Review of music players on your computer

To make watching movies or listening to music on your computer truly comfortable, you need to download a truly high-quality player. Below is a selection of really cool players for Windows that you should definitely try.

08/21/2018, Anton Maksimov

SMPlayer is a free MPlayer-based player with built-in codecs that allows you to view any video format and play music. It supports playing videos from YouTube, loading subtitles from public sources, supports covers and is fully Russified.

06/15/2018, Marcel Ilyasov

There are a great many audio, video and media players in the world, which largely duplicate each other’s functionality and often differ only in design. But there are still products that have their own “zest”, thanks to which this or that player wins over the public. AVS Media Player is one of the players that has its own characteristics; it is a very good media player with a large number of settings and wide capabilities. It allows you to view a huge number of video formats (avi, wmv, mpeg, Video CD, dvd, 3gp and many others), audio (mp3, flac, aif, cda), images (jpeg, png, pcx, psd).

Can't imagine your life without music? Especially for avid music lovers, below are the 10 best music players that can be installed on your computer or laptop. All these audio players are free, have a powerful equalizer, are easy to configure, do not load the system and have a lot of interesting features.

The question of which music player is better is not considered here. It's up to you to decide. This article lists popular music players for Windows, and choose which one to install yourself.

Winamp is the legendary free music player. Every user knows it, and it is probably installed on every second computer or laptop.

Winamp is a powerful processor that reads all formats and plays video. It became popular due to its high-quality sound, equalizer and freeness.

The main advantages of this audio player:

• support for all audio formats – mp3, flac, etc.;
• playback of video files;
• convenient search;
• the ability to create playlists and bookmarks;
• a huge number of skins (covers);
• access to 30,000 world radio stations;
• control from the browser (via its own toolbar);
• MP3 Surround support;
• synchronization function with Android;
• works on Windows XP, 7, 8 and 10;
• completely in Russian.

As for the shortcomings, judging by the words of users, the latest versions of this music player freeze, and the PC sometimes slows down. But usually this happens due to the installation of new skins and plugins that load the system.

Music player Aimp

Aimp is another free audio player in Russian. It has a pleasant interface, powerful functionality and is one of the most popular music players.

The main advantages of this audio player:

• 32-bit audio processing;
• support for all formats (mp3, flac, ac3, wav, wma, etc.);
• functional equalizer + ready-made modes for various genres (pop, rap, rock, etc.);
• setting up hot keys (you can switch music even while playing a game or working in a browser);
• convenient search;
• large selection of covers;
• There is a portable version (does not require installation).

Audio player Songbird

Another great free music player for Windows 7, 8, 10 and XP. It is a combination of the best advantages of the Firefox browser and the iTunes service. Essentially, Songbird Player is a music browser. After all, with its help you can listen not only to music that is saved on your laptop or PC, but also to tracks from the Internet.

Main advantages of music audio player:

• support for any formats (mp3, flac, etc.);
• creation of “smart” playlists that are updated automatically (taking into account user-selected criteria);
• built-in web browser that allows you to listen to music on the Internet without downloading it, as well as create tabs and favorite bookmarks;
• works not only on Windows, but also on Linux and Mac;
• support for more than 25 languages, incl. Russian;
• creating a library, convenient sorting and quick search;
• dozens of cool covers;
• regular updates.

Also, the developers are constantly improving this music player, trying to make it more convenient. There are plans to add support for mobile devices, subscription to music sites and other useful features.

Aero Glass MP3 Player

This music player will definitely appeal to all Windows 7 connoisseurs. After all, this music player stands out for its incredibly beautiful “glass” design. It is also characterized by minimalism, and therefore will appeal to lovers of simplicity.

Key benefits of this free audio player:

• colorful visualization;
• ideal audio player for Windows 7;
• reads only mp3 and acc format;
• convenient equalizer;
• creating your favorite playlist;
• “Quick pause” option (move the cursor to the upper left corner, and after 1 second the music will stop).

