Currently, even those users who do not consider themselves music lovers have a fairly large volume of audio files. They need more than just a comfortable audio player, but also additional functionality for listening to music on a computer, cataloging it and all kinds of processing. Therefore, I decided to add an article to the site with review of music players for PC.

A player implemented by default by operating system developers, which was completely suitable for me in terms of functionality and not only that I had not encountered. Moreover, such a player cannot be called a media center. Not to mention, of course, but this is not the case. Windows has a good audio player, but the sound quality, ease of use and functionality leave much to be desired. You can find an excellent multimedia player from third-party developers. True, there are a huge number of them and the choice is not easy. I think that I have selected the optimal solutions with excellent sound quality and a wide range of possibilities. So, select an audio player.

Winamp - “the permanent old man”

Website http://www.winamp.com/

The multimedia player Everyone knows it and has a huge army of users. At first, Winamp only supported playback of music files, but now you can play a variety of videos, convert multimedia content, and also use the player to listen to Internet radio. Currently, the fate of Winamp has not been decided and the company Radionomy is going to buy it; previously there was information about the closure of the project on December 20, 2013.

Features of Winamp audio player

• Fast scaling of the program window size by 2 times. This function looks especially beneficial on large diagonals.
• Automatic track (composition) recognition. Filling out tags. Search for album cover.
• Importing a library from iTunes.
• Winamp support for additional modules - extensions that add various functionality: reading lossless formats, working with disk images, etc.

Among the shortcomings is the confusing interface.

aTunes - universal audio player

Website: www..org

Yes, the name of this audio player It is tritely reminiscent of the Apple music service, but has no similarities with it.

Audio player features

• aTunes is made in Java, which makes it cross-platform: it works on all popular operating systems (Mac OS X, Windows, Linux, Solaris and FreeBSD).
• Convenient cataloger of compositions (autocomplete tags, search by tags)
• Thoughtful interface and functionality
• An excellent system for compiling playlists (auto-generation of playlists, personalization of a selection of audio tracks according to your preferences).
• Support for many online music services (in real time, the audio player loads the lyrics of the song being played, shows the album cover, a short biography of the artist, etc.

What I especially liked: in the aTunes window you can perform a query, with the help of which the service will select similar artists.

AIMP - the best choice for listening to music

Website: aimp.ru

AIMP audio player is a modified alternative to Winamp player.

Features of AIMP3

• The AIMP3 interface is similar to the classic Winamp skin, but the player, unlike the Nullsoft product, has a small distribution and good speed.
• Expanded built-in equalizer (18 audio frequencies versus 10 for Winamp).
• A set of various audio effects: reverb, flanger, chorus, pitch, tempo, echo, bass, voice suppression, etc.
• Simultaneous work with several playlists: one is played while the other is edited.
• Built-in tag editor and the ability to upload covers.
• AIMP supports lossless images by default if there is a CUE markup file.
• The ability to use different signal output methods to improve sound: DirectSound, ASIO and WASAPI.
• AIMP supports listening to Internet radio stations (recording the broadcast and then saving it).

foobar2000 - player with the ability to customize the interface

Website: foobar2000.org

The main difference between foobar2000 is its strict and ascetic interface with many different functions that competitors’ players do not have. There is an interesting fact that one of the developers of the Winamp player took part in the creation of foobar2000, which explains its compatibility with many add-ons for the player from NullSoft.

Features of foobar2000

• on the Internet you can find and download plugins for almost any purpose;
• using plugins you can make changes to the interface, add support for reading 7-Zip archives, burning audio CDs, automatically working with tags, sending information about the track being played to Skype status, etc.;
• automatic selection of optimal sound volume;
• an excellent manager for managing an audio collection (auto scanning of selected folders, grouping files according to various parameters, tag editor: ID3v1, ID3v2 and APE);
• Support for ASIO output, which provides the most direct music output, bypassing the Windows mixer. Installed as an add-on component for foobar2000.

Songbird - media player with web integration

Website

Songbird audio player focused on online use (obtaining information about tracks and music news).

