Guide to iPod syncing

[nohitter151]

I've tried to replicate my guide to Zune syncing with a guide to the iPod sync.

The guide is here.

Post any questions here and I can try to answer them. Also feel free to edit the guide if you spot that something's off or if you have something valuable to add.

[MoDementia]

Thanks Nohitter,

These steps are missing. Important or not?

11. Choose the Syncronization Options tab at the top of the dialogue.
Where it says, "Delete Tracks that aren't in the auto-syncronization list from the device expect folders" Check this box and add the following path in the corresponding blank:
\iPod_Control\Games_RO\

This helps insure that Media Monkey will ignore in all respects any sound files that go with your iPod games (most of these come with lots of 'wav' or 'aiff' sound clips that you'd rather Media Monkey ignore in all respects. Usually it will anyway if the folders are properly hidden....but as you learn more about the iPod and hacking your way around in it...it can accidentally get exposed....so add that path...it'll help avoid problems.

12. Now in this same dialouge, click the top tab "Device Configuration".
Check iTunes style folders (this is optional actually, but I recommend it).


The "Device Configuration" SS you show is missing some options. iPod Classic only?


Not all iPod issues where fixed until 1175, i.e. 1166 maybe a little early?

[nohitter151]

Thanks Nohitter,

These steps are missing. Important or not?

11. Choose the Syncronization Options tab at the top of the dialogue.
Where it says, "Delete Tracks that aren't in the auto-syncronization list from the device expect folders" Check this box and add the following path in the corresponding blank:
\iPod_Control\Games_RO\

This helps insure that Media Monkey will ignore in all respects any sound files that go with your iPod games (most of these come with lots of 'wav' or 'aiff' sound clips that you'd rather Media Monkey ignore in all respects. Usually it will anyway if the folders are properly hidden....but as you learn more about the iPod and hacking your way around in it...it can accidentally get exposed....so add that path...it'll help avoid problems.

Since the guide didn't involve unhiding the iPod_control folder I didn't think it was a necessary step. I also wrote the guide using an iPhone and the games folder isn't an issue for that device. Perhaps its something that could be added, but I don't think the average user will unhide their iPod_control folder.

12. Now in this same dialouge, click the top tab "Device Configuration".
Check iTunes style folders (this is optional actually, but I recommend it).

The "Device Configuration" SS you show is missing some options. iPod Classic only?

I had forgotten that the iPod plugin is different from the iPhone/iTouch plugin. The guide should either add another image for the options in the iPod specific plugin or perhaps a second guide should be written.

Not all iPod issues where fixed until 1175, i.e. 1166 maybe a little early?

You're right, I missed the updates in 1173 for the iPod though I didn't see any iPod related changes in 1175. I think the min recommended version should be whenever MM 3.0.3 finally is released officially.

[MoDementia]

ah yes 1173 sorry

I think the min recommended version should be whenever MM 3.0.3 finally is released officially.

Yep.

What skin did you use for the SSs?
I could change skins, eeewwww , and add the iPod plugin

[nohitter151]

ah yes 1173 sorry

I think the min recommended version should be whenever MM 3.0.3 finally is released officially.

Yep.

What skin did you use for the SSs?
I could change skins, eeewwww , and add the iPod plugin

I used Glided, since its the default skin. Don't worry about it, I added the iPod plugin screenshot.

[MoDementia]

Cool

[aaronw112358]

Hi nohitter. Thanks for your great guide. I do have a question which I've been unable to find an answer to, however.

I'm trying to sync an actual playlist that I created in MM... not the songs of the playlist (I sync all songs to my iPod), but the actual playlist itself. I buy music in sort of batches, and when I'm on the road sometimes I forget what I've bought in the past month, so I have a couple of playlists in MM called 'Feb 2008', 'Jun 2008', etc. However, on my MM (and in your guide on the MMWiki) the option 'copy playlists' is greyed out. Am I missing something here? Thanks for any help you (or anyone else) can offer.

-aw

[nohitter151]

Hi nohitter. Thanks for your great guide. I do have a question which I've been unable to find an answer to, however.

I'm trying to sync an actual playlist that I created in MM... not the songs of the playlist (I sync all songs to my iPod), but the actual playlist itself. I buy music in sort of batches, and when I'm on the road sometimes I forget what I've bought in the past month, so I have a couple of playlists in MM called 'Feb 2008', 'Jun 2008', etc. However, on my MM (and in your guide on the MMWiki) the option 'copy playlists' is greyed out. Am I missing something here? Thanks for any help you (or anyone else) can offer.