In general, if you are tired of bulky media processors, then Aero Glass MP3 Player is what you need! It is not overloaded with functionality and reads only 2 popular formats; it is pleasant to look at and pleasant to listen to. What else is needed for happiness, right?

Also included in the list of the best music players for a computer is the Foobar 2000 audio player. It is designed in a minimalist style, works quickly, and is suitable for Windows XP, 7 and 8.

The main advantage of the audio player is its modest “appetite” for system resources. Therefore, if you have a weak PC or laptop and Winamp slows down the system, you can pay attention to this music player.

Other advantages of Foobar 2000:

• impeccably clear sound;
• support for popular audio formats;
• extract files from RAR and ZIP archives directly on the fly;
• creating playlists;
• setting up hot keys;
• DVD Audio and losses format support.

Yes, the design of this audio player is not pleasing, but in all other respects it is in perfect order.

JetAudio Basic is one of the best audio players. It weighs a lot (38 MB, versus 3 MB for Foobar 2000), but the functionality here is simply enormous.

Main advantages of this music player:

• powerful equalizer;
• displaying the rating of audio tracks;
• many sound effects;
• work on a timer;
• karaoke;
• audio file converter;
• support for multi-channel audio and subtitles;
• a large number of covers;
• easy management of your favorite playlists and albums;
• speed control.

In other words, JetAudio Basic is a real media combine. Such a music player will be an ideal option for avid music lovers who lack the capabilities of “light” programs. If you are not satisfied with the sound quality in other audio players, try this option.

XMplay player

Another great free music player for PC is XMplay. Reads all possible multimedia formats and supports a huge number of functions.

The main advantages of this music player:

• high quality playback;
• support for playlists created in other music players;
• a large number of covers (you can choose to suit every taste);
• quick launch of tracks through the context menu (a line is added to it to launch music through this audio player).

Its only drawback is its requirement for resources. Especially if you install various covers and plugins.

Music player Foobnix for VKontakte

Foobnix is ​​not that famous compared to other audio players, but it has some cool features:

• CUE support;
• converting audio files from one format to another;
• support for more than 5000 radio stations;

The latest feature of this music player will be very useful for modern users and will help you quickly find your favorite tracks heard from friends or on the radio.

Foobnix can also integrate with VKontakte, allowing you to listen to your favorite tracks (yours and your friends) through an audio player! That is why it is included in the top 10 best music players for Windows.

Windows Media Player

This is a standard music (and video) player that is installed on any Windows PC. Many users do not like it because of its large size, slow operation, etc. But all this applied to earlier versions.

Today, Windows Media Player has undergone significant changes and has become much better. Now it is a powerful media processor for playing video and audio files.

It may still lose out to the above-mentioned music players, but if you don't listen to music often, then why install another player? The functionality of the standard Windows Media Player will be more than enough.

STP Music Player

A modest name and an equally simple music player, which, however, has its advantages:

• is not demanding on resources and works very quickly;
• does not distract (minimizes in the taskbar);
• supports setting hot keys;
• has a simple design.

Thus, STP is a good audio player that takes up minimal space and does not require many resources. True, the appearance leaves much to be desired.

One of the main programs installed on almost any home computer is, of course, music players. It is difficult to imagine a modern computer that will not have tools and tools that play mp3 audio files.

In this article we will look at the most popular ones, touch on the pros and cons, and briefly summarize.

Aimp

A relatively new music player that immediately gained great popularity among users.

Below we list the main features:

• A huge number of supported audio/video file formats: *.CDA, *.AAC, *.AC3, *.APE, *.DTS, *.FLAC, *.IT, *.MIDI, *.MO3, *.MOD, * .M4A, *.M4B, *.MP1, *.MP2, *.MP3,
  *.MPC, *.MTM, *.OFR, *.OGG, *.OPUS, *.RMI, *.S3M, *.SPX, *.TAK, *.TTA, *.UMX, *.WAV, *. WMA, *.WV, *.XM.
• Multiple audio output modes: DirectSound / ASIO / WASAPI / WASAPI Exclusive.
• 32-bit audio processing.
• Equalizer + customized modes for the most popular genres of music: pop, techno, rap, rock, etc.
• Supports multiple playlists.
• Fast operating speed.
• Convenient multi-user mode.
• Several languages, including Russian.
• Setting up and supporting hot keys.
• Convenient search through open playlists.
• Create bookmarks and much more.