Features of Songbird

• It is built on the Mozilla Firefox browser engine, making Songbird cross-platform.
• This player can be used as a full-fledged browser on a separate tab (password manager, pop-up window protection).
• Import song information from iTunes.
• Automatically tracks changes in a specified folder and synchronizes your music library.
• Network media server function for streaming audio.

TagScanner - tag editor

Website: xdlab.ru

TagScanner has rich functionality for working with tags and album covers. I recommend this program for batch work with files. In the utility, you can set a new name using a given mask, generate tags for files based on the names of the location folders.

Exact Audio Copy is a great ripper

Website

Exact Audio Copy is great for ripping audio CDs into lossless formats. This utility provides fairly high quality data reading and the ability to read scratched discs. The received data can be immediately encoded into one of the selected formats. Supported codecs include Lame, which has the advantage of excellent sound in a small size. This is achieved through the use of variable bitrate encoding: where the audio signal shape is simpler, the copy quality is automatically reduced, and where there are many instruments or vocals, it is improved. For minimal losses in sound quality, the ripper allows you to encode tracks into lossless formats such as FLAC and Ogg Vorbis. When creating audio files, Exact Audio Copy accesses the freedb online database, which eliminates the need to manually enter track names. Discs digitized using this program are stored in its own database. So if you don't remember exactly what you've already copied to MP3 and what you haven't, just open the Exact Audio Copy index and look for a disc among the finished projects.

For those who want to install a universal media player for their PC, I advise you to read not only for the audio, but also for the video collection.

Downloading a FLAC player for a computer on Windows 10 is necessary not only for those who are already fans of high-quality music, but also for those who want to discover the wonderful world of high-quality songs. It's probably no secret to you that the .FLAC format is a professional format. You may not find all the songs in this format, so you need to immediately solve two questions - how to open FLAC and where to get the right song. It's good that we have a large selection of FLAC players and we can choose better.

How to open a .FLAC music file on a Windows 10 computer

For those who want to listen to a high-quality song, we recommend downloading tracks in .FLAC format. This is a professional format that often causes problems, and even more often it raises the question of how to open it. First, let's figure out what kind of format this is. FLAC stands for Free Lossless Audio Codec. That is, this format is a high quality music format. Not all songs can be found in this format. But if you have already found the track and downloaded it, then to open it you need to download the FLAC player. There is no player with this name, since many players support this format, so you need to choose one of the universal solutions. When choosing, you need to pay attention to the following facts:

• Does the FLAC player support other formats?
• Do you have access to fine-tuning playback?

The good thing about the FLAC format is that you can customize the playback of the file. For example, you can manually adjust the bass or set other parameters. You can also use a FLAC player as the main one, which is much more convenient. Of course, for this, the player must initially support all popular formats. But do not confuse an MP3 player and a FLAC player. One of the best players for the .FLAC format is the player.

Finding a player that supports Flac is not so difficult, but finding a player that fully supports this format is not such an easy task. And since you are already on this page, we recommend that you try our selection. We are confident that this FLAC player is one of the best and you will definitely be satisfied. If you are now looking for a good player, then we recommend paying attention to VLC Media Player and you can download it on this page.

While working at a computer, almost every one of us listens to music, and perhaps that is why the popularity of audio players is very high. There are many options for players on the Internet, among which it can be quite difficult to choose.

In our review of the 5 best players, the following characteristics were taken into account:

• Playback quality;
• Sound settings;
• Working with playlists;
• Installing additional plugins.

It has many skins that allow you to personalize it, as well as a large number of plugins that expand its functionality.

The latest versions of the player make it possible to convert music and synchronize it with Android gadgets.

Aimp

The fourth position is occupied by the AIMP player, which is distinguished by its excellent and clear sound. The program itself is not very cumbersome, its interface is very thoughtful and convenient.

The 16-band graphic equalizer will allow you to achieve the desired sound of your favorite tune. Additional options include editing tags, as well as support for streaming playback.

This player with a funny name has a lot of possibilities. With it you can easily organize your media library, record playlists and edit tags.

The user-friendly design looks very natural, and convenient links on the left allow you to go to your most visited places.

