Is there a way to make a playlist directly on the Classic iPod when I’m away from the computer, or do I have create them in iTunes first and then copy them over?
Although putting together a playlist directly on the player is a bit easier on newer models, like the iPod Touch, there is a way to select and group a bunch of songs stored on an iPod Classic into a playlist that you can save. Apple calls these inspired creations On-The-Go playlists.
To make an On-The-Go playlist, go to the Music menu and use the iPod’s scroll wheel to locate a song (or album). Press and hold the iPod’s center button until the song or album title flashes. The selection has now been added to a new On-the-Go playlist. Repeat the process for each title you want to add.
When you are finished adding tracks, press the iPod’s Menu button until you are back on the main menu screen. Select Music, then Playlists, and scroll down to On-The-Go playlist. Choose it and select the first song to start up the newly composed playlist. The top of the On-The-Go playlist screen has a “Save Playlist†option you can select to permanently save the new compilation as “New Playlist 1†in the Playlists menu.
You can make multiple On-The-Go playlists on the iPod by saving each one as you go. If you do not want to save the current On-The-Go playlist, go to the Music menu to Playlists, select On-The-Go and choose Clear Playlist; press the Clear option to dump the songs and start over. If you just want to remove certain songs, select each title and press the center button until it flashes.
If you have your iPod set to automatically sync with iTunes, your On-The-Go playlist is copied back to your iTunes library, where you can edit and rename it. If you manually update the iPod, you can also select the On-The-Go playlist in the iTunes window and rename it when you have the iPod connected. When you unplug the player from the computer, the playlist should display the new name in the iPod’s Playlists menu.
