Thread: Synchronizing your songs using Songbird

Instead of iTunes, the functionally overloaded service that is also closely knit with the e-shop, you might like to tryout the freeware music player Songbird. And naturally, you can also try to manage your iPod with it.

Other than listening to music you can also use Songbird to sync your iPod. First of all however, you must loosen its fixed connection with iTunes. For that, connect your iPod to the computer, start iTunes and synchronize the player with the software. Then click program on the iPod symbol and switch to the 'Overview' tab. Deactivate the option 'Open iTunes, when this iPod is connected' and select 'Activate connection as hard disk'. In order to be able to use the iPod with both programs later, you must also have the option 'Manage manually' activated. Then click on 'Apply'. After that, close iTunes and install the media player Songbird from the DVD with the issue. On starting, select the language as 'English' and click 'Continue'. In the following dialog 'Import media' leave the 'Search in directories' selected, navigate to the music folder and click 'Continue'. Confirm the installation of recommended add-ons with 'Continue'.

For Songbird to support iPod, you must install an additional add-on. For that, click on the left side of the page on 'Songbird Add-ons' and in the following website, under the link 'Playback & Management'. In the next listing, click to the left of 'iPod Device Support' on the 'Install' symbol. Confirm the installation with a click on 'Install now' and then finally, restart Songbird. But be careful: do not use an older version of the add-on, since this might delete data from your iPod! Now connect the iPod and wait for the automatic installation of the device in Songbird. Further operation is similar to that of iTunes. Data between Songbird and iPod can be exchanged using drag & drop or through the context command 'Add to device'.

If you wish to use the automatic synchronization of the iPod, you must choose between one of the two media players - iTunes or Songbird - or else both programs try to completely overwrite the contents of the iPod in case of a switch .