WinAmp

The legendary program is probably included in all best ratings and is installed on every second home PC.

Main features:

• Supports a huge number of audio and video files.
• A library of your files on your computer.
• Convenient search for audio files.
• Equalizer, bookmarks, playlists.
• Supports numerous modules.
• Hotkeys, etc.

Among the shortcomings, we can highlight (especially in the latest versions) freezes and brakes, which periodically occur on some PCs. However, this often happens due to the fault of the users themselves: they install various covers, visual images, plug-ins that significantly load the system.

Foobar 2000

An excellent and fast player that will work on all the most popular Windows operating systems: 2000, XP, 2003, Vista, 7, 8.

The most pleasing thing is that it is designed in a minimalist style, while at the same time having great functionality. Here you will find lists with playlists, support for a large number of music file formats, a convenient tag editor, and low resource consumption! This is perhaps one of the best qualities: after the gluttony of WinAmp with its brakes, this program turns everything upside down!

Another thing worth mentioning is that many players don't support the DVD Audio format, but Foobar does a great job with it!

Also, more and more disk images in lossless format are appearing on the Internet, which Foobar 2000 opens without installing any add-ons or plugins!

XMplay

Audio player with a lot of different functions. Works well with all common multimedia files: OGG, MP3, MP2, MP1, WMA, WAV, MO3. There is good support for playlists created even in other programs!

The player also has support for various skins: you can download some of them on the developer’s website. The software can be customized as you please - it can become unrecognizable!

What’s important: XMplay neatly integrates into the Explorer context menu, making it easy and quick to launch any tracks you want.

Among the disadvantages, one can highlight the high demands on resources if the tool is heavily loaded with various skins and add-ons. Otherwise, it’s a good player that will appeal to a good half of users. By the way, it is most popular in the Western market, in Russia, everyone is used to using other programs.

jetAudio Basic

At first glance, the program seemed too cumbersome (38MB, versus 3MB for Foobar). But the number of possibilities that the player provides simply amazes the unprepared user...

Here you have a library with support for searching by any field of a music file, an equalizer, support for a huge number of formats, ratings and ratings for files, etc.

It is recommended to install such a monster for big music fans, or for those who lack the standard capabilities of smaller programs. As a last resort, if the reproduced sound in other players does not suit you, try installing jetAudio Basic, perhaps by applying a bunch of filters and smoothers you will achieve an excellent result!

Foobnix

This music player is not as famous as the previous ones, but it has several undeniable advantages.

Firstly, support for CUE, secondly, support for converting a file from one format to another: mp3, ogg, mp2, ac3, m4a, wav! Thirdly, you can find and download music online!

Well, there’s no need to talk about the standard set like an equalizer, hotkeys, CD covers and other information. Now this is available in all self-respecting players.

By the way, this program can be integrated with the VKontakte social network, and you can download music from there and watch friends’ music.

Windows Media

Built into the operating system

A well-known player about which it was impossible not to say a few words. Many people dislike it for its bulkiness and clumsiness. Also, its early versions could not be called convenient, which is precisely why other instruments developed.

Currently, Windows Media allows you to play all popular audio and video file formats. You can burn a disc of the songs you like, or vice versa, copy it to your hard drive.

The player is a kind of combine - ready to solve the most popular problems. If you don’t listen to music very often, perhaps you don’t need third-party programs for listening to music, will Windows Media be enough?

STP

A very small program, but one that could not be ignored! The main advantages of this player: high speed, works minimized in the taskbar and does not distract you, customize hot keys (you can switch the track while in any application or game).

