Your Media Player of Choice?

[The Doctor]

I used to be a Winamp man, back in the Winamp2 days*. When the iTunes Music Store became available for PCs, I started buying stuff from there and switched to iTunes.

Now that I've switched all my purchases to Amazon MP3 (which are DRM-free) and converted all my old AAC files to MP3s, I'm no longer tied to iTunes.

So now I'm pondering what media player to start using. I'm looking at the different media players out there, all though I'll admit that I really like iTunes. I've grown quite accustomed to the interface and love the multi-panel browser/list thingy that's so common to Apple apps.

What do the folks on here use when listening to their muzak? Any preferences?

*Before that I was a Screamtracker man, and before that a DMP (Dual Module Player) man. .MOD forever!

[iHap]

I just use the Zune software. Or plug my Zune into Line In.

[The Doctor]

I just use the Zune software. Or plug my Zune into Line In.

I knew I'd forget something. Is the Zune software seperate from WMP then?

[boratika]

Foobar2000 is definitely the way to go for music/audio playback. VLC for video.

[Rogue_hunter]

I use multiple programs. Winamp for mp3s, iTunes for podcasts/CDs and organizing my iPod, and Windows Media Player for videos

[iHap]

I knew I'd forget something. Is the Zune software seperate from WMP then?
Completely separate. There is no link between the two programs. It's almost like a relationship between iTunes and Quicktime.

Foobar2000 is definitely the way to go for music/audio playback. VLC for video.
For video I use CCCP-Media Player Classic.

[Sandman]

I'd like to start using iTunes but I'm in the habit of using winamp still.

[Alkanos]

I guess I'm lazy in that I just use WMP for everything. I used to split between Media Player Classic and Winamp but nowadays I use them only of WMP isn't doing something right.

[Xerxes]

Itunes is so no fuss for me.

[Camel]

Windows Media Player does everything I need a music player to do, which isn't all that much.

[axion]

MediaMonkey here.

[Codicier]

Zune Software, just because I have to sync with it. On the other hand, I have most of my files associated with VLC so that if I click on them they just open and play with no fuss. I only really use the Zune Software for listening to music and syncing.

Edit: Some stuff is still associated with WMP on the other hand. I think I'm going to change that right now...

Double Edit: I also use the Zune software for Podcasts.

[Lint of Death]

I like Windows Media Player a fair bit more than iTunes, but iTunes usually has better Internet records pertaining to the ID of my obscure CDs and I bought some music from them in the past that I can't play in WMP. Also I got a hand-me-down iPod so I don't have a lot of choice :o

[KingGorilla]

iTunes. If VLC were more feature rich, which is very much anti-VLC, I would use that. I own an iPod, iTunes has a good RSS grabber and a great interface for finding new shows.

I am, actually, completely free of music right now. Not a one on my drive and none on my iPod. All podcasts.

[VerseD]

I use Winamp 5. With a little configuring, I've got it to do everything iTunes does (automatically downloads podcasts and syncs with my iPod), but with more features (including Last.fm support). I prefer it over iTunes because it's easier to build playlists, there's no background processes running all the time, and it has a more customizable appearance. Also I think the new Bento skin looks great.

Definitely check it out if you're looking for something different than iTunes, and especially if you haven't used Winamp since version 2.

[Food Nipple]

I fucking hate itunes. For one, it tends to misplace podcasts, which is a pain in the ass to fix. Second, the pause feature in it sucks. Any time I pause/unpause, I'll be up to 5 seconds behind or ahead of where I paused it.

I downloaded the Zune software even though I don't own a Zune, mostly because Zune Marketplace sells MS fun money in 400 point bundles, which means you won't have leftover points when you purchase 800 point XBLA games. I was shocked to find that the Zune software both preforms better and looks far better than iTunes. It's like some kind of bizarro world where Apple has the hideous, broken product and MS has the elegant, functional one.

[Straximus]

Mostly VLC and Totem. Sometimes Mplayer or Xine.

[muddi900]

Media Monkey for music. I use YamiPod for Ipod sync. Up until a week ago, I used VLC for video. Now that I have media sharing all setup, I use Xbox360. HR-HD Lost episodes look amazing.

