The iPad is a tool for surfing the web, running apps, and watching movies, but this multimedia device is also great as a digital music player. The Apple tablet comes with a pre-installed music app that plays your music collection and gives you access to music streaming apps, but how do you copy music from your computer to your iPad?

If you've never played music on your iPad before or want to brush up on your knowledge, use this step-by-step guide to learn how to do it.

To ensure that the process of transferring iTunes songs to your iPad goes as smoothly as possible, you should make sure that you have the latest version of iTunes. Updating iTunes is normally an automatic process when your system boots up or when you launch iTunes, but you can also check for updates manually.

In Windows, check for an iTunes update through the Help menu. Choose Check for Updates.