A distinctive feature of the player is the ability to monitor a specified folder, importing new files from it.

All music lovers unanimously put the player in first place, which gives the best sound and is very easy to set up. Among the supported music formats there is also losseless.

Many users love to listen to music and audiobooks on both desktop and laptop computers. To play audio files you need a special utility. Let's look at the most popular player options for Windows 10, their functions, download and installation.

Best audio players for Windows 10

Let's look at the music players that are downloaded most often by Windows 10 users, study their advantages and disadvantages, and figure out the installation.

Winamp: the most popular and “old” player for video and audio

Winamp player is a timeless quality classic that has been serving PC users for over 15 years. As one of the pioneers, the player began to set the pace for the development of other audio and video players. All Winamp updates gradually became mandatory elements of other programs. This player is considered the most popular: its coverage includes more than 100 million people around the globe.

Winamp player was one of the very first players to appear for Windows OS

The advantages and capabilities of the utility are as follows:

• the presence of a lot of covers (so-called skins) for the player. In the list you can find both the simplest and the most complex with high resource intensity;
• the opportunity not only to listen to your favorite music, but also to watch films and various videos;
• opening of almost all formats of video and audio recordings;
• availability of the full Russian version;
• the presence of many parameters for fine-tuning, including equalizer, different sound tones, etc.;
• equipped with the function of creating your own playlists and libraries of music files.

Some users began to notice that with the latest updates the player began to freeze and work incorrectly. This problem may be due to loading covers that are too heavy for the system. In this case, it is recommended to install simpler options that do not put as much strain on a computer with average or minimum technical characteristics.

Even though the utility is quite old, it can still set a trend. The developer of the program, the American company Nullsoft, is now working on a powerful update, based on information on the official resource. As of June 2018, there was no official release of the new Winamp for Windows 10. In this regard, it is not yet possible to download and install this player from the official website.

Aimp: popular player with advanced functionality

This music player also occupies one of the leading positions in the free player market and can compete in popularity and functionality with Winamp. The Aimp project was started by Artyom Izmailov when the future programmer was still in school. A whole group of developers is currently working on program updates.

Aimp player has a stylish design and wide functionality

The advantages of the utility include:

• modern dark interface with orange default buttons. The ability to change the color to another at the user’s request cannot but attract;
• support for playing files of a wide variety of formats: MP3, WAV, MP4, MPC, APE, MPGA, OMA, DSF, etc. It is difficult to find an audio recording extension that Aimp will not “eat”;
• compatible with Windows 10 and older versions, including XP and Vista;
• 32-bit audio processing, providing excellent quality;
• built-in Internet radio. In addition, the utility boasts a radio recording option;
• creating an automatic rating based on the frequency of user listening to a particular recording. Based on this rating, you can create your own top list of songs;
• the presence of not only a regular equalizer, but also ready-made sound settings (modes) for playing songs of a wide variety of genres (pop, rock, rap, etc.);
• various sound effects.

In addition, Aimp has a Russian version, a portable (does not require installation on a PC) version, a large number of covers and convenient search. This player will appeal to gamers: using hot keys, you can switch songs while playing on your computer without leaving it. With all these advantages, it is also free.

The downside is that it is quite resource intensive. If the PC is too weak, most likely the player will malfunction. Also, the program is not suitable for users with a screen resolution less than 1024 x 768.

To install Aimp, do the following:

1. Go to the official website of the program, from which it is recommended to download the installer. On the page, click on the link AIMP.RU.
   Click on the link AIMP.RU to download the installer
2. Run the downloaded installer. Select your interface language from the drop-down menu.
   Select the Aimp interface language you need and click on “OK”
3. In the welcome window of the installation wizard, click “Next”.
   Click “Next” to change the preliminary settings before installing Aimp
4. Check the box next to “I accept the terms of the license agreement” and click “Next”.
   Check the box indicating that you accept the terms of the agreement and click on “Next” to continue installing Aimp
5. Now you need to decide on the folder in which the program files will be. You can leave an automatically defined folder. We make a choice between the portable and regular version. Click on “Next” again.
   Select the folder to install Aimp and the program version
6. Uncheck the boxes about downloading additional software from Yandex. Click “Next”.
   Uncheck additional programs that are proposed to be installed and click on “Next”
7. If you wish, you can create a shortcut on the “Desktop” and enable some other options, for example, associating all music files on your PC with Aimp. Now click on “Install” and wait for the installation to complete.
   Check the boxes next to the items you need, for example, to create Aimp shortcuts, and click on “Install”

