On both platforms, click the Devices tab and check the Prevent iPods, iPhones, and iPads from syncing automatically box. Make sure to disconnect all iOS devices from your computer. The method for preventing iTunes from automatically syncing with your iOS device is mostly the same for Windows and Macs running Mojave or earlier: So if you connect an iPod to iTunes, the music on the device will be overwritten with what's in your iTunes library. You cannot download music from an iPod (or iPhone or iPad) into iTunes. When you connect a device to iTunes, the music in your iTunes library is automatically synced to your device. Prevent iTunes From Automatically Syncing With Your Deviceįirst, you'll need to make sure you can transfer the music on your iPod without iTunes erasing it while syncing. Once extracted from the iPod, you can add music to your iTunes library and even sync it with your iPhone. To do so, you just need to consider your iPod as an external drive that you can take music from. If that's the case, grab your old music player, because you can transfer the music from your iPod to your computer. Do you have an old iPod that's sitting around gathering dust? It might still have old music on it that you no longer possess in any other form.