Put Free Music on an iPod

The fact that you did not purchase a song from iTunes does not mean that it cannot be added to your iTunes and ipod. iTunes lets you add CDs and mp3s that you may have received for free. iTunes does not care how you received the music. Below are instructions for adding music from a CD or from files already located on your computer. The first section covers importing from a CD; the second section shows how to add files from your computer.

Music From a CD

Locate a CD that you wish to add to your ipod. Open iTunes. Place the CD into the computer's DVD or CD drive and wait till the contents of the CD are shown in the iTunes window.

Locate the "Import CD" button in the lower right portion of the screen. Click the "Import CD" button if you wish to import the entire CD. If you want to import only a few songs, uncheck the box next to any songs you do not want, then hit the "Import CD" button.

Monitor the progress of the import by watching the progress bar. iTunes will show how much time is left until import is complete. If the computer is connected to the Internet, iTunes will identify each artist and song name. Connect your ipod to iTunes after music has been added, and iTunes will automatically add the new music to your ipod (if your ipod is set to sync automatically; otherwise add the new music manually).

Music From Your Computer

Locate the free music on your computer, using Windows Explorer (PC) or Finder (Mac). Ensure that iTunes is open and ready to go.

Locate the "File" drop-down menu in the upper left part of the screen. Choose the "Add to Library" option (Mac) or "Add File to Library" or "Add Folder to Library" (PC).

Locate the files you wish to add and click "OK." Connect the ipod to the computer after songs have been added to iTunes. iTunes will automatically add the new songs to the ipod's contents (if it's set that way). Eject the ipod from the computer and enjoy your new songs.