How to Extract Protected Music From an iPod

To combat music piracy and music sharing, songs you purchase from the iTunes Store for your iPod are protected so they can't be played on any computer you connect your iPod to. You can, however, use your iTunes Store account to authorize multiple computers to play your iTunes purchases. When you authorize a computer, it allows you to access your iTunes account from that computer and also transfer your purchased music from your iPod. This works the same with PCs and Macs.

Things You'll Need

• Dock connector-to-USB cable (supplied with iPod)
• iTunes software
• iTunes Store account and password

Instructions

1. Open iTunes on the computer you want to transfer protected iPod music to.

2. Click "Store" in the control menu at the top of the iTunes interface.

3. Scroll down and click the "Authorize Computer" option.

4. Enter your iTunes Store account ID and password in the popup window.

5. Click "Authorize" in the lower right corner of the popup window. This will authorize the computer to play your protected iPod music.

6. Connect your iPod to the computer with the dock connector-to-USB cable

7. Open iTunes on the computer if it doesn't launch automatically when you connect your iPod.

8. Click "File" in the iTunes menu at the top of iTunes.

9. Scroll down and click "Transfer Purchases from iPod." This will transfer your iTunes protected music to the computer.

Tips & Warnings

• You can authorize up to five computers to play your protected iPod music.

• If you have not authorized a computer to play your iTunes purchases, the songs will not play on the computer.

References

• Apple: How to copy purchases between computers