WinAMP’s primary function is to play MP3-encoded audio, which it is does incredibly well. This feature-packed application does everything I need for MP3 playback, and it’s free!

The MP3 Phenomenon
If you are reading this epinion, it’s likely you’re already intimately familiar with MP3’s. If not, WinAMP will show you the ropes in no time! Basically, MP3 is a form of compression that can be used to drastically reduce the size of digitally-recorded audio. For example, a typical uncompressed minute of CD-quality audio typically take up about 10 megabytes of hard disk space on your computer. With MP3 compression technology, the size of that file can be reduced to about a megabyte! Programs such as WinAMP will decompress and play MP3 compressed audio files on the fly, while offering other nice features as well.

Enter WinAMP
WinAMP has been around since MP3 compressed audio was first introduced and gaining popularity. In the mean time, WinAMP has refined their product while still keeping it free! WinAMP’s audio quality is excellent—I listed to hours of MP3’s a day with good quality headphones, and it really is like listening to my original CD’s.

Not just sound quality, but other nifty features…
The majority of people use WinAMP for playing MP3 audio files. Period. But there are some cool features WinAMP offers that help place WinAMP at the top of the MP3-playing heap:

Skins: Various websites, including www.winamp.com, offer “skins” for download. These skins can be loaded into the application to change the appearance of the WinAMP player! A very cool feature indeed; it’s very simple to customize the look of the player.

Playlist: With the playlist manager, you can create a queue of songs to play, tweak the order, and then save the playlist for later! This is a great way to make a mix of your favorite songs—and a very nice alternative to messing with stacks of CD’s when entertaining.

Graphic EQ: If you are a tweakmeister, you’ll have to open up the EQ and have a look. WinAMP offers a 10-band graphic EQ with the ability to save presets.

Plug-ins: Nullsoft (the creators of WinAMP) and others create additional components, or “plug-ins” for WinAMP that add functionality and features. For example, you can add plug-ins that perform DSP (digital signal processing) functions on your audio or enable certain remotes to control WinAMP.

Visualizations: The newer versions of WinAMP have been sporting a nice visualization plug-in that offers loads of customization. You can create your very own display with various effects that beats to the music you’re playing—another cool feature if you’re entertaining and using your computer as the DJ!

SHOUTcast: Another excellent feature of WinAMP is the ability to stream digital audio over the Internet. What this basically means is that you can tune into one of hundreds of Internet-based “radio stations” and enjoy continuously streaming content!

In conclusion…
Head over to www.winamp.com and grab a copy! I’ve tried a half dozen MP3 players, but keep coming back to WinAMP—it’s elegant, simple, and sounds great!




Recommended: Yes