How to Use iTunes

Click here to add music to your iTunes library.
Click here to play music from your library.
Click here to learn how to create playlists.
Click here to learn how to burn music from your library to a CD

EditAdding Music to Your iTunes Library

1. 1
   Click the File menu.
   • If you are using Windows, press ⎇ Alt to display the menubar.
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2. 2
   Click "Add to Library" (OS X) or "Add File/Folder to Library" (Windows).
3. 3
   Browse for the files you want to add.
   • You can add music, video, and audio book files.
   • You can also drag and drop files into your iTunes window.
4. 4
   Import music from a CD. You can copy the music from your Audio CDs into your iTunes library.
   • Insert a music CD into your computer's disc drive.
   • Click the CD button at the top of the window if it doesn't open automatically.
   • Uncheck any tracks you don't want to import.
   • Click the "Import CD" button in the upper-right corner of the window.
   • Wait for the songs to copy.
5. 5
   Purchase songs from the iTunes Store. Any songs you purchase from the iTunes Store will be added to your library. Click here for instructions.

EditPlaying Music

1. 1
   Click the Music button to open your library. This can typically be found in the upper-left corner of the window.
2. 2
   Change the view by using the drop-down menu in the upper-right corner. You can switch between Albums, Artists, Songs, Composers, and Genres. You can also change your sorting preferences.
3. 3
   Click the Playlists tab to view your playlists. Click here for details on creating playlists.
4. 4
   Double-click anything in your library to start playing it. When you double-click an album or artist, the first track in that list will begin.
   • Single-click and album or artist to see all of the tracks in that list.
5. 5
   Shuffle your music. Click the Shuffle button next to the current album art to randomize the songs that are played.
   • Unchecking songs in the "Songs" view will keep them from being shuffled.
6. 6
   Control playback using the buttons in the upper-left corner. You can pause and move to the previous or next track.
7. 7
   See what's up next by clicking the List button to the right of the currently playing track.

EditCreating Playlists

1. 1
   Open your Music library and click the Playlists tab. Playlists are very useful in iTunes, as they allow you to quickly sync the music you want to your device as well as easily burn CDs.
2. 2
   Click the "+" button at the bottom of the left sidebar.
3. 3
   Select "New Playlist".
4. 4
   Give your new playlist a name.
5. 5
   Click .Add To... to start adding songs.
6. 6
   Click and drag albums, artists, or individual songs into the sidebar on the right. Use the drop-down menu to change your Library view.
7. 7
   Click .Done when you're finished adding items.

EditBurning CDs

1. 1
   Insert a blank CD-R into your computer's disc drive.
2. 2
   Create a playlist of the music you want to burn. Make sure that the length of the playlist doesn't exceed the maximum length of the CD (usually 74-80 minutes). Any songs that go beyond the limit will be readied for a second disc.
3. 3
   Right-click on your playlist and select "Burn Playlist to Disc".
4. 4
   Set your burn settings.
   • You can change the burn speed if maximum speed slows your computer down.
   • You can change the gap between tracks using the drop-down menu.
   • You can switch to a Data or MP3 CD. This will let you store more music, but can't be played in most CD players.
5. 5
   Click .Burn to start burning the playlist.

Click here to learn how to sync content between your computer and iOS devices.
Click here if you need to backup or restore your iOS device.
Click here to update your device using iTunes.
Click here if you want to transfer your content from an old iOS device to a new one.

EditSyncing Your Media

1. 1
   Connect your iOS device using its USB charging cable.
   • If you are connecting to a Windows PC for the first time, tap the "Trust" button that appears on your iOS device's screen.
2. 2
   Open iTunes if it isn't open already.
3. 3
   Click the button for your device that appears in the top menu. Your device's Summary page will be shown.
4. 4
   Click the Music tab in the left sidebar. This will let you select what music from your computer you want to sync to your device.
   • You can sync all of the music in your library, or you can pick specific artists, albums, playlists, or genres.
   • If you don't want to sync any music, uncheck the "Sync Music" box at the top of the page.
5. 5
   Sync additional types of content. If you have other types of content in your library, you can select tabs from the left sidebar and choose what you want synced. The process works much the same way that Music syncing does.
   • You can sync Apps, Movies, TV Shows, Podcasts, iTunes U (online courses), Books, Tones (ringtones), Photos, and Info (Contacts and calendars).
   • These tabs will not appear if you don't have any matching content on your computer.
6. 6
   Click the "On Your Device" tab to see what's currently on your device. This is useful if you've added content from another computer that's not currently in your library.
7. 7
   Use the bar at the bottom to monitor your device's remaining free space. You can hover your cursor over each section of the bar to see details about each type of media.
8. 8
   Click the .Sync button to sync your selected content to your device.
   • Syncing will remove content on your device that was not set to be synced.

EditBacking Up and Restoring

1. 1
   Connect your iOS device using its USB charging cable.
2. 2
   Click the button for your device that appears in the top menu. Your device's Summary page will be shown.
3. 3
   Select your backup location. You can either backup to iCloud or to your computer. You only get 5 GB free storage on iCloud, so backing up to "This computer" will help you save it for other things.
4. 4
   Check the "Encrypt iPhone/iPad/iPod backup" box to encrypt your backup files. This will save your stored passwords.
5. 5
   Click .Back Up Now to begin the backup process. You can monitor the progress by looking at the status bar at the top of the iTunes window.
   • The backup process may take a few minutes to complete.
6. 6
   Click .Restore Backup... to restore your device from a saved backup. This is useful if something has gone wrong with your device. You will lose any changes made between the time the backup was created and now.

