How to Put Spotify on iPod Touch/Classic/Nano/Shuffle

By Charles Davis Updated on 2023-08-21 / Update for Spotify Tips

Can you use Spotify on iPod? Nowadays, iPod is favored by users for streaming music because it's more convenient than carrying around a giant smartphone. If you try to sync iPod with Spotify music directly, you'll be surprised to find that this feature only works with iPod Touch 5th generation or above, not iPod Classic, Nano or Shuffle.

In order to cater for all iPod users, this article presents the solution to get Spotify iPod connected. No matter which iPod model you're using, you'll find an effective way to use iPod with Spotify. Needless to say, read on for further details.

use spotify on ipod

Part 1. Does Spotify Work on iPod

First released in 2001, iPod is a media player designed and marketed by Apple Inc. Over the years, the device has evolved to become a popular device for playing music, videos and other types of media. There are currently four different iPod models available: iPod Touch, Classic, Nano, and Shuffle.

iPod Touch is the most advanced and versatile iPod model. iPod Classic is a more traditional iPod model with a click wheel interface and a large storage capacity for music and other media. iPod Nano is a smaller and more compact version of the iPod with a touchscreen display. Finally, iPod Shuffle is the smallest and most basic iPod model, designed for users who prefer a simple and lightweight device for listening to music on the go.

Can you download Spotify on iPod? Sure, but there are some limitations. Spotify is compatible with iPod Touch 5th generation or above, which means it won't work with iPod Classic, Nano, or Shuffle. You can refer to the table below to know more about iPod Spotify compatibility.

Device iPod Touch iPod Classic iPod Nano iPod Shuffle
Screen Size 4-7 inches 2.5 inches 1.5 inches No screen
Storage Capacity 32 GB - 256 GB 80 GB - 160 GB 8 GB - 16 GB 2 GB - 4 GB
Connectivity Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Lightning Connector USB 2.0, Dock Connector USB 2.0, Dock Connector USB 2.0, 3.5 mm headphone jack
Discontinued ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ ✔️
Support Spotify 5th generation or higher

Part 2. How to Get Spotify on iPod Touch [5th Generation or Higher]

If you're using an iPod Touch 5th generation or higher, it's an easy task to get Spotify Music. Besides, make sure your subscription hasn't expired as a Spotify Premium account is one of the requisites. Now, let's see how to make iPod Touch Spotify work.

sync spotify to ipod touch

How to Install Spotify on iPod Touch

Step 1. Open the "App Store" app on your iPod Touch device, then type Spotify in the search bar to get the Spotify app

Step 2. Select the Spotify app and click the "Get" button next to it, then it will install the Spotify app on your iPod Touch.

How to Play Spotify on iPod Touch 5th Generation or Later

Step 1. Once the iPod Spotify app is installed, open it and sign in to your Spotify account.

Step 2. You can then use the "Search" bar to search for music and playlists.

Step 3. Tap on a song or playlist to start playing it.

Step 4. Click on the "Shuffle Play" button to play the Spotify songs in a random order.

How to Download Music from Spotify in iPod Touch

Step 1. Launch the Spotify app on iPod Touch, browse and select the Spotify song, playlist or album you want to download.

Step 2. Hit on the "Download" icon to download Spotify songs on your iPod Touch for offline listening.

Step 3. Now, go back to the "Library > Settings" section of the Home screen to enable "Offline Mode". This way, you can enjoy Spotify on iPod Touch offline with freedom.

Part 3. How to Put Spotify on iPod Classic/Nano/Shuffle

Unlike the iPod Touch, there is no built-in Spotify app in iPod Nano, Shuffle and Classic. But you can put Spotify songs on old iPod, as long as the Spotify tracks are local files and compatible with iPod device. Here, we can meet AudFree Spotify Music Downloader, carefully designed to download Spotify music to your computer locally.

Since iPod supports MP3, M4A and WAV files very well, and this professional program happens to convert Spotify music to MP3, M4A, WAV, FLAC, M4B and AAC. In this case, you are entitled to use Spotify on iPod Nano, Classic, Shuffle and other models. More importantly, there is no need to worry about the listening experience on iPod because it maintains 100% lossless output quality.

AudFree Music Converter for Spotify

audfree spotify music converter
  • Download any content from Spotify, like songs or playlists
  • Convert Spotify OGG Vorbis to MP3, WAV, M4A, etc. for iPod
  • Use Spotify on iPod Touch/Nano/Shuffle/Classic
  • Work at 5X faster speed and keep original music quality and ID3 tags

How to Download Spotify to iPod Compatible Files

AudFree Spotify Music Converter is available for Windows and Mac operating systems. You can choose the appropriate version to install it on your computer. Then you can refer to the tutorial below to download music from Spotify to iPod supported audio files. By the way, this solution works for both free and Premium users.

