1 Answer

You have to use iCloud AND be subscribed to Apple's iTunes Match service ($25 per year). With iTunes Match turned ON (before your computer crashed), your ENTIRE iTunes music library (with some minor exceptions) would be available for download (or streaming) from "the cloud."

Even without iTunes Match, you can re-download all songs you previously purchased from the iTunes Store, using the iTunes Store Purchased page. You can also use iTunes to transfer songs (that you purchased from the iTunes Store), from your iPod to computer's iTunes library.

For other songs, you cannot use iTunes to transfer song files from iPod to computer. However, there are third-party methods and utilities that can be used to transfer form iPod to computer. If you do a Google search on something like "ipod transfer," you should get some links.