iPod revival: Why young people in particular like Apple’s music player

On October 23, 2001, then Apple CEO Steve Jobs introduced the first iPod. By the time production of the last iPod model “touch” stops on May 10, 2022, Apple is said to have sold around 450 million units of the portable music player.

iPod celebrates revival among young people

Almost four years ago, this seemed to be the end of an era of success for the cult gadget that had lasted over 20 years. Now, like vinyl records or music cassettes, iPods are making a surprising comeback, AP reports. Accordingly, second-hand sales would increase significantly.

There are thousands of offers for used iPods on eBay, classifieds and similar sales platforms such as Facebook Marketplace or Mercari. This and conversations with market observers “definitely show a new interest in refurbished iPods,” explains Ben Wood, chief analyst at CCS Insight. According to Back Market, 2025 iPod sales on the platform increased 48 percent over the previous year.

However, those interested should take a close look at such trading platforms. Alleged new devices, which are also offered in the thousands, often turned out to be used or refurbished iPods in counterfeit packaging, according to AP.

Minimize distractions when listening to music

In this context, Wood has recognized a growing trend, especially among younger people, to minimize potential distractions when using smartphones. The turn to specialized music players like the iPod is often driven by issues with mental health or general well-being, Wood said.

The young generation is not only interested in the retro look, but above all in listening to music in a focused manner and with a self-created playlist that is not influenced by algorithms. A clear swipe at Spotify, which continues to work on AI functions for its song library.

iTunes or Apple Music required

However, in order to load and manage music on a used iPod, a special Apple program is required. Windows users can use iTunes, although Apple discontinued the macOS version in 2019. Mac users therefore have to resort to Apple Music.

The music files must be ripped from CDs or purchased and downloaded from a digital music platform. Only younger generations of the iPod touch are streaming-capable.

If you don’t want to buy a used iPod or another MP3 player, you can also convert an old smartphone into a music player. How this works can be found in this t3n article.