[Shadowstorm]

Foobar2000 is definitely the way to go for music/audio playback. VLC for video.

This.

10char.

[TrackZero]

Really should have just been called "music" player. As my media players are completely diffferent apps (video).

That said, I use iTunes and sort of like/hate it. What I really, really hate is that sometimes iTunes decides to store mp3s in some kind of "temp" folder on the c: mount (even though I have it pointed elsewhere for everything). Which then decides to auto-delete instead of moving them to the proper location at whatever point it would have done that upon shutdown. Long story short, what this means is 1/3 of all my podcast downloads don't work "This file cannot be found, help iTunes find it?", and iTunes incompetently won't let me just right-click on that episode and force another download. Instead I'm left to delete the entire podcast, re-subscribe in the iTunes store and then set back up my iPod sync settings.

Fuck apple, get it together, this shit ain't that hard.

[Abyssion]

I use iTunes for music. VLC if I don't feel like adding a new song to my library.

For video/anime I use SubEdit player, best media player I've ever used. I don't really have a good reason why though...

[BrassGecko]

I hate iTunes in general, but I really like the way it handles playlist setup and I haven't tried anything that irritates me less so far. I use VLC player for individual songs and sounds, as well as anything video.

Edit: Actually, now that I think about it, I've been using Audiosurf more than itunes.

[hunterx280]

I've been using iTunes for many years now and I love all its features. The problem I've been having with it lately is that it is clunky on my older systems (a P4 2.4ghz w/ 2GB of RAM and a laptop with a Core Duo w/ 1GB of RAM). I don't use cover flow but I swear that Apple leaves cover flow resources available.

I tend to use Winamp at work for just listening to streams and MP3s. I like how I can use it in minimized mode and it's barely visible but just visible enough that I can pause, skip, etc. The iTunes equivalent is too big for my tastes.

[Lithium Flower]

I like WMP for music, and VLC and Zoomplayer for videos. Where as I really like new interface and the mini-toolbar thingy for the task bar but has a really, really, really sucky video interface, especially the unintuitive troublesome fullscreen toggle. I can almost never successfully get a video to run fullscreen on WMP without the seek bar marring the screen. Why can't they fix that?

[crazyD]

I use Amarok.

[fitbabits]

Songbird (http://getsongbird.com/).

Try it.

[PathMaster]

Same as others have mentioned: Foobar for playlists, VLC for video and individual files.

[Young Al Capone]

Add me to the Foobar 2000/VLC group. I like my media players simple and functional.

[Brady]

For music I'm all about Media Monkey. It isn't the most beautiful or elegant looking software but it is by far the most perfectly functional piece of software I've ever used. So much that I've actually purchased the gold version even though there is a free version.

I'm obsessive over my MP3's ID tags and just having my collection organized. Media Monkey is def the best for everything I need.

[KingGorilla]

I hate iTunes in general, but I really like the way it handles playlist setup and I haven't tried anything that irritates me less so far. I use VLC player for individual songs and sounds, as well as anything video.


For me, iTunes is much better than Media Player. And the store is a very well made one. And with enough RAM, it is not a system hog.

[Heretic Machine]

I use Winamp 5 for everything from music to video. If a video doesn't play right in Winamp 5 (very rare, once you have the proper codecs set up) I use VLC. I love the interface and library functionality. I don't use playlists extensively, I prefer to just be able to navigate to a band, double click on an album, and listen that way.

[Brady]

I use Winamp 5 for everything from music to video. If a video doesn't play right in Winamp 5 (very rare, once you have the proper codecs set up) I use VLC. I love the interface and library functionality. I don't use playlists extensively, I prefer to just be able to navigate to a band, double click on an album, and listen that way.

In the past I was a fan of Winamp 5. My problem with it is that when you rate a song it stores it in some stupid Winamp 5 database and not actually in the ID3 tag of the MP3. I rate a lot of my music so my autoplaylists are always exactly what I want. I reformatted my computer once and imported all my music expecting my thousands of ratings to just show up... and yeah, what a disappointment on that one.

Then there was another thime when I simply installed a newer version of winamp over the one I had installed and it deleted all my ratings again. At the time I used Media Monkey for tag managment / file organization but I decided to try it out as my dedicated media player. It is like a dream and I've never looked back since.