Also, like many other players of this kind, there is an equalizer, lists, and playlists. By the way, you can also edit tags using hotkeys! In general, one of the best programs for lovers of minimalism and switching audio files by pressing some two buttons! Mainly focused on supporting mp3 files.

ComboPlayer is a multimedia combine that downloads movies for you via torrents, opens files from all audio and video formats, shows online broadcasts, television, images from surveillance cameras, allows you to listen to the radio, create your own media library and synchronize files between different computers. It is noteworthy that you use all functions, except for viewing a few special channels, absolutely free of charge!

For those who need a universal media player, the undisputed solution is KMPlayer, which can be downloaded for free and used for almost all known file formats. Its best alternative is Daum Potplayer. A developer who broke away from the KMP project made almost the same Video Player, only faster and more functional. We highly recommend you take a look.

Another good solution would be to use VLC Media Player, which is perfect for Windiws 10 and Mac OS. It will perform well if you need to play streaming video often and in large quantities. The best program for owners of old computers with sluggish and slow systems is the small Light Alloy player with minimal requirements for PC resources.

Consumers of television and radio shows and fans of currently popular podcasts will like BS.Player. Its installation will make it possible to play not only recorded multimedia, but also watch analogue or digital TV. If the user does not want to clutter up the hard drive with media recordings, but watches them from the Internet, Real Player Cloud will do an excellent job of playing streaming cloud video. And for those who one day encounter damaged or insufficiently downloaded video/audio, GOM Player will be very useful.

Those who switched from Apple to Microsoft technology and are accustomed to using the rich iTunes center should try Windows Media Player, a free product from Microsoft. If you are a music lover and are interested in which media players to download for free for your tablet, AIMP is ideal. It is most loved by portable device users.

For novice users who do not need any special frills, but simply want a reliable, simple and stable player that takes up a minimum of system resources, Zoom Player Free is suitable. As they gain experience, they will be able to expand their knowledge and use new player features. And for those who watch videos with subtitles, the fast ALLPlayer will provide great opportunities.

The review did not include several more outdated, but still popular media players. The most noteworthy of them are AVS Media Player and WindowsPlayer, as well as Crystal Player and Kantaris Media Player. Unfortunately, they are inferior to the presented products in terms of functionality or other important operating parameters.

Good day everyone!

Almost every user, whether on a work computer or at home, plays music on it from time to time. But you can listen to music in different ways - and in many ways the convenience and sound quality depend on the player you choose. This is probably why there is now such a wide variety of audio players, and debates often flare up about which one is the best...

In this article I will present my TOP 10 music players, which I considered the best (but I will not choose the best one among them).

Note: 1. I am not taking Windows Meadia Player, which is enabled by default in Windows, into account in this article (although the player, in my opinion, is not bad at all).2. By the way, I am in no way associated with any of the authors of the above programs...

Aimp

An excellent "omnivorous" free audio player. It is rightfully considered one of the leaders in the niche and enjoys enormous popularity.

Screenshot of the main window

Main advantages:

• support for a huge number of formats (almost all audio files: .CDA, .AAC, .AC3, .APE, .DTS, .FLAC, .IT, .MIDI, .MO3, .MOD, .M4A, .M4B, etc. .;
• sound output: DirectSound / ASIO / WASAPI / WASAPI Exclusive;
• 32-bit audio processing allows you to achieve the best sound quality;
• built-in Internet radio (moreover, there is a function for recording radio in various formats);
• automatic rating of the compositions you listen to (you can then independently collect your TOP of the best compositions based on them);
• convenient equalizer + built-in sound effects: reverb, flanger, chorus, etc. Ability to normalize the volume level;
• ability to copy CDs;
• a bunch of different modules, “skins” and plugins: they will allow you to change your player and increase its capabilities;
• ability to configure hot keys;
• Russian language support in full! And much more...

In general, the player deserves attention and is recommended for review by absolutely everyone who is looking for an audio player.

Media player for playing music and movies from Apple. Distributed free of charge for OS X and Windows platforms.

