How To Import CDs to iTunes and iPod

by Collin Hilder  |  June 3, 2008

We all know CDs are good enough to listen to when at home, or in the proximity of a media system, so it would be rather inconvenient to carry around your PC in order to listen for your favorite songs. iPods are really a must have when it comes to enjoying hours of music, so here is how you can import audio files from CDs to iTunes and then have them transfered onto your iPod.

A few things to keep in mind when starting to import songs from CDs into your computer. The process is generally called ripping, and it refferes to copying audio files from a CD to any kind of operating system. Some CDs are copy right protected, through an encryption method justified as digital rights management. This type of encryption method prevents CDs to be ripped off that easily, or maybe not at all. This is rather a controversial strategy used by record companies to stop the illegal distribution of music and it is not quite sure right now if the method will be maintained in the future. For now, the present article talks only about ripping CDs that are not under digital rights management.

Steps:

You need to be connected to the Internet, and iTunes should be opened.

Insert the CD you want to import in the CD/DVD tray of the computer.

After a few moments, the computer will display on the screen an iTunes window with the CD name, artist name and song titles, provided that you are properly connected to the Internet. If the window fails to appear, re-check if you are connected to the Internet and then eject and re-insert the CD.

1. The "Import" button – You have to look for a button that reads "Import", in the bottom right-hand corner of the iTunes window. Click that to import the songs from the CD into the iTunes library.
2. Waiting for songs to import – After clicking the "Import" button, the songs will be imported into iTunes. This may take several moments so you need to wait. A progress bar will be displayed in the box at the top of the iTunes window showing how far the importing has gone. Songs that have finished importing will have a green checkmark next to them, while those that are currently being imported have an orange wavy line next to them.
3. All songs imported – You can tell when all songs have been imported when the computer will make a chime sound and all songs have a green checkmark next to them.
4. iTunes Library – Go check the iTunes library to find the newly imported CD.
5. Adding songs to iPod – The songs will be added to the iPod, the next time it will be synced with the computer.
6. Just enjoy your favorite music on the go!

Related articles:

How To Play Music & Video on Your iPod
How To Use the Screen Lock
How To Replace An iPod Battery
How To: Customize the iPod menu on iPhone
How To: Save storage space on iPhone using Smart Playlists
How To Fully Benefit from iTunes Preferences
How To safely Backup your iPod and iPhone

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