[pomeroy]

I like iTunes as a player. I don't buy music from them, so the DRM issue doesn't really bother me.

[Deadend]

Zune for Music most of the time.

Media Player Classic for video.

[KingGorilla]

Zune for Music most of the time.


I fiddled with it for a week. That software makes the Safari Browser look slick.

Please people, bombard rockbox.org about the Zune.

[Wraith]

iTunes, BUT:

I only rarely use it for the store. I prefer Amazon's DRM-free tracks, if I'm going to buy digital music.
I don't auto-sync with my iPod. I drag tracks over manually.
Apple recently went and took the "Mini Player" option out of the Advanced menu. Now it's only available under View. It was much more convenient at the top of Advanced. Why not just make it a button next to min/max/close? Dumb interface decision, IMO.
I know it eats more resources than slimmer audio apps, but not enough to make much difference to me.
Podcast subscriptions can be screwy at times.

[Brady]

I fiddled with it for a week. That software makes the Safari Browser look slick.

Please people, bombard rockbox.org about the Zune.

Have you tried the new 3.0 version? Its definitely coming a long way from where it was.

[Bone]

Foobar along with CD Art Display 2 (http://www.cdartdisplay.com/index.php?categoryid=14&p2000_sectionid=3&p2000_fileid=5).

[TheKeck]

Winamp Winamp Winamp, Totally kicking the llama's ass.

[Expugnare]

I used to use winamp but with the purchase of my Zune, I use Zune Software. It is pretty good, if slow to load sometimes. I find that it is well organized.

CCCP Media Player Classic for my videos. I have not met any file that it can't play yet.

[BrassGecko]

Songbird (http://getsongbird.com/).

Try it.

I'm really liking this so far. Thanks!

[KingGorilla]

All struggle with Real Media's DRM. But that is just because Real Labs sucks.

[boratika]

Songbird (http://getsongbird.com/).

Try it.

This is also a good suggestion.

[Disgustipated]

On my laptop I use Media Player Classic, and on my desktop I use WMP11. Might have to try the Foobar though.

[Seika]

Foobar2000 is definitely the way to go for music/audio playback. VLC for video.

This.
http://img529.imageshack.us/img529/1013/foobarka7.th.jpg (http://img529.imageshack.us/my.php?image=foobarka7.jpg)http://img529.imageshack.us/images/thpix.gif (http://g.imageshack.us/thpix.php)

[muddi900]

Songbird (http://getsongbird.com/).

Try it.

It's like half-assed firefox with a full featured music player. It only needs 2 things.: "Restart after the end of song button for add-ons" and merge with firefox. That's it, we don't even need an operating system after that.

[Jeffool]

On my laptop I use Media Player Classic, and on my desktop I use WMP11. Might have to try the Foobar though.Foobar is indeed concentrated win covered in user configurability!

[Raen]

Songbird (http://getsongbird.com/).

Try it.

I tried that for a while, but it was buggy as hell. Any better now?

[roboninja]

XMPlayer. Small and light, does not even need an install.

[VerseD]

Songbird (http://getsongbird.com/).

Try it.

I tried it but didn't like it. It uses more memory than iTunes, especially when I tried a few add-ons, and it has fewer features than WinAmp.

Once they work out the kinks I think Songbird will be a great alternative. I like the Firefox style, just not all the resource hogging.

[vodkajello]

I use iTunes because it is the easiest thing to use with my iPods. (and I need it to sync my iPhone with.) It gets my podcasts and keeps my music organized. I don't really use it to watch videos, or buy/rent video or music.

My PC also is hooked up to the home theater. So I keep looking for a good 10 foot interface like MCE, but compatible and configurable they way I want. Media Portal is my current solution.

[Whunpo]

Songbird (http://getsongbird.com/).

Try it.
I tried it, and liked it for a while, and then I saw it was using about 3 or 4 times as much memory as anything else on my computer. Uh, no thanks.

[Kryopsis]

Songbird does use more memory than iTunes and Zune Software combined but the program is still in beta and it already offers more functionality than both aforementioned programs combined.
I've discovered it today while looking for a player that reads .flac (I actually came into this thread to post it but JAYoung beat me to it) and like it so far. I've got the RAM to spare, I don't mind.