The player, in addition to its main task, allows you to create your own library of media files. The player ensures file synchronization with Apple devices. The player, I want to note, supports all popular audio formats, and also allows you to watch streaming video (broadcasts).

In addition, iTunes contains a built-in store that gives access to a variety of music tracks (you will always be up to date with new releases). iTunes can analyze your tastes and then suggest similar music based on your interests. Comfortable!

One of the most popular (more than 100 million users around the world!) and oldest (more than 15 years) music players. Many of the innovations in Winamp have become mandatory attributes in audio players. A lot of “skins” (covers), plugins and add-ons have been released for the player - so the player can be adjusted to a variety of tasks!

Main advantages:

• creating your own library of music files;
• support for most audio formats (including flac);
• a wide variety of covers (from the simplest ones that do not load the system to quite resource-intensive ones);
• a huge number of settings and parameters - each user will be able to customize the program for themselves;
• Russian language support in full;
• the ability to create your own playlists;
• fine-tuning the sound: equalizer, different sound shades, etc.;
• and many many others.

Foobar 2000

A powerful media player that was created by one of the developers of WinAmp itself! The main feature of this player: its low system requirements with high functionality (in no way inferior to other popular players).

Main features:

• support for all popular music formats: MP3, WAV, AIFF, VOC, AU, SND, Ogg Vorbis, MPEG-4 AAC, FLAC, OggFLAC, Monkey's Audio, and many others;
• support for RAR, ZIP archives - they can also be unpacked on the fly (during playback);
• very low system requirements;
• very high-quality sound (provided thanks to special audio encoders + 64-bit audio processing);
• ReplayGain technology (if you have files with different volume levels, they will be played back at the same level);
• database of audio files (plugins for working with the database - Album List, dbSearch, etc.);
• and much more.

JetAudio

Website: http://www.jetaudio.com/

Multifunctional audio and video file player. It differs, first of all, from many other players in its fine-tuned sound settings, which allows you to achieve excellent sound on almost any sound card. (note: the highest quality for this hardware).

Main advantages:

• support for all popular audio formats: .wav, .mp3, .ogg, .flac, .m4a, .mpc, .tta, .wv, .ape, .mod, .spx, etc.;
• very high quality sound: there are “improvements” in the form of: BBE, BBE ViVA, Wide, Reverb, X-Bass. Also, the player (unlike many others) reproduces 32-bit sound;
• 10-band equalizer (+32 preset settings for it);
• the ability to encode music from one format to another (the ability to copy CDs);
• the ability to search and listen to radio stations on the Internet, etc.

In general, the player can be recommended, first of all, to those who are not satisfied with the sound quality. For novice users may be somewhat confused by the lack of a wide variety of covers, the lack of Russian language (*not in all versions), and the small number of visual effects. Although, is this all you need when listening to music?!

Winyl Player

Website: http://ru.vinylsoft.com/

A simple, free and easy-to-use player that plays all popular audio formats: MP3, OGG, WMA, AAC, M4A, MPC, APE, FLAC, etc. The program is distinguished, first of all, by low system requirements and high quality playback. You can also add the presence of “smart” automatic lists: top 50 (based on your interests), playing random tracks, selecting tracks with high ratings, etc.

I will also note the super-convenient operation with hotkeys: they will work even when the program is minimized to tray (i.e. you can switch tracks while in a game or working with documents).

Main advantages:

• a convenient library formed from your tracks on the PC’s hard drive (by the way, the library is formed automatically when you first start the player);
• availability of “smart” lists: random 50 tracks, top 50, random albums, etc.;
• the ability to work with playlists with a huge number of files (up to 100 thousand - other players will simply freeze);
• extremely convenient and laconic design: everything you need is located on the left in the column and you can quickly switch program sections with the mouse (radio, genres, playlists);
• convenient equalizer: there are preset settings for listening to different genres of music;
• high-quality sound (there are special parameters for adjusting the sound for almost any hardware);
• extremely low system requirements (can be compared to Foobar 2000!);
• convenient hotkeys that work even if the program is minimized;
• Russian language support, Windows 7, 8, 10 (32/64 bits) and much more!

