Jukebox
Download link: MUSICMATCH Jukebox
Price:
only 19.99$
Musicmatch Jukebox
MusicMatch comes in two versions: the free, downloadable Basic package and the feature-packed $19.99 Plus version. MusicMatch made a few tweaks to the Basic package (it has a new look and now streams with Pentium 4 processors, for example), but there's not enough new here to make us want to upgrade immediately. MusicMatch's best features are available only in the Plus version; ranging from Super Tagging to mp3PRO encoding. If you're serious, though, about playlist organization and high-quality audio files, version 8.1 introduces features worth your 19.99 bucks. It's easy to upgrade from the Basic to the Plus version; just purchase an activation key online.
Getting started with MusicMatch is a no-brainer. Install the jukebox, select Music Library from the Options menu, and choose "Search and add tracks from all drives." MusicMatch scans your drive, hunts down all the playable audio files, and adds them to your library. To create a master list of playable files, simply drag and drop audio files or folders into the Windows Explorer-like My Library window.
However, as easy as it is to get started, MusicMatch 8.1's interface is just as tough to navigate as version 6.0's. It's easy to get lost in this maze of check boxes and pull-down menus. Beginners, take heed.
Download link: MUSICMATCH Plus Price: only 19.99$
MusicMatch offers excellent ripping features to help copy tunes from a CD to your machine or portable player. To rip a CD, insert it, click the Record button in the main window, then hit the Record button in the resulting window. MusicMatch converts all your CD's tracks and conveniently adds them to your library in minutes. And version 8.1 now adds album art to your album files as you rip.
Burning a music CD with MusicMatch Plus is also insanely easy. Load up your playlist with the songs you want and click the Burn button. Once MusicMatch launches Burner Plus, click Burn again and let the magic happen. In addition to standard audio CD burning, MusicMatch can burn both MP3 and data CDs. Of course, your PC will need a CD-R/RW burner that's supported by MusicMatch.
According to MusicMatch's Web site, this app can play almost every audio file type in the book, from MP3 to WAV. Winamp supports only seven file formats. Best of all, though, MusicMatch 8.1 now supports a little-known codec called mp3PRO, which promises higher-quality files at much smaller sizes. Indeed, we converted about 10 existing MP3s, which ranged from 112kbps to 128kbps files, into 96kbps mp3PRO files and actually noticed improved sound on some files and the same quality -- at a lower bit rate -- on the rest. You can play mp3PRO files on any player or device, but you won't notice a sound difference unless the software or hardware supports the improved codec. You will, however, produce much smaller files.
To play a song that's in your Music Library, simply double-click its title or drag a selection of songs into the playlist window and activate the Auto DJ feature. This nifty tool lets you specify up to three attributes per file (such as Artist, Genre, Tempo, and Mood), then rounds up all the songs that match those specifications and plays them. The Auto DJ feature works only if your files have ID3 tags. Files that lack ID3 tags won't display properly in your playlist and will cause trouble when you try to use the Auto DJ feature. You can add these tags to your files with Super Tagging, a new tool that examines audio files and matches the appropriate ID3 tags based on certain characteristics, such as filename. To test the tool, we fed MusicMatch an untagged MP3 named "One More Time.mp3," and Super Tagging retrieved the track title, artist, album, genre, and even the year the song was released.
One of MusicMatch 8.1's best features is its collection of streaming radio stations. You can stream music from one of two providers: MusicMatch's free radio service or a $3.33-per-month subscription to MusicMatch's Radio MX. The free service provides a large selection of music categories at CD quality but displays annoying visual and audio ads. We suggest that true music lovers check out Radio MX, which includes the same goodies you find in the free service, plus near-CD-quality streams (MP3 files compressed at 96kbps) and a variety of ways to help you track down the music of certain artists, genres, and time periods so that you can design your own station.
Thanks to improvements in version 8.1, MusicMatch now rates its $19.99 upgrade price--at least for those who really value digital music. You'll get faster CD ripping and burning, new organization tools (including a "Watch Folder" that automatically updates your music library when you add new tools), and the opportunity to convert music to a better, smaller format.
Download link: MUSICMATCH Plus Price: only 19.99$