Video: how to download and install Aimp

Aero Glass MP3 Player: only for two recording formats

Based on the name of the player, the user can conclude that it is somehow connected with the transparent design of Windows Aero Glass windows. This is true, but only for Windows 7, and not for Windows 10. This player works in Windows 10, but with errors and without a transparency effect, so installing it on a PC with this OS is not recommended.

Foobar 2000: a great option for weak computers

This audio player will be a good option for owners of computers with modest technical characteristics, since its main advantage is its low resource consumption. It will consume less RAM and lightly load the central processor, but at the same time the fast operating speed will remain.

Its developer is a programmer named Peter Pawlowski, formerly of Nullsoft.

Foobar 2000 is fast, but consumes few PC resources

Other advantages of this player include:

• clear and high-quality sound;
• the ability to quickly extract records from RAR and ZIP archives;
• changing hotkeys to switch songs;
• playback of most formats, including DVD Audio and Loss;
• free license;
• support for all versions of Windows, that is, not only “tens”;
• creating your own lists of tracks and more.

The functionality of the program is quite wide. The disadvantages include the extraordinary design of the window, made in a minimalist style. To install Foobar 2000:

1. Go to the official player resource. Click on the link located under Latest stable version.
   Click on the link under Latest stable version to download the latest version of the program
2. Run the file that was just downloaded. Click Next.
   Click Next to begin installing Foobar 2000
3. Now click on the I Agree button. This will mean that you accept the terms of the agreement.
   Click on I Agree to accept the terms of the Foobar 2000 agreement
4. In the next window, select a folder to store the player files. You can leave the folder defined automatically. Click Next again.
   Select the folder to install Foobar 2000 and click Next
5. Choose either the standard installation or the portable version. In the second option, program configuration data, including registry entries, will not be stored in system folders on the hard drive. Click on Next and then on Yes.
   Choose between standard and portable installation types Foobar 2000
6. Select the desired installation type from the drop-down menu, for example, Full. Now click on Install to install the player on your PC. Close the installation window and use the program.
   Select the full installation of Foobar 2000 from the drop-down menu and click on Install

Video: how to install Foobar 2000 and how to use it

JetAudio Basic: a feature-rich free player

This player was developed by the Korean company Cowon. It has quite a lot of advantages over its analogues. Among them are the following:

• can work on a timer;
• offers a lot of different covers and sound effects;
• creates playlists;
• supports subtitles, karaoke and multi-channel audio;
• Offers sound effects such as BBE, X-Bass, reverb and others;
• converts files of various audio formats;
• displays song ratings;
• burns CDs;
• capable of simultaneously playing two files (video with video or video with audio);
• plays video.

In addition, the player has a modern design and a logically constructed menu, which is a plus for beginners. The utility interface has been translated into many languages, including Russian. The program weight is only 33.4 MB.

The JetAudio Basic player has a lot of functionality and a modern design

The utility also has its disadvantages:

• takes up more space compared to other audio players;
• takes a lot of system resources from the PC during operation;
• does not have as wide functionality as the paid version;
• does not support Cue Sheet (a text file that describes the sequence and duration of tracks on CDs).

