Review of iPod Copy, iPod Backup, and iPod Transfer Programs

Song Exporter Pro offers iOS device owners a pretty helpful feature: the ability to copy songs from their device to a desktop computer wirelessly. While it's best used for transferring a small number of files, rather than an entire iTunes library, Song Exporter Pro is worth a look for anyone interested in easy song sharing.

There are so many programs that transfer iPods to computers--and so many are so similar--that making a smart choice can be tough. Luckily, we've tested and ranked more than a dozen of these apps.

If you're a Mac user, why bother sifting through reviews and listings of iPod transfer programs that won't run on your favorite OS? This list contains our top picks for Mac-only programs that will let you transfer the contents of an iPod, iPhone, or iPad to a desktop iTunes library.

There's not much to recommend iPod 2 iPod. It's abominably slow, converts filetypes without asking, loses song names, and doesn't offer common features. To make matters worse, it's the second most-expensive program of its kind that I've tested. Look elsewhere.

ImToo iPod Computer Transfer is speedy and full-featured, but its lack of iPad support and a handful of quirks hold it back from being better.

While TuneAid transfers the contents of iTunes libraries reasonably quickly, it lacks many of the more advanced features common to its competitors.

Bigasoft iPod Transfer isn't an iPod transfer program in the same way as others I've tested. It's more about moving files from an iPod, with iTunes being one of a number of possible destinations. As a result, while it's a solid transfer program, it doesn't offer most of the advanced features its competitors do.

With respect to its speed, iCopyBot is pretty impressive: it moves 2.41 GB of songs to iTunes in 10 minutes. Unfortunately, a sparse user interface, middling features, and some buggy behavior drop it to the middle of the pack.

iPod Access 4.4.1 is simply too buggy to recommend. Sometimes it works fine, other times it works even though it doesn't appear to, and yet other times it doesn't work at all. Despite multiple tests, I haven't been able to determine what causes one outcome versus another. It's a solid app, but the bugs--and a lack of features even when it does...

ICopyExpert is fairly bare bones. It transfers music from an iPod to a computer, and doesn't do much else. This would be OK, except that it's slow and lacks some of the interface niceties that other programs offer.

I'm giving Tansee iPod Transfer no rating, as I couldn't test it. That's becase the iPod Transfer product only works with iPods; to transfer an iPhone or iPod touch, you need a different product. I don't have an iPod that's compatible with the program.

Stay away from xPort. It hasn't been updated since 2009 and doesn't work with any modern iPods or iOS devices that I tried.

While the basic functionality of Xilisoft iPod Rip--copying an iPod to iTunes--is good, the program omits too many features that its competitors offer to receive a recommendation.

There are too many bugs and quirks present in iPod PC Transfer to recommend it. While its core functionality--moving songs and other files from iOS device to PC--works reasonably well, a confusing interface, duplicate files, and middling performance mean you should seek other options.

Despite being one of the faster tools I've tested to transfer the contents of your iPod to an iTunes library, Pod to Mac has too many bugs and poorly implemented features to earn it a recommendation.

Pod to PC offers a number of features that let you copy the contents of an iPod to a desktop iTunes library, but it is plagued by too many bugs and small frustrations to merit a recommendation.

MediaWidget, one of the many programs that copies the contents of an iPod or other iOS device to a desktop iTunes library, stands out from the pack by virtue of one unfortunate feature: it's by far the slowest such program that I've tested to date. Combine that with a sparer feature set than that offered by other programs and I can't recommend it.

TouchCopy, formerly known as iPodCopy, is a vexing program. While it does what it advertises--helps you transfer music from an iPod (or iOS device) to a desktop computer--it does it with a number of glitches and a speed slower than some competing programs. It's got a rich feature set, but until the glitches are smoothed out and the speed...

IRip is a powerful and simple iPod to computer transfer program. The latest version, 2.0, adds some terrific features--including the ability to transfer iBooks files--but strangely takes steps back compared to its previous version on speed and bugs in transfers.

IGadget does the job of transferring iPod contents to a new computer better than some of its competitors, but its slowness and occasionally difficult processes keep it from being an unqualified hit.

CopyTrans is one of the best programs that helps you copy or transfer iPod and iTunes libraries between devices or to other PCs.

iPodCopy is a Windows and Mac program that let you copy iPod libraries, backup iPod libraries, or transfer iPod libraries to other PCs.

Among programs designed to transfer music from an iPod to a computer, Senuti is good, though a bit basic. Its plain interface will probably frustrate power users with complex needs, but for beginning users who just want to copy or backup the contents of their iPod, iPhone, or iPad, it's a solid option.