[4 Ways] How to Transfer Music from iPod to USB Flash Drive

This guide will show you how to transfer music from iPod to USB flash drive. Whether you want to transfer purchased or non-purchased music, you will find a way to do it here.

Lena

By Lena / Updated on April 10, 2023

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Can I transfer music from iPod to USB stick?

The answer is YES! You can transfer music from iPod to USB stick through your computer.

Apple iPod used to be one of the most popular music players. Nowadays, with the increasing power of the iPhone, iPod is being phased out. However, many Apple fans still enjoy the iPod touch because of its superior tone quality.

iPod touch

Are you still going to use your iPod? If so, you may want to transfer music from iPod to USB stick to make more room for new songs. If you don't plan to use your iPod anymore, you may want to transfer music from iPod to USB stick as a backup. In any case, transferring music from iPod to USB flash drive can help you protect your music. Just keep reading to get 4 proven methods.

These 4 methods can help you transfer music in different situations. If you want to preview and select the songs you need and transfer them directly to USB flash drive, then you can refer to Part 3.

Part 1. How to transfer music from iPod to USB flash drive via iTunes

If you just want to transfer purchased songs, then iTunes can do you a favor. However, please note that one iPod can only pair with one iTunes. If you are using a computer other than your own, then you may lose your songs.

Step 1. Turn off auto sync

When auto-sync is enabled, iTunes will automatically sync your iPod media files. To prevent your iPod from syncing from iTunes and thus avoid data loss, you can first turn off the auto-sync feature.

1. Download iTunes from Apple website or Microsoft Store.

2. Don not plug in your iPod and launch iTunes.

3. Click File from the menu bar > Select Preferences.

4. Click Devices > Select Prevent iPods, iPhones, and iPads from syncing automatically.

5. Click OK to save the change.

Turn off auto sync

Step 2. Transfer music from iPod to USB flash drive

Let’s see how to transfer music from iPod to USB flash drive via iTunes.

1. Connect your iPod to computer via the USB cable.

2. Go to Account > Authorization to Authorize This Computer.

3. Click File > Choose Devices > Select Transfer Purchases from [XXX].

Transfer purchases

4. Go to Recently Added to check your songs.

5. Now you can download the songs on computer and copy them to your USB flash drive.

Where Does iTunes Store Music on PC and Mac? You can click Edit > Choose Preferences > Click Advanced to check the location.

Part 2. How to transfer music from iPod to USB flash drive via iCloud

If you have subscribed to Apple Music, then you can take advantage of iCloud to transfer music from iPod touch to USB flash drive. Please make sure you have updated to the latest iOS version.

1. On your iPhone: go to Settings > Music to turn on Sync Library.

2. In iTunes, go to Edit > Preferences... > General > Check the box next to iCloud Music Library to enable it > Click OK to confirm.

Turn on iCloud Music Library

When iCloud Music Library is on, you can easily access all your songs on any device with the same Apple ID. It may take a while to complete the sync. Please make sure you have a good Internet connection. Once you find the songs synced from your iPod, you can download them and copy them to your USB flash drive.

Please note that adjustments you make on any device will occur on all devices. If you've deleted a song from your iPod, it will also disappear from iTunes or your iPhone when iCloud music library is enabled.

Part 3. How to transfer music from iPod to USB flash drive via FoneTool

In addition to iTunes and iCloud, you can use a third-party transfer tool like FoneTool to help you transfer music from iPod touch to USB flash drive. FoneTool is one professional iPod touch/iPhone/iPad data management tool for Windows users, which supports data backup and data transfer.

Here are the things you can do with your iPod touch using FoneTool:

● Transfer music from iPod touch to USB flash drive directly. You don't need to transfer songs to your computer first and then copy them to iPhone, which helps save time.
● Transfer purchased and non-purchased music. You are able to transfer songs downloaded from iTunes/Apple Music and songs downloaded from other sources.
● Transfer all or selected songs. You can preview and select the songs you want to transfer - all songs, playlists you created, or any songs on your iPod touch.
● Complete the transfer on any computer. You can transfer your music on your own or your family’s computer without worrying about data loss due to conflicts.

With a few clicks, music on iPod touch can be transferred to USB flash drive. FoneTool supports all iPod touch models. You can click the download button to get FoneTool and follow the steps below to transfer music from iPod touch to USB flash drive.

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1. Launch iTunes > Connect your iPod touch to computer via the USB cable > Trust the computer.

2. On the home interface, choose Phone Transfer > Move the mouse to iPhone to PC and click Start Transfer.

iPhone to PC

3. FoneTool will list all playlists on your iPod touch. You can select Music to transfer all music files or go to playlist to select the songs you need > Click OK to continue.

Choose songs

4. Click Start Transfer > Select your USB flash drive as the destination on the Transfer Settings window > Finally, click Start Transfer.

Start Transfer

Other features of FoneTool

► It supports data transfer between iPod touch and computer. If needed, you can choose PC to iPhone to transfer songs to iPod touch from computer or USB flash drive.

► It supports data transfer between two iDevices. You can easily transfer music from iPod touch to iPhone.

► It is able to transfer music from one Apple ID to another, which means you can easily share music with family and friends.

► In addition to music, you can transfer photos, videos, contacts and more without effort.

► It also supports data backup. You can help you backup all content on device or only important files.

Part 4. How to transfer music from iPod to USB flash drive via Windows Explorer

How to transfer music from iPod to USB stick if you do not want to install iTunes or any other tools? In this case, you can rely on Windows Explorer to copy music from iPod to USB stick. This is not a bad choice if you want to transfer all of your iPod music.

1. Turn off the auto-sync feature in iTunes. For details, you can refer to Step 1 in Part 1.

2. Plug in your iPod > Go to Windows Explorer to find your iPod > Open your iPod and go to  iPod_Control > Music folder.

3. In the Music folder, you will see many folders named FXX. If you cannot them, you can click View tab and select Hidden items to let them appear.

iPod touch Music folder

4. Now you can copy these folders to your USB stick.

FAQs about transferring music from iPod to USB stick

Q: Can you connect an iPod to a USB and transfer music?

You cannot connect your iPod to a USB directly. You can connect your portable hard drive to iPhone or iPad running on iOS 13/iPadOS 13 via a Lightning to USB adapter.

Q: How to transfer music from iPod to USB stick without computer?

It’s impossible to transfer music from iPod to USB stick without computer. The USB stick can't connect to iPod directly so you need to use a computer to complete the transfer.

Q: How do I transfer music from iPod to USB without iTunes?

You can take advantage of Windows Explorer to transfer all music files. Or you can rely on FoneTool to help you transfer selected songs.

Final words

That’s all about how to transfer music from iPod to USB flash drive. Each method has its advantages and disadvantages and you can choose the one that best meets your needs depending on the situation. If you want to transfer music from iPod touch to USB flash drive directly, then FoneTool is a better choice.