Though Apple iPods have a user-friendly interface, most models are not designed to delete music directly from the device. However Herculean it may seem, the methods to do so are extremely simple. We have compiled the instructions on how to delete songs from an iPod.
Quick Tip!
If you wish to remove a song from your iPod but not from your iTunes library, then sync only the selected song.
There are many different types of Apple iPods: iPod Classic, iPod Nano, iPod Shuffle, and the iPod Touch. The storage capacity of these devices may vary from 512 MB to 64 GB, and can easily store from 120 to 40,000 songs, depending upon the model. With so much storage at your disposal, you can now easily add your favorite songs, create playlists, and listen to them. But what if your iPod is out of space, and you wish to make new additions to your favorite playlists? The only solution is to delete some tracks which are unnecessarily occupying memory space (or those songs which you do want to listen to anymore).
You can directly delete songs from your iPod Touch; however, there is no such provision in the other iPod models. They are heavily dependent on the computer to do this job, which can be done in two ways: manual deletion and automatic deletion. In the following sections, we will discuss the different methods (including direct deletion) that can be used to delete audio files from your iPod.
Method #1: Manual Deletion
This method will delete a song from the iPod but not from the computer. This means that, any file deleted from your iPod’s hard drive will be retained in your iTunes library folder.
Step 1: Connect your iPod to your computer with the dock cable.
Step 2: Double-click on the iTunes application icon to launch iTunes.
Step 3: Go to ‘Devices’ on the far left column on your screen and click on the iPod’s name from the list. (In iTunes 11.0, you will find it on the top right corner of the screen.)
Step 4: Go to the ‘Options’ menu and select the ‘Manually manage music’ option. Click ‘OK’ to confirm your choice.
Step 5: Click on the triangle next to your iPod’s icon to see the contents of the iPod.
Step 6: Select the songs you want to delete from the list and right click on it, then click ‘Delete’ from the drop-down menu that appears, or simply hit the ‘Delete’ key to delete your song.
Step 7: When you’re finished deleting the songs, click the ‘Sync’ button, and then unplug your iPod.
Method #2: Automatic Deletion
This method will permanently delete the audio files from your iTunes library.
Step 1: Double-click on the iTunes application icon to launch iTunes on your computer.
Step 2: Select ‘Music’ from the ‘Library’ menu. The entire iTunes music library will appear in the pane.
Step 3: Click on a song to select it in the pane, and click ‘Delete’ to delete the song. Note that this will permanently delete the song from your iTunes library.
Step 4: Connect your iPod to the computer using the dock cable. iTunes will automatically sync your iPod to match the changes that have been made in your iTunes library.
Direct Deletion for iPod Touch
This method will delete the songs from the device only.
Step 1: Open the ‘Music’ app on iPod Touch.
Step 2: Choose the ‘Songs’ tab.
Step 3: Locate the song you would like to remove from the device.
Step 4: Slide over that song to display a red ‘Delete’ button. Tap the button to remove the song.
The aforementioned steps are quite easy to follow. However, it would also be a good idea to check out your iPod’s user manual once before proceeding to free its memory space.