to feel limiting.

What about Apple Music?

This is an important distinction.

An Apple Music subscription doesn’t mean you can simply sign in and stream Apple Music on any old iPod. Later-generation iPod touch models can run apps and access streaming services, but the classic iPod models, including the Nano, Classic, Shuffle, and earlier models, are designed around locally stored music files.

In other words, if you’re bringing an old iPod back to life, you’ll generally need music files that you can actually transfer to the device.

The advantage

Apple’s method is familiar and doesn’t require another application. If you already maintain a local music library in Apple Music or iTunes, there may be little reason to complicate things.

The downside

The workflow is still based on library synchronization, rather than treating the iPod as an independent music player to which you can selectively add files.

That distinction matters more today because many people buying used iPods aren’t restoring an old setup. They’re introducing an old device to a completely new computer and music library.

Best for: people who already have a well-organized local music library and don’t mind Apple’s traditional syncing workflow.

Method 2: Install Rockbox

If Apple’s software feels too restrictive, the iPod community has another answer: Rockbox.

Rockbox is open-source firmware that replaces the original software on compatible music players. It has been keeping old iPods useful for years, long before the current revival.

And it does much more than simply transfer music.

Rockbox can add support for additional audio formats, more flexible music management, customizable interfaces, and features Apple never included. AP specifically notes that Rockbox can let users manage music without iTunes and support high-resolution lossless audio.

For an enthusiast, that’s a compelling upgrade.

Why Rockbox is different

With the original Apple firmware, you’re working within Apple’s rules.

With Rockbox, you’re effectively turning the iPod into a modern, open music player.

You can manage music more freely, use formats outside the stock firmware’s capabilities, and customize the experience far beyond what Apple originally allowed.

It’s also free.

And if you’ve already upgraded an iPod Classic with flash storage or a larger-capacity replacement drive, Rockbox can make that hardware much more useful.

But there’s a trade-off

Installing Rockbox changes the experience.

One reason people are buying iPod Classics again is the original Apple interface: the click wheel, familiar menus, album artwork, playlists, and the simple way everything fits together.

Rockbox gives you more freedom, but you’re no longer using the iPod exactly as Apple designed it.

That can also matter if you use an iPod with older accessories. Some people specifically want the stock firmware because they like the way their iPod behaves with their car stereo or other Apple-era hardware.

And there is another consideration: Rockbox is an enthusiast project. Installing and configuring it isn’t particularly difficult for someone comfortable with this kind of thing, but it isn’t the most appealing solution if your goal is simply to connect an iPod and start listening.

Best for: enthusiasts who want maximum control, broader audio-format support, customization, and don’t mind modifying the original iPod software.

Method 3: Use iMazing

The third approach sits somewhere between the two.

Instead of accepting Apple’s sync workflow or replacing the iPod’s firmware, you can keep the original Apple software and use a third-party device manager to handle the music.

That’s where iMazing becomes particularly interesting.

iMazing has been an Apple device manager for years, with tools for transferring and managing music, photos, messages, files, backups, and other data on iPhone, iPad, and iPod devices. Its music tools can transfer songs in both directions between Apple devices and a Mac or Windows PC, while preserving library information such as artwork, ratings, play counts, and playlists.

With the latest version 3.6, iMazing added something iPod Classic owners had been asking for: music transfer to legacy iPods.

What makes iMazing different?

The key word here is transfer, not sync.

You can connect an iPod to your Mac or PC and add selected tracks or albums without asking the computer to replace the entire music library.

That is particularly useful for a secondhand iPod.

Maybe it already has music on it.

Maybe you want to add five new albums without touching the other 1,000 songs.

Or maybe the iPod belongs to you but was originally synced with a computer that no longer exists.

Instead of rebuilding everything around a single computer’s library, you can manage the device more selectively.

iMazing’s 3.6 update writes music to the iPod’s native music database, so the original Apple interface remains intact. The company says artwork, metadata, ratings, play counts, and on-the-go playlists are preserved.

The result is essentially the stock iPod experience with a more flexible way to manage its music.

How to transfer music with iMazing

The process is straightforward:

1. Connect your iPod. Connect the iPod to your Mac or Windows PC with a USB cable and launch iMazing. If this is the first time you’ve connected the device, you’ll need to follow the pairing instructions.
2. Select the device. Choose your iPod from the Devices section in iMazing.
3. Open Music. iMazing loads the music and playlists already stored on the iPod.
4. Import your music. Click Import from Folder in the bottom toolbar, and select the folder containing your music. iMazing can also import music stored in subfolders.
5. Transfer the files. iMazing imports the music to the iPod and shows the progress in its Operations window. If it finds duplicate tracks, you can choose whether to cancel the import, keep both copies, or skip the duplicates.

You can also skip the Import from Folder button and simply drag music files from your computer into the Music section in iMazing.

Once the transfer is complete, the music is available through the iPod’s normal Music interface. iMazing’s current documentation lists support for MP3, AAC/M4A, Apple Lossless, AIFF, and WAV files.

What formats can you use?

For a stock iPod Classic, iMazing’s current iPod transfer workflow supports common formats such as MP3, AAC, ALAC, WAV, and AIFF. FLAC isn’t supported by the stock firmware; if your collection is primarily FLAC, you’ll need to convert those files or consider Rockbox instead.

That’s not really an iMazing-specific limitation. The original iPod firmware simply wasn’t designed for today’s broader collection of audio formats.

iMazing is more than an iPod music tool

This is where iMazing becomes more interesting than a simple transfer utility.

If you also own an iPhone or iPad, the same application can manage those devices, too. You can use it for backups, photos, messages, files, music, and other device data, rather than installing a separate utility just for your iPod.

In other words, the iPod feature isn’t really the whole story.

iMazing is an Apple device manager that happens to make an old iPod much easier to live with.

And that makes sense for the current iPod revival. The hardware may be old, but the computers we’re using to manage it aren’t.

Best for: anyone who wants to keep the original iPod firmware and interface but wants more control over how music and other Apple-device data are transferred.

Read our full iMazing review here.

So, which way should you put music on an iPod?

There isn’t one universal answer.

Use Apple’s Music app or iTunes if you already have a clean music library and don’t mind the traditional syncing workflow.

Use Rockbox if you’re an enthusiast who wants to modernize the iPod, support more formats, and customize the experience.

Use iMazing if you want to keep Apple’s original iPod experience but transfer music selectively without tying the device to one computer’s library.

For many people rediscovering an iPod in 2026, that third option may be the sweet spot.

You don’t have to turn the iPod into something new.

You can simply make it easier to use.

The iPod’s biggest feature might be what it doesn’t do

The strange thing about the iPod’s comeback is that its appeal comes from everything Apple removed from it.

No notifications.

No social media.

No browser.

No endless recommendations.

Just your music.

The technology world spent years making digital music more convenient. Streaming gave us millions of songs instantly, while smartphones put almost every service in one pocket.

Now some people are deliberately choosing the opposite: a device that makes them load their own music, choose their own albums, and leave the rest of the internet behind.

Maybe that’s why the iPod feels surprisingly relevant again.

The hardware is old.

The idea isn’t.

Loved the article, share!