Top Free Media Players to Download

Software for playing digital music, videos and DVDs on your computer

Finding the right media player software to install on your computer can very often be a long and frustrating process. There are a lot of free software media players that can be downloaded, but not all of them provide a full set of features. With this in mind, take a look at our list free software media players that give you a full set of features for playing, organizing, and synchronizing your media library.

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iTunes

The iTune Store’s Welcome Screen on an iPhone on keyboard with cup of hot chocolate

S3studio / Getty Images

Apple's highly polished iTunes software is a firm favorite with iPhone and iPod ​users but is also useful if you want a media player that can organize your music library. As well ​as purchasing music from the iTunes Store, you can rip your own CDs, burn custom audio CDs, listen to Internet radio, download free podcasts, and more. The only downside to iTunes is its portable media device support; apart from the iPod and iPhone, there are very few supported devices. That said, iTunes still offers enough features to make it your default player and media manager.

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Microsoft Windows Media Player

Windows Media Player 11 - Main Screen

Mark Harris / Microsoft

Whether you love or loathe Microsoft, their Windows Media Player (WMP) has become a very popular choice for PC users. Now at version 11, WMP serves as a good all-in-one solution for audio, video, and image management. With its built-in CD burning engine and ripping facility, WMP makes it easy to build up your music library. A number of other useful options include a DVD player, SRS WOW audio effects, 10-band graphics equalizer, and synchronization to portable MP3/media devices.

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JetAudio

JetAudio music player

JetAudio is Cowon's multi-functional media player that contrary to its name can handle video too. This often-overlooked media player has a plethora of features to help play and manage your media library. It supports a large array of file formats and sports a built-in file format converter. One of the more interesting features of JetAudio 7 is the recording facility that enables you to record your own sounds via microphone or other auxiliary sound sources. JetAudio can rip and burn audio CDs and also has the facility to play DVDs. If you're looking for an alternative media player then Cowon's offering is worth trying.

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Media Jukebox

Media Jukebox home screen

Media Jukebox is another overlooked application that can function as a ​total solution for your digital media needs. As well as the usual features you would expect from a full-fledged application, it also has a basic Internet browser for use with its built-in music services. The Amazon MP3 store and Last.FM are accessible using Media Jukebox 12 (MJ 12), along with podcast websites that you can subscribe to. Other features include automatic CD and track lookup, full-speed CD ripping and burning, EQ and DSP audio effects, and CD label and cover printing. MJ 12 is also compatible with the iPod and so is another option to the massively popular iTunes software.

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Winamp

Winamp logo

Mark Harris / FileHippo

Originally released in 1997, Winamp has matured from a player into a complete media manager. It is a very capable audio and video player that supports many media formats. Winamp also has added functionality which includes, CD ripping and burning, SHOUTcast radio, AOL radio, Podcasts, and playlist generation. Since version 5.2, it has supported synchronizing DRM-free media to the iPhone which makes Winamp an excellent alternative to iTunes. The Full version is free to use and will suit most people's needs.

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