Step 1Import Spotify Songs into AudFree SpoDable
import spotify playlist for ipod
Launch this smart tool and the Spotify app will be opened automatically. You can discover your favorite Spotify songs, playlists and albums in the opened app, drag and drop them into the tool's conversion window. Or you can copy and paste the URLs of Spotify tracks into the search box and click the "+" button to load them.
Step 2Select Spotify Output Format for iPod
set output format for ipod
You can touch Top "Menu > Preferences > Convert" to open the format window. In the new window, you can set the output format to MP3, WAV, M4A, etc. so that iPod will recognize it without any problems. In addition, it is possible to change the bit rate, sample rate, etc. to customize the output Spotify audio quality.
Step 3Download Music from Spotify for iPod
download music from spotify to ipod
You can personalize the target folder by clicking on the "File" icon. Or just skip this step and touch the "Convert" button to convert the added Spotify tracks. Once done, you can find the Spotify downloads in the destination folder you set up earlier in order to import them to your iPod device.

Part 4. How to Transfer Songs from Spotify to iPod Classic/Nano/Shuffle

Now, the most crucial step is to download Spotify to iPod Nano, Shuffle and Classic. To meet the needs of different devices, here are three ways on how to transfer music from Spotify to iPod on PC/Mac.

Way 1. Sync iPod with Spotify via iTunes on PC

If you're running a Windows PC, macOS Mojave or earlier, you can use iTunes to sync your local Spotify to iPod Classic, Nano and Shuffle for free.

sync spotify to ipod via itunes

Step 1. Launch the iTunes app, then enter the top menu to click on "File > Add Files to Library" and select Spotify songs to upload. If you don't know clearly, visit this helpful page: How to Transfer Spotify Music to iTunes Library.

Step 2. Connect your iPod device to your computer via USB cable. Once fully connected, there is a device icon from the top of the main interface of iTunes.

Step 3. Simply touch the "device" icon and you will see the iPod and media files on iTunes appear in the sidebar.

Step 4. Select the imported Spotify Music and click the "Sync" button to start syncing Spotify to iPod Classic or other models automatically.

Step 5. After then you can play Spotify music offline without Premium on iPod.

Way 2. Put Spotify on iPod by Finder on Mac

Similar to the syncing with iTunes above, it is possible to use Finder to get Spotify on iPod with macOS Catalina.

use spotify on ipod by finder

Step 1. Connect your iPod device to your Mac computer with a USB cable.

Step 2. Open the "Finder" window from your Mac, then tap the "iPod" icon in the sidebar.

Step 3. Hit on "Music" at the top of the Finder window, and in turn check the checkbox next to "Sync music to your iPod".

Step 4. Find and select the Spotify song file from your computer that you want to sync to iPod.

Step 5. Then touch the "Apply" button to transfer Spotify songs to iPod Shuffle or other models.

Way 3. Connect iPod to Spotify with Apple Music

Once you've subscribed to Apple Music, you can transfer Spotify music to Apple Music library. In turn, it's easy to access Spotify music on iPod Nano and other devices.

download spotify to ipod with apple music

Step 1. Open Apple Music on your Mac, then select the "Music > Preferences" section from the menu bar at the top of the screen.

Step 2. Go to the "General" option and enable the "Sync Library" button.

Step 3. Now, it will be able to transfer Spotify music to Apple Music, allowing Spotify songs to be synced to all your devices.

Step 4. Select the "Settings > Music" icon on your iPod, then tap the "Sync Library" button.

Step 5. This way, you can download your favorite Spotify songs from Apple Music to iPod.

Part 5. FAQs about Spotify in iPod

Q1: Why You Can't Sync Spotify to iPod Nano/Shuffle/Classic?

A: On the one hand, there is no Spotify app on iPod Classic, Nano and Shuffle. On the other hand, Spotify music is all encoded in a special format, which makes it unrecognizable by other iPod devices. In this situation, you can't sync Spotify to iPod like any other normal file.

Q2: What Are the Audio File Formats Compatible with iPod?

A: iPod supports common audio formats such as AAC, MP3, AIFF, WAV and Apple Lossless.

Q3: How to Have Spotify on iPod?

A: With Spotify Premium, you can only use Spotify on iPod Touch. Without Spotify Premium, you can transfer music from Spotify to iPod of any model with the help of the AudFree Spotify Music Downloader.

Part 6. In Conclusion

Here are simple ways to use Spotify on iPod Touch, Classic, Nano and Shuffle with/without Spotify Premium. If you have any issue with the steps on how to enable iPod Spotify, please leave it in the comments section. We'll provide you with a more complete explanation soon.

Charles Davis

Charles Davis

Chief Editor

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Charles Davis is the chief-editor of AudFree Company, who writes a variety of tech articles and music reviews, such as hot software releases and Spotify music tips.
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AudFree SpoDable

Download Spotify songs, playlists, audiobooks, and podcasts to MP3, etc. with ease.