Let the music play: My fave MP3 alternatives

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Let the music play: My fave MP3 alternatives

Jason Parker
Contributing Editor, Downloads
Friday, August 22, 2003

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Let's face it: Listening to music (on headphones, of course) is as acceptable in today's workplace as blue jeans or goofy tchotchkes on your cubicle shelves. And home PCs are now serving many of us as surrogate stereo systems. Which is why no machine, at the office or at home, should be without a good software MP3 player.

Most Windows users opt for Winamp, while the majority of Macsters default to iTunes. But those aren't the only MP3 players out there. Today I want to let you know about my favorite alternatives to the big-name players. I'll let you be the judge of which one might be right for you.

Quintessential Player is one of the most underrated MP3 solutions out there for Windows. It's got a nice, clean interface and tons of features, including support for virtually any audio plug-in and streaming audio, CD ripping, and free MP3 encoding. This is my current player on my Windows machine at home; I highly recommend you try it. (Free/Windows)

Audion (OS X) for Mac is a tough sell because iTunes is such a strong player. But I would still suggest you give it a shot. This player offers just about every feature you could ever want, including full support for the iPod and streaming audio, CD ripping, and MP3 encoding. In addition, it comes with a slew of cool skins (which Audion calls "faces") that'll let you make this player truly your own. Unfortunately, all those features come with a price tag--$29.95. (Shareware/Mac)

Just because everyone else uses a given MP3 player doesn't mean you have to. These alternatives offer all the features you need, including some you don't get with the big-name players. Check 'em out.

What do you think? What's your favorite MP3 player? Have you tried Quintessential Player or Audion? TalkBack to me!

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