How to Add Songs to iTunes

By: HowStuffWorks.com Contributors  | 
A young girl wearing an earpiece, listening to music.
Adding songs on iTunes is straighforward. Ezra Bailey / Getty Images

You can add songs to your iTunes from many sources, including CDs, a music folder on your computer, or even another Mac computer on the network.

Here's how to copy songs from a CD to iTunes:

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  1. Open the iTunes application.
  2. Insert the CD in the drive. ITunes will retrieve song information from the CD, if you're connected to the Internet. In any case, a message box will open asking if you want to import the CD.
  3. Click Yes to import all of the songs. Click No if you only want to import some of the songs. If you clicked No, clear the check boxes for the songs you don't want.
  4. Click Import CD.
  5. Wait while iTunes imports each song (a progress bar appears at the bottom of the screen) [source: Apple Support].

Here's how to copy songs from a music folder on your computer to iTunes:

  1. Open the iTunes application.
  2. Select File from the toolbar. A drop down menu will appear.
  3. Choose Add to Library (Mac), or either Add File to Library or Add Folder to Library (Windows)
  4. Navigate to the appropriate folder. Select the entire folder or the files you'd like to add to the iTunes library [source: Apple Support].

Here's how to copy songs from one Mac to another on the same network using iTunes 9:

  1. Choose Sharing from the System Preferences menu of the target Mac.
  2. Select File Sharing.
  3. Open a Finder window on the source Mac.
  4. Select the target Mac from the Shared section of the sidebar.
  5. Click the Connect As button.
  6. Log in using the target Mac's user name and password.
  7. Navigate to the source Mac's ~/Music/iTunes/iTunes Media/Automatically Add To iTunes folder.
  8. Select the Automatically Add To iTunes folder.
  9. Press Command-L to create an alias.
  10. Rename the alias folder and drag it from the Finder window. Drop the folder in its new location.
  11. Drag and drop songs onto the source's alias folder to copy them into the Automatically Add To iTunes folder on the target. Note: The first time you drop songs while the target Mac is not connected to the source Mac, you must log in. If you add the password to the Keychain, subsequent logins are automatic [source: Mac|Life]. //]]]]> ]]>

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Add iTunes Music FAQs

How do I add music from my iTunes to my iPhone?
To sync them, connect your phone to your computer with a USB cable or via WiFi. From the iTunes app on your PC, choose an option (Music in this case) from the pop-up menu at the top left, then click Library. In your iTunes library, click Downloaded in the sidebar on the left. Finally, right-click an item, choose Add to Device, then choose your device (your iPhone in this case).
Why can't I add music from my iTunes library to my iPhone?
It's possible you might have not checked the “Music” option while syncing music. Open the iTunes music tab and look into the “Enter Music Library” option. Also check whether you have the "Manually manage music and videos" option enabled in the Summary tab of iTunes.
How do I move my iTunes library to a folder?
In the iTunes app, choose Edit > Preferences > Advanced. Next, click on Change and pick a new location to store your files. Now your imported songs will be stored in a new location.
How do I transfer my music into iTunes?
If you are transferring it from your PC, go to the iTunes app on your PC, choose File > Add File to Library or Add Folder to Library. Locate a file or folder you want and then click Open. The files will be transferred. From a Mac, go to the Music app and choose File > Add To Library or File > Import. Locate a file or folder, then click Open.

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