Music Upload

[rob1109]

I have lots of music on my computer, not purchased via ITunes. Is there a way to upload to my IPad 2? Thanks in advance......

 

[idave23]

None of the music on my computer was purchased from iTunes. When I first set up an account for my ipod long ago, all that music migrated into iTunes. Have you set up an iTunes account yet on your PC and if so did your music migrate? If so then when you do the initial sync of your iPad, it'll all transfer. If not then you'll need to transfer all your music into iTunes first.

 

[twerppoet]

There are third party apps that will do this, but I'm unfamiliar with them.

But Apple's solution is to use iTunes. Just open iTunes on the computer and chose Add to Library from the Files menu. Depending on your import settings in preferences it will either leave the music in the original folders while making them available in iTunes, or it will make copies of the music in the iTunes directories and make those available. Either way it will not delete or otherwise change the original folders or the files in them.

I recommend the second options. That way you can choose to move, change, or otherwise fiddle with the original folders without breaking anything in iTunes.

Whenever you get new music, just import it into iTunes, but keep your original files elsewhere and safe, as a good backup.

Once the music is in iTunes it will sync just like music you bought in the iTunes store. You can even use the Advanced menu to try and get album artwork and other metadata to associate with the music.

Extra info:

Come Fall, Apple is introducing iCloud and iOS 5 which will do away with the need to use iTunes on a computer. They will be introducing a Matching service for about $25 a year that will attempt to find your non-iTunes music stored in iTunes to match sync them to the cloud for you. I believe that is good for about 5000 tracks, but the details are still trickling in.

Many interesting things coming that will reduce or eliminate the need to have a computer associated with your iPad. Some of this stuff is coming immediately, but I'm not sure which parts.