Media Players

First off, I put this in entertainment because media players aren't just for music and it will help the video game/other stuff ratio.

What media players does everyone use? I did have iTunes for my iPod but since re-installing windows I don't want it anymore. I've installed media monkey but I've decided that I don't like it. Even though I can sync my iPod with it, it doesn't record what songs I've listened to for last.fm and I find the library interface a little bit awkward.

So in short here's what I'm looking for in a media player:

* iPod compatibility
* last.fm compatibility
* simple library interface

Without a single doubt, Foobar2000

http://www.foobar2000.org

It is literally a list of the songs in your library.
Incredibly simple user interface, with customisable colour schemes if you really want.

Plays all major formats, ability to do searches for key words. Easy to import new files/folders.

I've used it for years, and I think my version's a bit out of date now, but it's absolutely perfect and 100% does it's job.

Also has tabbed playlists across the top which allows for quick switch-a-bility.

AND LastFm compatibility.

Thanks I'll give that a go now. Anybody got any other favourites?

I just use windows media player because its just there. But I use something else to watch dvds on.

I've installed foobar and all of my track names and album names are messed up. This could take a while to solve.

Ah, what?!

How come??

Even so, it shouldn't be an issue, unless you're quite anal about how you want them to be labelled.
Do a search and it'll pick up key words.

it's worth pointing out that windows media player doesn't alter the track names etc, it holds them in a seperate database*. I'm sure the only reason they would do this is to deter anyone from switching their library to a different player.


* this information is a few years old, they could've cleared up their act a bit, but i doubt it.

On my desktop I use Windows Media Player because it minimises nicely on the toolbar and it means I don't have to mess around with the opening of other windows and all that silliness and on my netbook I use VLC (open in the second workspace so it's easier to find to skip songs and stuff).

I just use iTunes, haven't tried any others... I think it would drive me mental switching to something else!

itunes has just waddled into the 21st century. it now supports a drop folder, albeit a one that is where they want, with no option for making it anywhere more sensible. tried it out last night and it works

I like iTunes but I don't like all of the stuff that has to be installed with it. I know you can uncheck most of the boxes during installation (for safari or whatever) but you have the Bonjour service and apple update and quicktime. It all seems a bit unneccesary. What's winamp like nowadays? I used to have it years ago.

NotRich wrote:Without a single doubt, Foobar2000

http://www.foobar2000.org

This!

I was on Winamp for ages but it's a slow motherfucker, even if the visualisation's gorgeous.

So yeah foobar loads up in a split second and once you've tweaked everything a wee bit it's easy to use. You can assign as many of your own keyboard shortcuts as you like as well, which is great for me to do silly things from the other side of the room with a wireless keyboard.

iTunes is a vile piece of software, although it's search function's probably better than some others. Nothing beats Sony's Sonic Stage as far as terrible music software goes though.

itunes drop folder is so annoying

i use itune and for some reason i can no longer get that bar at the top where i can pick certain artists so if i just wanna listen to alkaline tiro on shuffle i have to make a bloody playlist for it!


winamp is good (don't confuse with windows media)

The Amazing Fletch wrote:Thanks I'll give that a go now. Anybody got any other favourites?

I used Floola for a while until it decided not to work, Songbird is better I think.

Anything to avoid using iTunes. I hate iTunes a lot.

Since getting this laptop I've just played all my music from a last.fm plugin to firefox: Fire.fm

just checked out the visualiser on itunes and while it's a crap media player, it's visualiser is the shit!

I have itunes and have never had any problems with it! pretty much love it!

MangoSkeejykins wrote:itunes drop folder is so annoying

i use itune and for some reason i can no longer get that bar at the top where i can pick certain artists so if i just wanna listen to alkaline tiro on shuffle i have to make a bloody playlist for it!

though i dunno what this drop folder thing is you speak of?

and that bar your talking about, i still have mine. if you go to view there's the option to "hide/show column browser." but if that aint there then i guess it's gone, maybe you have a newer version than me but i dunno why they'd get rid of it!


how are you supposed to make itunes small in the corner of the screen? not minimized in the dock, but just msaller. i've seen people do it but dont know myself

elliemon wrote:though i dunno what this drop folder thing is you speak of?

don't worry, neither does mango. the drop folder is a folder that if you put mp3s into, itunes will auto add them at the earliest opportunity. It saves having to use itunes to add the songs there. also, when you add folder in itunes, it has a habit of spitting out it's dummy if it starts finding files it thinks it should be able to open but can't (like mpegs) and not adding any. The drop folder just moves those to a subfolder called "can't add".

i am utterly confused! i guess i dont need one anyways cause when i wanna add something new to my library i just double click it and it open itunes and it's in! i dont get why you'd need such a thing.. to save you the hassle of double clicking? lol

i use foobar and vlc, never needed anything else

elliemon wrote:i am utterly confused! i guess i dont need one anyways cause when i wanna add something new to my library i just double click it and it open itunes and it's in! i dont get why you'd need such a thing.. to save you the hassle of double clicking? lol

lets assume you don't want to add a single track, lets suppose you want to add 50 from different albums/folders.

Cant you just use the 'add folder to library' button?

Cap'n Lee wrote:when you add folder in itunes, it has a habit of spitting out it's dummy if it starts finding files it thinks it should be able to open but can't (like mpegs) and not adding any. The drop folder just moves those to a subfolder called "can't add".

also, disregarding that i'd already answered your question before you asked it, it was still pretty stupid...

ctrl + s
file + save
right click + save

why would they give you choice in how you want to use the program? why can't they just give you one method and expect to please everyone?

sorry, im tired and also not great with this sort of thing. ill be quiet now

i'm also sorry, I keep forgetting that although I am superior to everyone else that I should at least pretend to be humble on the intarwebs, I believe i overreacted.

(see, i was apologetic, further proof that I am made of awesomium)