You can install this player on your PC as follows:

1. Go to the official website of the player. There will be two versions: Basic and Plus. Since the latter is paid, we choose Basic. To the right of the item there is a green Download Now button. We just click on it.
   Click on the green Download Now button to download JetAudio Basic
2. On the new page, click on the same button.
3. Run the downloaded installer. You will be greeted with the Installation Wizard window. Here we simply click on “Next”.
   Click on "Next" to begin installing JetAudio Basic
4. Place a round check mark next to “I accept the terms of the license agreement.” Left-click on “Next” again.
   Check “I accept the terms of the agreement” and click on “Next”
5. We select the folder for installing JetAudio Basic using the “Change” button or leave the one that was selected automatically.
   Select the folder for JetAudio Basic using the Change button or leave the default partition
6. Remove or leave the “Add shortcut to desktop” checkbox in the next window. Click on “Next”.
   Add a JetAudio Basic shortcut to the “Desktop” and click “Next”
7. Click on “Install” to start the installation process.
   To begin the installation process, click on “Install”
8. When the installation is completed successfully, click on “Finish” and start listening to music using this player.

Video: how to install JetAudio Basic and how to use it

XMplay: compact and omnivorous

XMplay is a compact, free audio and video player for most formats. At the same time, the application has a lot of functionality. The program was released back in 1998 by the developer Un4seen Developments.

XMplay player reads most audio file formats and has many covers in the collection

The advantages of this application include:

• good, high-quality sound;
• a huge collection of covers, where everyone can choose something to suit their taste;
• support for a wide variety of audio track formats, including OGG, MP3, MP2, MP1, WMA, WAV, AIFF, CDA and others;
• instant launch of tracks through their context menu in Windows Explorer (a special item for this program appears in the list);
• playback of playlists that were created in other players in formats such as PLS, M3U, ASX, WAX and CUE;
• free license.

The downside of the program is that it is quite resource-intensive, especially if you load several plugins and skins.

If you decide to download XMplay, use the following short and simple instructions:

Windows Media Player: A classic OS app

This player is a standard Windows program (for all versions) from Microsoft, which is immediately installed on the PC along with the operating system. There is no need to download it separately. The player plays not only audio tracks, but also movies. Why do Windows clients prefer additional software rather than using this classic application? Let's consider its disadvantages and advantages.

Windows Media Player is a classic application from Microsoft that is installed with the OS

Let's start with the positive points. For Windows Media Player they are as follows:

• he searches for new media files on his PC and adds them to his collection;
• converts files and writes information to disks;
• has a fairly modern design;
• offers a choice of many online stores for downloading files;
• Increases the sound volume for “quiet” files.

The disadvantages include the following:

• many users note that it works slowly;
• has a large window size;
• does not support podcasts;
• Converts only formats such as MP3, WAV and WMA.

Since this program comes bundled with a clean installation of Windows 10, it cannot be installed separately. To start using this utility, search for it on your PC using Windows Search. Click on the magnifying glass icon on the “Taskbar” and enter the corresponding query in the line.

Type Windows Media into the search bar and open the file with one click

STP: no frills player

A special feature of this mini-program for playback (System Tray Player) is that its menu is called up in the system tray. The player takes up minimal space in the PC memory and on its screen, as it has a small menu. In addition, the program consumes little RAM and does not load the processor. The developers are programmers Yuri Stous and Andrew Miller.

STP works directly in the system tray of the computer: its window does not take up much space on the screen

• good equalizer;
• setting up hot keys.

1. Let's switch to STP works directly in the system tray of the computer: its window does not take up much space on the screen

   Despite its modest size, in addition to the main functions, the utility has the following options:

   • the ability to open and edit ready-made playlists;
   • good equalizer;
   • setting up hot keys.

   The downside is that the program design is too simple. The gray window may not appeal to fans of modern applications with a thoughtful design.

   The advantage of this player is that it does not require installation like other players. You simply run the downloaded file and listen to the recordings using STP.

   1. Go to the official STP page.
   2. Click on the TELECHARGER link next to SYSTRAY_VERSION2.0.0.0 Executable.
      Click on Executable Telecharger to download the archive
   3. The archive will download. As in the case of XMplay, create a folder in the Program Files section and unpack the contents of the archive there.
      Extract the STP archive to the Program Files folder
   4. Open Windows Explorer, in particular the folder with the extracted files. Double click on STP.exe. A menu for this player will immediately appear in the system tray.
      After opening the STP.exe file in the system tray, the player menu will immediately appear

   MediaMonkey: a powerful player and organizer for media files

   The MediaMonkey utility is not only a media player, but also a functional organizer for audio and video recordings, which makes it easy to create organized collections. The player reads most formats. The program developer, Ventis Media, offers a choice of free and paid versions for download.

