How to Convert Videos for iPod (Step-by-Step Tutorial)

This tutorial assumes nothing. If you've never converted a video before, follow it top to bottom and you'll have an iPod-ready file by the end of the page.

Before you start

Three things to check:

• You have the source video on your computer (not just a streaming URL).
• You know roughly which iPod model you'll sync to — Classic, Nano, Video or Touch.
• You have around two to three gigabytes of free disk space for a feature-length conversion.

Step 1: Install HandBrake

Download HandBrake from its official site. Installers exist for Windows, macOS and Linux. On macOS, drag the application into Applications. On Windows, run the installer and accept the defaults. There is nothing to configure on first launch.

Step 2: Load your source video

Open HandBrake and drag your source file onto the window. HandBrake reads the file, detects the video and audio streams, and shows you the original resolution, frame rate and duration in the left-hand panel.

Working with DVDs

If your source is a physical DVD, insert the disc and click Open Source → Disc. HandBrake will pick the main title automatically in most cases. For commercial DVDs, you may need to install the libdvdcss library — the HandBrake documentation explains how, and the rules vary by country.

Step 3: Pick the right preset

In the right-hand panel, expand the Apple preset group. Choose:

• Apple 240p30 for an iPod Nano (3G–7G).
• Apple 540p30 Surround for an iPod Touch 4G or later.
• Apple 540p30 Surround downscaled to 640×480 for an iPod Classic or iPod Video (5th gen).

The preset sets the codec to H.264 Baseline, the audio to AAC, and the container to MP4 automatically.

Step 4: Tweak the settings (optional but worth it)

Click the Video tab and change the quality slider to RF 22. This is the single highest-leverage tweak: it gives noticeably better picture quality than the default RF 25 for very little extra file size.

On the Audio tab, confirm the codec is AAC (CoreAudio on macOS or FDK if available) and the bitrate is 128 kbps. Drop any AC3 or DTS tracks — the iPod can't play them.

Step 5: Start the conversion

Click Start at the top of the window. HandBrake shows the encoding progress, estimated time remaining, and current bitrate. You can keep using your computer; HandBrake is happy in the background.

Step 6: Sync to your iPod

1. Connect your iPod via USB.
2. On Windows 11, open the Apple Devices app. On macOS Catalina or later, use Finder. On older systems, use iTunes.
3. Drag the new .mp4 file into your library.
4. Drag the file from the library onto the iPod icon in the sidebar.
5. Click Sync and wait for the transfer to finish.

Step 7: Verify it plays

Disconnect the iPod and open the Videos app (or the equivalent on older models). Your new video should appear in the list. Tap it; if it plays smoothly with audio in sync, you're done. If it doesn't, check the troubleshooting guide.

Converting on the command line

If you'd rather scripts than mouse clicks, FFmpeg does the same job in a single command:

ffmpeg -i input.mkv \
  -c:v libx264 -profile:v baseline -level 3.0 \
  -b:v 1500k -maxrate 2000k -bufsize 4000k \
  -vf "scale=640:-2" \
  -c:a aac -b:a 128k -ac 2 \
  output.mp4

That command produces a file the iPod will accept, ready to drop into iTunes.