# 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](https://classictunes.app/features) is
  for.
- **You use Windows or Linux, or have an iPod touch:** see [Other apps](#other-apps) below. ClassicTunes supports the
  iPod shuffle experimentally; see [Putting music on an iPod shuffle](https://classictunes.app/docs/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](https://classictunes.app/docs/apple-music-on-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](https://classictunes.app/docs/finder-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](https://classictunes.app/docs/preview-sync) shows exactly what a sync will change first, and [snapshots](https://classictunes.app/docs/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](https://classictunes.app/docs/supported-ipods) for every model and
[Getting started](https://classictunes.app/docs/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):

| App | Price | Runs on | Worth knowing |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| iOpenPod | Free, open source | Mac (macOS 12.3 or later), Windows, Linux | Manages your music as folders; needs FFmpeg installed for conversions. A good choice on Windows or Linux. |
| iPod Pro Max | Free, open source | macOS 15 Sequoia or later | Supports the iPod classic experimentally. |
| Clickwill | Free (early version) | macOS 14 Sonoma or later | For the iPod classic. |
| PodCenter | $19.99 | macOS 15 Sequoia or later | Also supports the iPod shuffle (1st and 2nd generation) and the nano 5th generation. |
| Swinsian | $34.95 | Mac | A music player for the Mac that can also sync iPods. |
| iMazing, WALTR PRO | Paid | Mac, Windows | Tools for copying files to iPhones that can also copy music to some iPods; they don't keep a library. |

If something here is out of date, please email [support@classictunes.app](mailto:support@classictunes.app) and we'll
correct it.

## Rockbox

[Rockbox](https://www.rockbox.org) 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](https://classictunes.app/docs/ipod-tools#rockbox).

## 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](https://classictunes.app/docs/supported-ipods).