Top 5 Audio Players to Replace Winamp
As Winamp hasn't released any new versions for almost a year now, we are kind of forced to find new solutions for our music playing needs. Don't get me wrong, Winamp is still one of the best players out there, and if it satisfies you, keep it. But for those of us who need something fresh every now and then, here is a list of five best players available on the market today. All these players are free, so you can try them all before deciding which one is right for you.
5. Foobar2000
Foobar2000
Foobar2000 is a free media player which supports a huge number of audio formats. I'm not going to waste your time listing regular features that every decent audio player should have, I'll just tell you what sets it apart the other players. The main reasons for picking this software over the rest is the fact that it's very lightweight and is arguably the most customizable media player you will find. It has tons of plug-ins that enable you to drastically modify the program's appearance and extend its functionality. But as if often happens, there is a drawback: Foobar2000 can be a bit hard to control for the inexperienced user, especially once you start customizing it.
4. MediaMonkey
MediaMonkey
MediaMonkey is very close to being the ultimate package. This program would be way higher on the list if it wasn't for the $25 it charges for access to some of its coolest functions, such as smart playlists, auto library organization, advanced searches, etc. However, the free version is still good enough to make it noteworthy. The unique thing about this player is its ability to synchronize your music with iOS devices along with its DLNA slicing capability.
3. AIMP
AIMP
Short for Artem Izmaylov Media Player, AIMP is my personal favorite. This free tool is very similar to Winamp, providing almost all the features of the its widespread rival. Some of the things I like most about this program are the shutdown scheduling function and its ability to function as an alarm clock, gradually increasing the volume so that you could turn the alarm off before it wakes everyone in the house. Furthermore, AIMP embeds a vocal remover which makes it really great if you like to throw karaoke parties.
2. Tomahawk
Tomahawk
This free tool is the jolly joker of music players. What makes Tomahawk stand out from the crowd is that it will sync with some of the most popular music services, like Last.FM, Spotify, GrooveShark, etc. This program is designed to be "the middle man" and offer you an easy solution for syncing all your music accounts. To put it simply, Tomahawk is somewhat similar to multi-client messaging applications which allow you to simultaneously connect to multiple accounts across various email clients.
1. MusicBee
MusicBee
Yup, MusicBee is number one and here's the reason why. First of all, it offers some of the most extensive functionality you have ever seen, including a few special features such as monitoring specified folders for changes and automatically adding new entries to your library, easily syncing your library with a wide array of portable devices or converting between formats during the synchronization process. Furthermore, the amount of resources this free player uses is very low if you take into account the multitude of functions it offers. MusicBee manages to be user-friendly, effective and lightweight all at the same time. That is why we give it the first place on our list.
Have to say that while I have used some in the list, that for just a quick listen to any audio on my Laptop I usually just open them with 1by1. It's light on resources, small and fast: it provides a smart and versatile environment to handle your file collection and listen to your tracks - with no need for playlists or databases.
Although it is mainly used as a video player, but it is a good audio player as well.