There is a software called iMazing which lets you control the data on an iPhone, iPad, and/or iPod just as if it was any other data storage device.
It’s basically meant for backups but, IIRC, it’s excellent for bypassing iTunes and much, much more user friendly. I haven’t used it in a long time because I have been using iCloud instead for many years.
Caveat: iMazing is not free but the demo should give an idea of whether or not it will suit your purpose.

Best wishes,
Abhimonyu Deb


On Tuesday, November 2, 2021, 1:24 AM, Stewart Gooderman <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

Do I sound a bit naive for suggesting a consultation with an Apple genius?

DrG


> On Nov 1, 2021, at 7:33 AM, John Gledhill <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> 
> Apple I-pad question
> 
> I apologize for perhaps the wrong forum however, I am hoping someone who knows the answer can pass me his or her number and I will call offline.
> 
> 
> 
> About 12 year ago I digitized a few hundred cassette tapes and records for a gentleman after making him aware of online sources and yes he wanted his cassettes / records digitized.
> 
> Kept copies of all of the original 16 bit files and generated ACC or m4v and loaded the files to one of those old brick ipods with a 75 Gig HD (audio takes 45 gig) and a sleek nano device
> 
> I used I-tunes at the time and was dismayed by the way the ipods messed up (hashed, and hacked up the file names).
> 
> Fast-forward a decade and more. Customer who is old is still alive and very active. He has a good sense of humour. He brought me his old ipods and a brand new ipad and wants the audio loaded to the ipad and eventually his iphone 13.
> 
> Should be a no brainer. Except now we have cloud storage. He already has other music and albums on his ipad (and they don’t show up when connected to a pc with itunes). I guess I would have to sign in to his account?
> 
> My son also warned me about something called “syncing” where Apple decides to obliterate material on your device if you load material from a local drive. I told him there is no way a company could do this and be taken seriously let along convince people to buy their product.
> 
> Silly me. Even when I turn off automatic syncing in itunes and think about moving audio to the I-pad I see warning about only being able to be sync’d to one source. I stop at this point, as the material already on the ipad is not mine to erase.
> 
> Also worrisome was a pop-up about “trusted device” and only being allowed 5. I have used up two for him so far.
> 
> 
> A google search leads me to a couple of software applications that claim to allow me to add music to the ipad without erasing what is already there.
> 
> I wonder.
> 
> What computer OS would ever expect you to buy a separate programme to simply copy a file. What am I missing?
> 
> Even if I succeed, will this gentleman undo everything next time he accesses music on-line?
> 
> I really do not want to load 45 Gig to some cloud server so he can sync to that. This just seems ridiculous when the material is already on a local drive..
> 
> Ques) If I did put 45G on the icloud from a PC and used this load his ipad then what happens when he signs onto itunes from his iphone13 on a cellular network. Does he unwittingly have 45G of cellular network traffic arriving?
> 
> If anyone knows of a way to simply place audio files on an ipad (from a PC) so they will stay there, be playable, and will not erase what is already present then please pass me your telephone number.
> 
> P.S. The old brick of an ipod he had with the older battery technology and a hard drive was recharged and still works a week later.
> 
> The very sleek nano ipod he passed me was charged for a day and last 2 ½ min and now won’t recharge. Improved design for who’s benefit. And no, I am not advocating carrying gramophones in backpacks.
> 
> -- 
> John Gledhill
> BIT WORKS Inc.
> 905 881 2733
> [log in to unmask]
> www.bitworks.org