Archived from ListenSmart.com, November 3, 2003. Historical; not current advice. Software, prices and links are as they were then.
Source: Wayback Machine capture.
Macintosh Players
Windows Media Player Windows 95/98/NT Homepage | Download
Windows Media Player is very powerful and versatile player that allows you to play almost all popular audio files, including MP3, WAV, MIDI, Real Audio, and video files, including MPG, QuickTime, Real Video, and AVI. It also has the ability to play anything from low-bandwidth audio to full-screen video. Additionally, when accessing an audio or video clip, Windows Media Player checks to see if the required codec is installed. If not, it will automatically search for and download the codec for you, and then play the file. Above all, Windows Media Player is the most flexible and convenient player for accessing multimedia content.
Sonique Macintosh Homepage |
Sonique is an audio player that has the ability to handle audio CDs, MP3 files, Windows Media files, and more. Its features include a complete playlist editor, a 20-band equalizer, balance and amplification adjustment capabilities, and an ability to support a variety of plug-ins and skins. But most likely, Sonique's most popular feature is its advanced graphical interface design. It showcases stylish, animated buttons and interface menus that make it very unique to other players. The result is a powerful program that is both elegant and easy to use.
RealPlayer 7 Macintosh Homepage | Download
This is the only player you need to get all the great RealAudio and RealVideo content on the web. It supports the streaming audio and video formats, thus allowing you to avoid all the download delays -- i.e. the sound bytes run while being downloaded, not after. RealPlayer's new SmartStream™ technology eliminates rebuffering and enhances audio and video quality. Its preset audio and video channels make finding content an easy task. Also new to the RealPlayer is its Take5 feature. Take5 offers daily updated multimedia content to users seeking entertainment. More than 100 media partners provide the portal's content in the form of daily headlines, comedy features, and music news.
FreeAmp Macintosh Homepage | Download
Developed by a conglomerate of programmers, FreeAmp is a simple mp3 player with satisfying sound and a basic interface. It supports streaming MP3s as well as all MPEG-encoded files (MP2s, MP3s, etc.). One handy feature is its ability to save streams locally to your computer for offline listening. Additionally, FreeAmp's compatibility with the Diamond Rio portable player allows you to transfer playlists between hardware devices. Any yes, just as the name implies, it is a free MP3 player.
MACAST Macintosh Shareware $25 (full version) $10 (lite version) Homepage |
MACAST (formerly MacAmp) is a widely supported Macintosh audio player for digital music. The Lite version is designed to provide a convenient, user-friendly version of the full MACAST interface. Both versions include drag-and-drop capabilities, playlists editors, skin supporting interfaces, and plug-ins for additional functionality. MACAST and MACAST Lite support the MP2, MP3, MIDI, MOD, CDA, IT, S3M, and XM formats.