How to manage an iPod classic on a Mac in 2026
iTunes is gone, but the iPod classic still works with a current Mac. Here are the six ways to put music on it and look after it, what each one is good at, and where each one stops.
I make Clickwill, one of the apps below, so keep that in mind. I've tried to describe every option the way its own makers do. Last checked 4 October 2026.
If your music lives in the Music app and you just want it on the iPod, use Finder: it's built in. If you want to change what's already on the iPod, like album order, covers, titles or FLAC files, you need a separate app. Clickwill edits the iPod's own library on the Mac, Swinsian and iOpenPod sync from a library on your computer, WALTR PRO copies files over, and Rockbox replaces the iPod's software.
The options at a glance
| Option | How it works | Best for | Cost | Runs on |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Finder and Music | Syncs songs from the Music app to the iPod | A library you already keep in Music | Built into macOS | Mac |
| Clickwill | Opens the library on the iPod and edits it there | Fixing and arranging what's on the iPod, FLAC, CDs | Free alpha | Mac, macOS 26 or later |
| Swinsian | Music player that syncs to classic iPods | Replacing the Music app as your player | Paid, free trial | Mac |
| iOpenPod | Open source sync tool with its own library | Linux and Windows, podcasts, video | Free, open source | Mac, Windows, Linux |
| WALTR PRO | Drag files onto the window to copy them over | Quick one-off transfers | Paid, free trial | Mac, Windows |
| Rockbox | Replaces the iPod's software; you copy folders | Tinkerers who want a different player | Free, open source | Installed on the iPod |
Finder and Music: Apple's way
Since macOS Catalina, iPod syncing lives in Finder. Connect the iPod, click it in the Finder sidebar, choose what to sync from your Music library, and click Sync. You can also turn on manual management and drag songs onto it.
- Good: nothing to install, and play counts and ratings sync back to Music.
- Limits: the music has to be in your Music library and stored on the Mac. Songs from an Apple Music subscription can't go on an iPod classic. Music can't play FLAC, so FLAC files have to be converted first. There's no way to change the album order the iPod shows, and fixing a cover or a title means fixing it in Music and syncing again.
- On macOS Tahoe: some people report that the sync settings won't open for an iPod classic, and Apple Community members suggest right-clicking the iPod in Finder and choosing Sync. Apple Community thread.
Clickwill: edit the iPod itself
Clickwill is my app. Instead of keeping a library on the Mac and syncing it, it opens the library that's already on the iPod, so what you see is what's on the device. You make changes, they wait as pending changes, and nothing touches the iPod until you choose Write to iPod. A backup is taken before every write.
- Good: drag albums into the order you want, with a preview of the iPod's Albums menu. Change covers, titles, album artist and year. Add songs from files, including FLAC and hi-res, which are converted when added. Import CDs without Music. Albums already on the iPod are recognized, so you don't get duplicates.
- Limits: no playlists yet, and no video, photos or podcasts. It edits the iPod classic; other iPods open read-only for now. Needs macOS 26 or later. It's an alpha.
Guides: put songs on an iPod classic, manage songs on the iPod, put a CD on an iPod without iTunes.
Swinsian and iOpenPod: sync from your own library
Both work like iTunes used to: you keep a library on the computer and send it to the iPod.
- Swinsian is a music player for the Mac that plays FLAC and many other formats. Its FAQ says classic iPods are supported, including the iPod mini, iPod shuffle, iPod with video and older iPod nanos, and that the iPod needs disk use turned on first. Swinsian FAQ.
- iOpenPod is a free, open source sync tool for Linux, macOS and Windows. It converts FLAC to Apple Lossless, edits song details in the iPod's database and syncs podcasts, video and photos. iOpenPod on GitHub.
WALTR PRO: copy files over
WALTR PRO from Softorino copies files you drag onto its window to iPhones, iPads and iPods, including the iPod classic, converting formats as needed. It's built for transfer rather than for arranging the library already on the iPod. WALTR PRO.
Rockbox: replace the iPod's software
Rockbox is open source firmware you install on the iPod. It plays FLAC and many other formats directly, and you add music by copying folders, with no database to sync. The trade-off is that you leave Apple's interface behind, Cover Flow included, and installing it takes some care. If you like the iPod the way Apple made it, you don't need Rockbox: the apps above all work with the original software. More in Do you need Rockbox on your iPod classic?
Which one should you use?
- Your music is in Music and you just want it on the iPod: Finder.
- You want albums in your order, the right covers, or FLAC on the iPod, without Music: Clickwill.
- You want a new music player for the Mac that also syncs: Swinsian.
- You're on Windows or Linux, or you sync podcasts and video: iOpenPod.
- You just need to copy a few files once: WALTR PRO.
- You want a different player on the iPod itself: Rockbox.
One thing that applies to all of them
If you manage the iPod with anything other than Finder, keep the Music app closed while the iPod is connected. When Music opens with an iPod connected, it can rebuild the iPod's menus, and the album and song order you set somewhere else can be reset.
Questions
Can I still use an iPod classic with a Mac in 2026?
Yes. macOS 26 still recognizes the iPod classic. Finder can sync it from the Music app, and apps like Clickwill, Swinsian, iOpenPod and WALTR PRO can put music on it without Music.
Is there an iTunes for the iPod classic on a new Mac?
iTunes is gone from current Macs. Its iPod sync moved to Finder, which syncs from the Music app. For the rest of what iTunes did, like editing the iPod's albums, covers and order, you need a separate app such as Clickwill.
Can I put FLAC on an iPod classic from a Mac?
Not with Finder and Music, because Music can't play FLAC. Clickwill and iOpenPod convert FLAC to Apple Lossless when they add it to the iPod. Rockbox plays FLAC directly but replaces the iPod's software.
How do I change the album order on an iPod classic?
The iPod sorts albums by the names stored in its library, and Finder and Music offer no way to change that order. Clickwill lets you drag albums into the order you want, with a preview of the iPod's Albums menu, and writes that order to the iPod.