In general, despite the fact that the player is not yet as famous as the previous ones, it leaves an extremely positive impression. I definitely recommend getting to know it and using it!

Albumplayer

Unlike the previous one, this is a very simple player, you don't even need to install it (just download the selected archive and extract it, then run the APlayer.exe file).

It has a very simple design (I would even say outdated) and low system requirements. Allows you to open and listen to formats: WAV, FLAC, APE, WavPack, ALAC, AIFF, TAK, MP3, MP4, OGG, MPC, OPUS, Audio-CD, SACD, DVD-A.

It is also worth noting the most important thing that the player has is fairly high-quality sound: the program implements direct output of the audio stream from the audio format decoder to the output device. Thanks to this, there is no intermediate processing or mixing, which ensures accurate sound reproduction. The following output modes are supported: ASIO, Kernel Streaming, WASAPI.

The player works on Windows: XP, Vista, 7, 8, 8.1, 10.

Foobnix

A player that was originally developed for Liniux. Now it is available for Windows OS. It is a multifunctional player that supports all major audio formats, as well as: flac, lossless, CUE, 5000+ radio stations, online music. By the way, the player has integration with Last.fm and VKontakte!

Main advantages:

1. support for a huge number of audio formats: MP3, MP4, AAC, OGG, WMA, Vorbis, FLAC, WavPack, WAV, AIFF, etc.;
2. convenient equalizer for sound adjustment;
3. the ability to convert from one audio format to another. Supported formats: mp3, ogg, mp2, ac3, m4a, wav;
4. music library support: allows you to conveniently and quickly manage your music tracks;
5. built-in Internet radio (two clicks of the mouse - and you can listen!);
6. the ability to create your own playlists;
7. integration with VK and Last.FM;
8. hotkey support;
9. fairly low system requirements;
10. convenient and easy interface that can be changed beyond recognition!

XMplay

XMPlay is a very simple audio player, the size of which is less than 1 MB (the program does not even require installation to work)!

The player provides good sound quality and has many settings (for example, a 9-band equalizer, 32/64 bit audio output, a bunch of additional covers, plugins, etc.).

Many users criticize this program for its interface. I agree that the program’s interface leaves much to be desired, and throughout its existence, it seems to have never changed! However, it is worth making a reservation right away that many additional “skins” and covers have been created - which means you can always change it to a more attractive and modern one (perhaps not very convenient for a novice user!).

The player works great in the basic configuration, but if you need additional. function - you will need to download plugins (by the way, there are quite a lot of them and you can significantly expand the capabilities of the player). Supports all major audio formats: MP3; OGG; MP2; MP1; WMA; WAV; CDA; MO3; IT; XM; S3M; MTM; MOD; UMX, and also works with PLS / M3U / ASX playlists. In general, if you are looking for a simple and lightweight player, I recommend checking out XMplay!

Bug head Emperor

Most players are similar to each other, and only a few of them are clearly different from the rest... One of such applications is a music player Bug head Emperor from Japanese programmer Hiroyuki Yokota.

The design of the program may shock you, but you shouldn’t immediately give up on the program without trying it! Despite the unusual design, the program is distinguished by excellent and high-quality sound, and the possibility of portable installation (i.e., you can, for example, carry the program on a flash drive...).

High sound quality is achieved thanks to the original Bug head technology (this is not found in any other program!). Its essence is roughly as follows: the audio file is converted into raw RAW format, followed by special processing. sound optimization algorithm, among which there are such as Green, Galax and Star.

Since all these transformations occur “on the fly,” all this requires a fairly powerful computer, at least Intel Core i3 and 4 GB of RAM.

The player supports all popular audio formats, including mp3, aac, ogg, wav, flac and wma.

Brief summary: if you have a powerful modern computer and are unhappy with the sound quality, I recommend trying Bug head Emperor.

That's all for me.

For additions on the topic - a separate merci.