-aw

Playlists are copied over on an autosync of the iPod with MM. There is no way to build a playlist with songs that are already on the iPod. What you should do is set up the sync process for an autosync and check off the playlists that you want to sync to the iPod. You have to understand that MediaMonkey is not meant to manage music on an iPod, it is meant to manage music on a computer or network, then copy that music to an iPod.

[AliZ]

Summary tab
... Leave “Manually manage music and videos” checked as below:

This means, the checkbox must be checked. Done

Video tab
Check or uncheck the “Sync TV shows” and “Sync Videos” as you see fit.

I checked "Sync movies" (selected). Done

Result: In the general tab the checkbox "Manually manage music and videos” is unchecked again.

Using iTunes 7.6.2.9 and MM3 3.0.3.1183.
iPod nano (new one with the newest firmware)

Everything works fine (besides my stupid question of excluding mp4 while sync), I only want to ask if this behaviour depends on the new iTunes version and if someone thinks this could be a problem.

AliZ

[cak]

I just bought a 3d gen Shuffle. I can move music onto it with MM (I didn't install iTunes), but the order is not maintained.

That is, I created a playlist in MM, used "Send to" to put it on the iPod. The music is there, but plays back grouped by album rather than in playlist order.

I've probably missed some setting and will go back through this again, but ... hints are welcome.

Thanks,
chris

[SpaceWrangler]

Question - I can't follow this guide for an Ipod shuffle because you can't "manually manage music" in the settings in itunes. What do I do then?

Further, when I go to synch the ipod shuffle to a playlist, MM shows all the songs as being on the ipod shuffle, but when I play the ipod shuffle, there are just a few songs on there out of the 100 or so on the playlist. Thanks for the help.

[nohitter151]

Question - I can't follow this guide for an Ipod shuffle because you can't "manually manage music" in the settings in itunes. What do I do then?

Just skip it. The important thing is that you don't have iTunes opening automatically and syncing right away when the Shuffle is plugged into the computer.

Further, when I go to synch the ipod shuffle to a playlist, MM shows all the songs as being on the ipod shuffle, but when I play the ipod shuffle, there are just a few songs on there out of the 100 or so on the playlist. Thanks for the help.

I'm not sure, I don't have a shuffle so I'm not real familiar with it. Are you using "Send to" or are you doing an "auto-sync" through MM?

[SpaceWrangler]

I tried both "send to" and "auto-sync." Neither worked. In fact, MM has so screwed up my shuffle that I had to reset all the settings on it just to get it to work at all and then go back to itunes to get anything on the shuffle at all. The shuffle still isn't working correctly (no light indicating its on), but I can get it to play the music synced with itunes.

I hope someone knows a solution because otherwise it appears that although I will be able to organize my music better on my computer with MM, it won't be much use if I can't sync. I'll be a little disappointed I dropped the cash for the gold version.

Does it have something to do with the type of files in itunes? Can MM play but not sync AAC files (even if not protected? and what about protected AAC?)?

[nohitter151]

I tried both "send to" and "auto-sync." Neither worked. In fact, MM has so screwed up my shuffle that I had to reset all the settings on it just to get it to work at all and then go back to itunes to get anything on the shuffle at all. The shuffle still isn't working correctly (no light indicating its on), but I can get it to play the music synced with itunes.

I hope someone knows a solution because otherwise it appears that although I will be able to organize my music better on my computer with MM, it won't be much use if I can't sync. I'll be a little disappointed I dropped the cash for the gold version.

Does it have something to do with the type of files in itunes? Can MM play but not sync AAC files (even if not protected? and what about protected AAC?)?

Maybe these articles apply to you:
http://www.mediamonkey.com/support/inde ... &nav=0,1,8
http://www.mediamonkey.com/support/inde ... &nav=0,1,8

[Guest]

Hi I've got an 80gig classic ipod that has only ever been used with media monkey. (i did not configure it with itunes initially.)
Now I'm trying to use it on a mac that has itunes.
Whenever I connect it it asks me to go through a 'setup up ipod' procedure where i have to name it etc. If i continue with this setup procedure will itunes reformat my ipod?

thanks