by Gavin Wyatt

Created on: October 20, 2009

There are a few ways to put music on an IPod, and the easiest by far, is to download music directly from ITunes. The music is downloaded directly into the ITunes library. No matter what site is used, the music just needs to be saved somewhere on the computer. It can then be imported into ITunes. This is how downloading music for your iPod can be accomplished. It is a very easy process, and it can be quite addicting!

Plug the IPod into my USB port, insert the ITunes disc, and ITunes loads. The IPod will be shown in the left hand box on ITunes is opened. The music that is being added will show itself in the large middle box. It will be sorted by name, artist, genre, or any other classification that you choose. Continue to add music and once you are satisfied with the way they are sorted, update the IPod, and all of the music will be placed on the IPod in the same way it is shown on ITunes.

Downloading is extremely easy and effortless causing some to spend hundreds of dollars on music at ITunes.com! Instead of delaying gratification with a shiny new disc in the mail, one click of the mouse and within minutes or seconds, the song is downloaded. ITunes is directly connected to the Apple online store where you can purchase and download music. The ITunes data base is gigantic and very organized. The music shoots directly into your library. To purchase music, search the music, audio book, or movie that you want to buy, and press the purchase button. ITunes will take you through the billing process, and it is instantly downloading. Albums are pretty reasonable from $10.99-$14.99. Single Songs cost about a dollar.

Amazon.com has a lot of selection and the pricing is comparable. Amazon also does free songs samplers and downloads. One of my favorite ways of purchasing Amazon.com merchandise is to buy used - like new items. This is another good way to get music from Amazon, and you might be able to find an older cd for $2-4 dollars. The discs could then be burned onto your ITunes library, and then thrown into the fireplace, because who needs all of those plastic album covers piling up to the ceiling! Never mind! Do not burn plastic.

Limewire.com is a file sharing site. I have used this site in the past to find songs, and depending on who you were downloading them from would determine how long the process lasted. Cd's would then need to be put together in ITunes because album artwork and information had to be manually inserted. Be warned, the Limewire waters are dangerous waters! This site is the same as any other bit torrent, file sharing site. It is unreliable, but completely free. I would put your virus protection on high alert. "Making" a cd takes between 1-2 hours to put together, so be patient!

When moving downloaded music into ITunes, select import and just highlight the files. The files will be brought into ITunes. To avoid having files saved in multiple places, I would download to the same file (for easy find and delete), and after the songs were imported, I would use the "consolidate my library" option. This option makes a copy of the file so that the file will be in the ITunes folder, and not somewhere randomly in the computer draining your memory. ITunes has truly made it easy to have all of your music in one place. Downloading has become the easiest purchase to make in music.

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