Sonique
- Sonique is the best Mp3 player I've found yet. It can display
some really great visualizations on several different places and scales.
The program has no window, so the skins can make the player look like anything
that will fit on the screen. It has a few modes of looking at it,
each of which have good sides. Sonique has less input plugins, but
it lets you play a lot of stuff, and it can do a few unique things you'll
just have to find out about yourself.
Macast
- Alright. You PowerPc Mac owners are getting frustrated aren't
you? Not enough players for you? Well, here's the Mac player
of choice. Similar to Winamp, Macast can play many types of files.
It can also stream Mp3s through system's like Nullsoft's SHOUTCAST, designed
for Winamp. Apple lovers, your savior has arrived.
Windows
Media Player - Okay. If you think Microsoft is God's gift to
the world, get this. Or if you use a Mac. That's right, Mac
users, you finally have a decent Mp3, video, wav, and lots of other things
player. Of course, Windows users probably have some version or another
of it already there, but this upgrade is probably worth it just to play
some movies and sounds better. If you're looking for a reliable player
without much fuss with skins or vis's, knock yourself out.
RealJukebox
- It's RealNetworks trying to catch up with Winamp and Sonique.
RealJukebox is better for Mp3 playing than RealPlayer, and it can encode
files from CD's to Mp3, RealMedia or Wav files. It also plays music
CD's. RealJukebox has the same visualizations as RealPlayer, but
Jukebox come with skins! It's amazing! RealNetworks
has figured out that their programs are ugly! I recommend RealJukebox
more than Player, but not much. (Read: Just get Sonique!)
Note: The RealEntertainment Center download just a way to get RealJukebox,
RealPlayer and RealDownload(explained later) in one big file.
RealPlayer
- RealPlayer is an ok Mp3 player, but there are lots better ones out
there. RealPlayer can play streamed movies and songs, but only in
the RealMedia format, which makes them sound and look like crap.
RealPlayer can play normal Mp3s, and the new beta has visualizations, but
they look like the movies do. Take my advice, here. If you
want to just stream some small, legal files, use RealPlayer. If not,
stay away from this RealNetworks monster.
Napster
- Havin' trouble finding the Mp3 you want? Then Napster is what you
need. Napster is a program that connects you with everyone else using
it at the same time. On Napster you can eventually find ANY Mp3 you
want. It has a search feature and a chat system. It can also
do instant messages, which are useful to keep the guy who has you're file
from disconecting. The normal chat has gotten more popular than it
used to be, so try surfing the chatrooms.
GetRight
- So you can find every Mp3 you want regularly on the Internet, but
the download never works? GetRight is the answer to all your problems.
If the link is broken, GetRight can use an FTP search and find a link that
works. If the download suddenly stops or slows down, GetRight can
revive your download. GetRight has a free trial version that works
forever, but if you buy it you can get rid of the ads and use more of the
skins that the program offers. GetRight also comes with a template for
making your own skins, if you get bored with what you can get.
MusicMatch
Jukebox - If you're lookin' to record high-quality Mp3's from your
Cd's with ease and for free, turn to MusicMatch Jukebox.(If you're looking
for very low-quality Mp3 recording, turn to RealJukebox.) MusicMatch
can record 320kbps songs for free with no limitations. If you don't
know, that's really good. It can record to your computer or to a
CD-R. It can print CD labels and inserts. If you wanna to make
your own CD's this is how you're gonna do it right.
Uncook
95 - Ok. So you can find the download site, download the file,
but once you get it, the file sounds like the band has suddenly decided
to play it's next song underwater. We can fix that too, but only
on downloads from the Internet, not from Napster. Uncook 95 fixes
the files by getting rid of line breaks that some servers will add to the
file, making it sound crappy. IE users, sorry. Uncook 95 only
works on Netscape downloads.
Download
Now
RealDownload
- And here we complete the usless tour of the RealEntertainment Center.
RealDownload can pause and resume downloads, resume disconnected downloads,
and comes with the exact same skins as Jukebox. It can't download
as much stuff as GetRight, and the free Basic version (which I hope you've
all been getting, it's not worth paying $50 for these things) limits your
options. If you have Jukebox and Player, you might as well complete
the cycle.
Epitonic.com
- I'm just gonna give you what the site says about itself, cause it's
all true.
Your source for cutting edge music.
Epitonic is an aesthetic, a blatant
taunt to the ears. This is our battle cry: We find
music that engages, music that
explodes, music that subverts. We handpick every artist
and label on our site so you don't
have to waste your time looking for the good stuff.
And it's free. So start downloading
and prepare to lose your mind in the cacophonous
delirium of our musical asylum...
Epitonic also has movies and software. What you waitin' for,
foo? Get goin'!
myplay.com
- This website offers Internet Mp3 'lockers' to keep up to 3GB of Mp3's
on the Internet. You can share these files with other myplay members
and look at playlists that other members have created. You can also
download the files you have stored to any computer with an Internet connection,
or stream the files. If I get Mp3's on this site, I'll include links
to directly add them to your myplay locker.
SHOUTcast
- Streaming audio from Nullsoft, makers of Winamp. SHOUTcast
is Winamp-based, but you can use any player. SHOUTcast servers are
like radio stations, each one playing a certain type of music. You
can run your own SHOUTcast server and brodcast your own music. The
SHOUTcast website has online docs to help server developers, and links
to download SHOUTcast broadcasting software and Winamp.
Audiofind
- Yet another way to find the Mp3's you want. Audiofind is basically
a search engine for Mp3's that people have submitted to it. Audiofind
can read the names of files inside zip files and tell if the person who
submitted the file just gave it the wrong filename or what. Pretty
good if you get frustrated connecting and disconnecting from Napster to
find a file.
EatSound
- EatSound is an Mp3 search engine that uses lots of other search engines
to get it's results. Choose the search engine you want to use, hit
Find Now!, and you'll get a huge list of links. This list can be
depended upon to have 9 out of every 10 links broken. When using
EatSound, be armed with GetRight or RealDownload, or else be prepared to
crack your skull when banging it against your monitor.
The Mp3Zone! website is coded, managed and updated
by Trendell
