(199 votes, average: 3.64 out of 5)There are at least 3 free ways to transfer music from your computer to an iPhone: using iTunes, CopyTrans Manager, and VLC Player. In this article, we’ll walk you through the step-by-step process and tell you about the pros and cons of each method.
Please note that we use an iPhone for demonstration purposes, but you can use the same tutorial to add music to your iPod or iPad.
In case you are looking for the transfer to the opposite direction, we have an excellent comprehensive guide – “How to transfer music from iPhone to computer”
Choose how to move music from a computer to your iPhone:
- CopyTrans Manager – drag and drop music to your iPhone via a cable
- iTunes – sync music with your iPhone via a cable or Wi-Fi
- VLC Player – add music to the VLC app on your iPhone wirelessly
Step-by-step guide to move songs from Windows computer to iPhone
How to add music to iPhone with CopyTrans Manager
Luckily for us, there’s a hassle-free method to transfer music from a PC to an iPhone without iTunes. You can drag and drop music to an iPhone via CopyTrans Manager. All the tracks present on your i-device will remain untouched – no overwriting!
- First, download CopyTrans Manager and install the program on your Windows computer. Download CopyTrans Manager
- Run the program and connect your iPhone or iPod to your PC with a cable (USB or Type-C). Then drag and drop tracks from a folder, CD, or USB flash drive to the CopyTrans Manager main window.
- Click the Update button to apply changes. That’s it!
If your iOS device is not recognized, it means that you have to install drivers. Follow these easy steps to install iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad drivers without installing iTunes.
Transfer music from computer to iPhone with CopyTrans Manager
- Copy music from a computer to an iPhone without deleting existing songs;
- change the title, artist, album name, etc.;
- delete songs from the device;
- create playlists.
How to transfer music from iTunes to iPhone?
iTunes is an official Apple app that was designed to let you sync music with your iPhone. The sync can be both wired or wireless. iTunes also acts as a music player and a music manager, allowing you to edit the track information before adding it to the iPhone. There’s one fatal flaw – iTunes overwrites your existing iPhone music library. So, if you have tracks on your device that are not in iTunes, they will be erased for good.
💡 TIP: use CopyTrans to back up iPhone music directly to iTunes or a folder on your PC. That way, the iTunes and iPhone music libraries will be identical. Nothing will be erased from your iPhone if you add new music via iTunes.
If you are OK with that, here’s how to proceed.
- Open iTunes. Press the buttons ctrl+O at the same time. Otherwise, click on “File” in the upper-left corner and select “Add File to Library…”.
- You can now add songs from a folder to iTunes.
- Connect your iPhone to the computer with a cable, then click on the phone icon on top to open your iPhone library.
- You have to sync your device with iTunes now and wait. iTunes will also make a backup of your iPhone to the PC.
Please, head over to the official Apple tutorial if necessary.
How to transfer songs from iTunes to iPhone without cable?
Connect your iPhone to the PC and launch iTunes with a cable. You can check the box “Sync with this iPhone over Wi-Fi” in the “Summary” menu. If you add new songs to iTunes, they will be automatically added to your iPhone as soon as the PC and the device are connected to the same Wi-Fi.
How to transfer files from PC to iPhone wirelessly via VLC Player?
If you’re not a huge fan of the default Music app, you can install a free player from the App Store called VLC media player. You can use it to add music to your iPhone wirelessly without iTunes.
- Install the VLC media player on your iPhone. Make sure your iPhone and your PC are connected to the same Wi-Fi. Disable VPN.
- Open the player on your iPhone. In the “Browse” tab, enable the “Sharing via Wi-Fi” setting. An address with digits will appear.
- If you use Telegram or WhatsApp, you can click on the address that appeared to copy it. Then send it to yourself via a messaging app. Open the messaging app on the PC and click on the address link. Otherwise, simply copy the address link to any browser on your PC. A web version of VLC will appear.
- You can drag and drop music or videos from your PC to your iPhone wirelessly.
- When the transfer is finished, the songs will immediately appear on your iPhone
I tested the wireless transfer via VLC Player with my iPhone and iPad. The transfer to my iPhone failed 4 times, but videos and music were successfully transferred to the iPad. If the transfer doesn’t work for you either, opt for the wired transfer using the free app CopyTrans Manager. See the instructions above.
Conclusion – Best software for transferring music files from Windows to iPhone
Remember that you should always download music from legal and reliable sources to protect your device from malware and copyright infringement. Also, keep an eye on the storage capacity to ensure that you have enough space for your growing music library.
Here’s a comparative table of the three solution we described above:
| App for Windows | Complexity | Free | Wired transfer | Wireless transfer | Possible to make playlists |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CopyTrans Manager | Easy | YES | YES | NO | YES |
| iTunes | Medium | YES | YES | YES | YES |
| VLC Media Player | Hard | YES | NO | YES | NO |
FAQ
How do I add my own music to my iPhone?
You can do it with the official Apple app called iTunes. You should add the songs to the iTunes library and that sync your iPhone with it. But note that your existing iPhone music library will be replaced by the iTunes library. So, if the songs that you have on your iPhone are not present in your iTunes, they will be erased.
If you’re looking for a way to simply drag-and-drop music to your iPhone without deleting existing songs, use CopyTrans Manager. Install the app on your Windows PC, connect your iPhone to the PC with a cable, and drag-and-drop your music to the main window. Click on “Update” to finish the transfer.
Can I download music from YouTube to my iPhone?
According to YouTube Terms of Service, you’re not allowed to download any content unless you were permitted.
It’s possible to download the whole video or to convert it to a music file via different websites. You can find detailed explanations in the article “How to download music from YouTube to iPhone?” .
How do I add non-Apple Music to iTunes?
You can add music from your PC or a CD to iTunes manually. Open iTunes and press the buttons ctrl+O at the same time – you can select the songs on your PC. Otherwise, click on “File” in the upper-left corner, then “Add File to Library…”.
Is there an alternative to iTunes?
There are plenty of alternatives. If you’re looking for a way to transfer music from your Windows PC to your iPhone/ iPad/ iPod, use CopyTrans Manager. If you need to make regular iPhone backups, opt for CopyTrans Shelbee. The tools are free, user-friendly, and trusted. See the article “Best iTunes alternatives” to learn more about possible iTunes-like apps.
How can I transfer files from PC to iPhone with USB cable?
The native solution would be to use iTunes. However, if you find iTunes complicated, opt for CopyTrans Manager to add music or films to your iPhone and CopyTrans Filey to transfer documents.
