How to Transfer Music from External Hard Drive to iPhone with/without iTunes?
"Is there a way to transfer MP3 music that I have saved on an external hard drive to Music on my iPhone 15? In the transfer process to the new phone I lost a significant percentage of my music and some with foreign language custom lyrics."
- From Apple Support Community
Saving your music on an external hard drive is a smart way to keep it safe. If your computer crashes, you don't have to worry about losing your songs forever. Plus, it helps free up space on your computer for other important files and apps. However, transferring music from an external hard drive to your iPhone can be cumbersome and take a lot of time. Luckily, we've gathered several effective ways that will allow you to quickly and easily move songs from an external hard drive to your iPhone without the usual frustration.
Part 1: Transfer Music from External Hard Drive to iPhone with iTunes
If you want to move songs from an external hard drive to your iPhone, you can use iTunes. Just follow these steps:
- Plug your external hard drive and iPhone into your computer, then open iTunes. Make sure you have the latest version installed.
- Click on the iPhone icon in iTunes, go to the "Summary" tab, and uncheck "Automatically sync when this iPhone is connected." Then, check the box for "Manually manage music and videos" and click "Apply".
- Click "File" in the top menu, select "Add File to Library", and choose the songs from your external hard drive that you want to transfer.
- Click on "Music" under "Settings" in iTunes, check "Sync Music", and decide whether you want to sync your entire library or only selected playlists, artists, albums, or genres.
- Click "Apply", then "Sync", and wait for the process to finish. Once done, the songs will be available on your iPhone. (How to copy Music from iTunes to iPhone without Syncing?)
Part 2: Transfer Music from External Hard Drive to iPhone without iTunes
If you haven't tried iOS Transfer yet, you're missing out! It's a handy iTunes alternative tool for managing your iPhone, iPad, or iPod without the hassle of iTunes. With this software, you can easily move songs between your iPhone and an external hard drive without worrying about compatibility issues. Plus, it's way simpler than using iTunes. In just three quick steps, you're good to go!
Why we choose the iOS Transfer:
- Transfer music from external hard drive to iPhone, and vice versa (Transfer Music from iPhone to External Hard Drive).
- Support transferring 10+ types of data, including videos, photos, music, contacts, text messages,notes, calendars and more.
- Copy data between two iOS devices and sync data from iPhone, iPad and iPod to iTunes.
- Allows you to preview data and files before selecting which to transfer.
- It is compatible with all iPhone models, such as iPhone 16/15/14/13/12/11/X/8/7/6, etc.
- 100% Safe & Easy to use, and perfectly works on both Windows and Mac machines.
Steps to transfer music from external hard drive to iPhone without iTunes
Step 1. Launch iOS Transfer and plug in your iPhone and external hard drive. When your iPhone is detected by the program, you'll see an interface like below:
Step 2. Click "Music" on the left side menu, and you will enter the music management screen. Turn to the top menu to click the "+" button followed by "Add File" or "Add Folder" to select the music files you want to transfer from external hard drive to your iPhone.
Step 3. Check the songs you need and click "Open" to start transferring music from external hard drive to iPhone. When it has done, you can navigate to the Music app on your iPhone to check and enjoy the transferred music.
Check If You Need:
Part 3: Why Isn't iTunes the Good Way to Transfer Music?
If you need to transfer music from an external drive to your iPhone, using iTunes may not be the best choice. Here are the reasons why iOS Transfer is a better choice:
- No risk of losing songs: When you sync music with iTunes, it replaces the existing library on your iPhone. If the songs on your iPhone don't match the ones in iTunes, some tracks may be deleted.
- No extra steps required: iTunes requires you to add songs to its library before transferring them to your iPhone. With iOS Transfer, you can skip this step and transfer music directly from an external drive.
- No extra storage required: Since iTunes requires the music to be stored on your computer first, you need enough free space. iOS Transfer lets you transfer files without taking up extra storage space.
- Better control over your music: iTunes doesn't allow you to extract individual songs from your iPhone. iOS Transfer gives you total freedom to transfer, manage, and organize your music the way you like.
In short, iOS Transfer makes music transfer faster, easier, and more flexible than iTunes.
Check If You Need:
The Bottom Line
If you're looking for an easy way to transfer music from an external hard drive to your iPhone or iPad without using iTunes, iOS Transfer is a great choice. It allows you to add songs to Apple Music right on your device without losing any data. Plus, it's not just for music - it also helps you manage videos, photos, contacts, and messages, letting you organize your files with ease. Try iOS Transfer today and experience all its features!
Related Articles:
Easy Solutions to Transfer Music from iPhone to iCloud for Backup
6 Ways to Transfer Music from Android to iPhone 16/15/14
