Syncing an iPod on a Mac in 2026

Every way to get music onto an iPod classic, nano or mini from a modern Mac, from Finder to ClassicTunes and the other apps, and which to choose.

iTunes is gone, but your iPod still works. There are three ways to sync it from a Mac today: Finder, which is built into macOS; an app made for iPods, such as ClassicTunes; or replacing the iPod's software with Rockbox. Here's what each one does, so you can choose.

#The short answer

• Your music is all in the Music app, and Finder sees your iPod: Finder can sync it, for free.
• You want what iTunes did (your own library, podcasts, audiobooks, videos, photos, smart playlists, play counts coming back from the iPod) on any Mac from macOS 12 Monterey on: that's what ClassicTunes is for.
• You use Windows or Linux, or have an iPod touch: see Other apps below. ClassicTunes supports the iPod shuffle experimentally; see Putting music on an iPod shuffle.

#Finder

Since macOS 10.15 Catalina, iPods appear in Finder's sidebar under Locations, and Finder syncs them the way iTunes did, from the Music app's library.

What to know:

• Finder only syncs what's in the Music app. Music from a folder has to be added to the Music app first.
• Apple Music subscription songs can't go on any iPod, because they're copy-protected. See Apple Music songs and your iPod.
• The Music app doesn't play FLAC or Ogg files, so they can't be synced until they're converted.
• Many iPod owners report Finder not seeing their iPod, or syncs that stop partway. See When Finder won't sync your iPod.

#ClassicTunes

ClassicTunes is an independent Mac app that does what iTunes did for click-wheel iPods. It keeps its own library and writes the iPod's database itself, so it doesn't need the Music app or Finder:

• Runs on macOS 12 Monterey and later, on Intel and Apple silicon Macs.
• Syncs music, podcasts, audiobooks with chapters, videos and photos (including the Photos app and iCloud Photos).
• Converts FLAC, Ogg, Opus and other formats as it copies, with nothing else to install.
• Preview Sync shows exactly what a sync will change first, and snapshots put an iPod back as it was.
• Plays, ratings and On-The-Go playlists come back from the iPod at every sync.
• Also syncs Rockbox iPods and other music players, and works with AppleScript and Shortcuts.

It costs $14.99 once, with a 14-day free trial. See Supported iPods for every model and Getting started for your first sync.

#Other apps

Several other apps sync classic iPods. This is what each one's own website says (checked November 2026):

If something here is out of date, please email support@classictunes.app and we'll correct it.

#Rockbox

Rockbox is free, open-source software that replaces the iPod's own. You copy music to it like a USB drive, and it plays formats such as FLAC natively. It loses some of what Apple's software does, such as syncing play counts and ratings back to a library. ClassicTunes supports iPods that run Rockbox, alongside Apple's software or instead of it. See iPod tools.

#Which iPods can still be synced?

Any click-wheel iPod, from the first iPod to the iPod classic, can still be synced from a Mac. The iPod touch syncs only with Finder, like an iPhone. For every model and what it can hold, see Supported iPods.