EditUpdating iOS

1. 1
   Connect your iOS device using its USB charging cable.
2. 2
   Click the button for your device that appears in the top menu. Your device's Summary page will be shown.
3. 3
   Backup your device before updating. This will allow you to restore your phone in case something goes wrong during the update process. Click here for detailed backup instructions.
4. 4
   Click the .Update button.
5. 5
   Click .Download and Update if update files are found. If you just want to download the update to install later, click Download Only.
   • The download progress for the update files can be monitored using the status bar at the top of the iTunes window.
6. 6
   Enter your iOS device's passcode (if necessary). If you device is locked, you will be prompted to unlock it before proceeding.
7. 7
   Wait for the update to complete. The update process will usually take about 20-30 minutes. Your device will reboot several times during the update.
8. 8
   Complete the setup process on your device (if necessary). For large updates, you may need to complete the setup process on your device. For smaller updates, your device will be ready to use as soon as the update is complete.
   • Your apps, files, and settings will remain unchanged.

EditTransferring Content from an Old Device to a New One

1. 1
   Backup your old device using iTunes. Click here for detailed instructions.
   • Encrypting the backup will allow you to transfer your saved passwords.
2. 2
   Click File → Devices. Select Transfer Purchases from [Device]. This will transfer your purchased content from your device to your computer.
   • If you don't see the File menu, press ⎇ Alt.
3. 3
   Sync your content. Any content on your device that's not on your computer will be transferred over. Click here for detailed instructions.
4. 4
   Setup your new device. Start the setup assistant on your new device. This includes setting your language settings and selecting a Wi-Fi network.
5. 5
   Tap "Restore from iTunes Backup".
6. 6
   Connect your new device to your computer. Make sure it's the same computer you backed up the old device on.
7. 7
   Select your old backup when prompted in iTunes. Your new device will be restored using your backup. If your backup was encrypted, all of your saved passwords will be transferred.
8. 8
   Sync your content. Your backup does not contain any of your media files. iTunes will automatically start syncing based on the syncing rules you set earlier.

Click here if you need to sign in or create a new Apple ID. This is required to make purchases, even free ones.
Click here to learn how to purchase content from the iTunes Store.
Click here if you're interested in the iTunes Match service.

EditSigning In or Creating an Apple ID

1. 1
   Click the Store menu. If you don't see the menubar, press ⎇ Alt. In order to purchase content from the iTunes Store, you will need to be signed in with a free Apple ID.
2. 2
   Select "Sign In" if you have an Apple ID, or "Create Apple ID" if you don't.
   • If you are creating a new Apple ID, you will need to fill out the form, including entering a billing address and payment information.
   • You will need to provide a valid email address when creating an Apple ID. A verification message will be sent to the email address with a link that you will need to click to activate your account.
   • To create an Apple ID without a payment method, click here.
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EditPurchasing Media

1. 1
   Select the store you want to open. The iTunes Store is broken up into departments. These are categorized by the types of content in your library. Click the library button for the type of content you want to shop for.
2. 2
   Click the iTunes Store tab. After selecting your library, click the Store tab to open the iTunes Store.
   • For example, to browse the Music store, click the Music button and then select the iTunes Store tab.
3. 3
   Redeem a gift card. Scroll down to the bottom of the page and click the "Redeem" link. This will allow you to enter your iTunes Gift Card code and apply the balance to your account.
4. 4
   Browse the new and featured releases. The front page of the store will display all of the newest and featured releases. Click anything to see more details.
5. 5
   Search for specific content using the "Search Store" field. This is located in the upper-right corner of the window.
6. 6
   Preview songs. If you're shopping for music, you can listen to previews of most tracks by clicking the play button that appears when you hover over the song.
7. 7
   Click the price or "Free" button to purchase content. Depending on your security settings, you may be prompted to enter your Apple ID password, even if you're logged in.
   • The total will be deducted from your balance if you have redeemed a gift card or charged to your payment method associated with your account.
8. 8
   Wait for your purchases to download. Your newly purchased content will be automatically downloaded to your computer. you can then sync it to your other devices.
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EditUsing iTunes Match

1. 1
   Click the Store menu. If you can't see the menubar, press ⎇ Alt
2. 2
   Select "Turn on iTunes Match". iTunes Match is a service that uploads all of your music to iCloud, allowing you to stream it from any of your devices. Any of your songs that are found in the iTunes Store will be upgraded to higher-quality versions if available.
   • Subscribing to iTunes Match will also remove the ads from iTunes Radio.
3. 3
   Click the "Subscribe" button. iTunes Match currently costs $24.99 USD per year.
4. 4
   Sign in with your Apple ID if you aren't already.
5. 5
   Add a payment method if necessary. You can pay for iTunes Match using your iTunes Store balance, but you still need a valid payment method associated with your account.
6. 6
   Wait for iTunes to scan and upload your songs. This could take a significant amount of time if you have a large library of songs that don't match anything in the Store.
7. 7
   Download music from iCloud. You can stream any of your music after it is uploaded to iTunes Match by simply playing the song. If you want to download the songs to your computer again, click the iCloud button next to the song.
   • If there is no iCloud button, then the song is already downloaded to your computer.
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