Having music stored on your iPhone can really come in handy when you're stuck in a long queue at the supermarket or trapped on a stalled subway line. It's quick and easy to sync songs from your iTunes library to your iPhone's Music folder. Follow the steps below to learn how to sync your iPhone and start listening to your favorite songs on the go.
Steps
Method 1 of 4: Prepare your Electronic Devices
Step 1. Make sure your computer has a USB 2.0 port and the latest version of iTunes
If you don't have the latest version of iTunes, download it by running a software update check on your computer and following the installation instructions.
You can also download the latest version of iTunes by visiting the Apple website and clicking the "Download Now" button under the "iTunes" tab
Step 2. Make sure your Mac is running on Mac OS X version 10.6 or later
If you have a PC, make sure you are running Windows 7, Windows Vista, or Windows XP Home or Professional with Service Pack 3 or a newer version.
Learn how to update your Mac and PC before continuing
Method 2 of 4: Connect your iPhone
Step 1. Open iTunes on your computer
Do this before connecting your iPhone to avoid recognition problems.
Step 2. Plug the USB cable into a built-in port on your computer
Make sure you are not accidentally using a USB port that is not part of the computer such as a keyboard or external USB hub.
Make sure the other USB devices are not occupying any of the other ports
Step 3. Connect your iPod to the Dock connector of the USB cable
Make sure you are using the Apple Dock Connector with the USB cable that came with your iPhone.
- If your computer has USB ports on the front and back, connect to a port on the back of the computer.
- If iTunes doesn't recognize the iPhone when you connect it, try closing and reopening the program.
- If it still doesn't recognize the iPhone, completely restart your computer and start over.
Method 3 of 4: Synchronize Your Entire Music Library
Step 1. Select your iPhone
Depending on the version of iTunes you have, your mobile will be listed in the left menu under "Devices" or in the upper right corner of the iTunes window.
Step 2. Choose the "Music" tab in the iPhone management screen
The "Music" tab is located directly to the left of the "Summary" tab.
- If you are running iTunes 11, the latest version, first visit the "Summary" page of the iPhone Management screen and click the box that says "Automatically sync when this iPhone is connected" in the "Options" window.
- Be aware that syncing an entire music library will erase the content in the "Music" app on your iPhone and replace it with the content from your iTunes library.
Step 3. Find the "Sync Music" box and click on it so that a blue check mark appears
Once again, this box is located in the "Music" tab of the iPhone management screen. Look at the options under the "Sync Music" box and choose the appropriate function for your purposes.
- To sync your entire music library, choose “All songs and playlists”.
- To sync individual playlists, choose the "Selected playlists" option and choose the playlist you want to sync.
Step 4. Click "Apply" under the sync options at the bottom right
iTunes will automatically sync your iPhone. Whenever you connect iPhone to computer, iTunes should automatically sync all new music to your iPhone from now on. If it doesn't do this automatically, go to the iPhone's "Summary" page and click "Sync" at the bottom right of the screen.
Step 5. Let the iPod finish syncing and then unplug it
Make sure to disconnect the iPhone in iTunes by clicking the eject arrow located to the right of the iPhone name before disconnecting the Dock connector.
Method 4 of 4: Synchronizing a Playlist
Step 1. Create a new playlist in iTunes
The advantage of using a playlist system is that you can manually manage the songs on your iPhone and monitor the storage capacity at the bottom of the screen to not go beyond the content capacity allowed by your iPhone. You can do this by selecting "New Playlist" under the File tab at the top of the screen or by clicking the + sign located at the bottom left of iTunes.
Step 2. Give the playlist an appropriate name, such as "iPhone Music"
This will allow you to remember that this playlist is specific for transferring music to the iPhone.
Step 3. Drag and drop the music from your library to the new playlist
You can always easily delete songs from a playlist without deleting them from your iTunes library.
Step 4. Select the "Music" tab on the iPhone management screen in iTunes
Make sure the "Sync Music" box is checked and then look at the options below.
If you are running iTunes 11, the newest version, first visit the "Summary" page of the iPhone management screen and click the box that reads "Manually manage music and videos" in the "Options" window
Step 5. Choose the "Select Playlists" option located in the "Music" tab
Check the boxes of the playlists you want to sync.
Step 6. Click on "Apply", located at the bottom left of the "Music" tab
Your iPhone should automatically start syncing.
Step 7. If synchronization does not start, go back to the "Summary" tab of the iPhone management screen
Press "Sync" at the bottom left of the screen. Then your iPhone will update and the playlist will be transferred to your phone.
Step 8. Allow the iPhone to completely finish syncing before ejecting it
Advice
- If you want to manually add music to the iPhone, you can drag songs from the iTunes library onto your iPhone icon in the iTunes sidebar.
- If you want to use all the space on your iPhone and fill it with music, check the box next to “Automatically fill free space” with songs on the iTunes Music screen.