   
   MediaMonkey is a convenient and powerful organizer for organizing your audio folders

   Main features and advantages of the utility:

   • processes video using plugins;
   • makes it possible to install other add-ons through the official website;
   • writes an Audio CD with information about audio tracks (CD Text);
   • allows you to manage a huge music collection (more than 50 thousand tracks);
   • supports various Winamp plugins;
   • converts the most popular audio file formats, including MP3, WMA, OGG, FLAC, WAV and many others;
   • offers "Auto-Dj" and "Group Mode" options;
   • supports synchronization with smartphones and MP3 players;
   • automatically downloads album covers if they are missing.

   The player has only two drawbacks: the reduced functionality of the free version and inadequate synchronization with the iPod.

   You can download and install the player on your Windows 10 PC as follows:

   1. We go to the official website of the player. Here you are invited to download one of the versions of the utility: paid or free. Scroll to the blue Download Now button. Click on it right away to download the free version.
      Click on the blue Download Now button to download the MediaMonkey installer
   2. Click on the Download Now button again, but this time it’s black. If you wish, you can install a trial version of the paid version.
   3. Launch the downloaded installer. Click on “Yes” to allow the application to make changes on your computer.
   4. Now select the language from the drop-down menu.
      Select your MediaMonkey language from the drop-down menu and click OK
   5. Click on “Next” in the welcome window.
   6. Place a check mark next to “I accept the terms of the agreement” and click on “Next”.
   7. In the next window, either leave the automatically defined folder, or set your own using the “Browse” button. Click on “Next” again.
      Set your folder or leave everything unchanged and click on “Next”
   8. Create a folder with the name of the program in the Start menu. If you want to change the folder, click on "Browse". You can leave the default settings. Click on “Next”.
   9. Now create a shortcut on the “Desktop” and enable skins. To do this, check the appropriate boxes. Click on “Next”.
      Install the MediaMonkey shortcut on your Desktop and enable skins (new skins) as desired
   10. Click on the “Install” button to start the installation itself.
   11. We wait for the process to complete, close the installation wizard window and launch the program using the shortcut on the “Desktop”.

   Video: how to install MediaMonkey

   Foobnix: integration with VK

   This player was originally developed by Foobnix Team for Linux OS, but over time it became cross-platform. Now it is suitable for Windows 10. Its main feature and advantage is working with audio recordings on the VKontakte social network. Other advantages and capabilities of the player:

   • support for the most common audio recording formats, as well as CUE, Lossless and FLAC;
   • inclusion of more than 5 thousand radio stations;
   • listening to music online;
   • setting up hot keys;
   • the ability to change the program interface and minimize it to tray;
   • low technical requirements for a PC;
   • consumption of only 30 MB of RAM;
   • creating your own playlists and libraries;
   • built-in song download manager;
   • converting some types of files.

   The only disadvantage we can highlight is the lack of ability to change the player's cover.

   To download and install the Foobnix player:

   1. Go to the official page. Scroll down and get to Windows. Click on the link that is located under this word. Your browser will download the desired archive.
      Click on the link under Windows to download the installer
   2. On the system disk in the Program Files folder, create the Foobnix folder.
      Create a Foobnix folder on your system drive
   3. We launch the archive and extract its contents into the newly created folder on drive C.
      Extract the Foobnix archive files to a folder on your system drive
   4. Open the Foobnix folder in Windows Explorer and run the foobnix.exe file.
      In the folder open the file foobnix.exe
   5. A player window will immediately appear on your screen.
      After launching the file, the Foobnix player window will immediately appear on the screen

   Choosing a music player for Windows 10 depends on what you want to use it for, as well as your specific wishes regarding its design. There are players that are not remarkable in appearance, but have very wide functionality and vice versa. All the utilities described are free, that is, they can be used freely without any payments or subscriptions.

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), plug-ins 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.