Tired of 3 Progs - Better Than MediaMonkey?

[jazee]

Like a lot of enthusiasts here I've spent considerable time evaluating music library management programs. I use 3 programs for 3 different reasons:

1. WinAmp - My main music library program because I chose it as having the best overall feature set, especially once I was able to directly connect to my iPod.

2. iTunes - Need it installed for ml_ipod to work (do I still need it for ml_pmp to work?) Use it to burn MP3 CD's by importing playlists I create in Winamp. Also use it to burn Audio CD's as Winamp Pro 5.34 won't burn audio CD's anymore (all the songs it burns are 3 or 4 seconds long - but I rarely need to burn an audio CD so I don't care it's broke in Winamp) If I want my iTunes library ratings to match Winamp, I periodically have to clear my iTunes library and in Winamp create playlists based on rating, import them into iTunes and due a mass rating change for each playlist. Kind of a pain, but now that Winamp supports iPod I'm not sure why I even need to bother keeping my iTunes library up to date?

3. MediaMonkey - I use this program to adjust volume on MP3's via MP3Gain. Also, when I have a bunch of new files I downloaded sitting in one directory, I have to use MediaMonkey to do a smart rename in which it reads the tags and renames the files and moves them to the appropriate artist subdirectory. I am surprised neither WinAmp nor iTunes does this.

So it's been a while since I have used MediaMonkey and I just got a new PC and am loading all the software. I am sick and tired of having to use 3 different programs.

I see MediaMonkey now supports the iPod. SO.... It appears, on the surface, that I can finally use ONE, yes ONE program for everything. iTunes is so stupidly simple I know there's nothing in there I'll miss.

It's Winamp I'm worried about. I guess I'll just have to start using MediaMonkey Gold and see if it satisfies me, but I have been such a Winamp enthusiast, it feels weird to abandon it.

Are there any major/useful features in Winamp that I'll miss if I start using MediaMonkey Gold for everything?

[Benski]

What version are you using (5.34 doesn't exist). CD Burning should work just fine - if it doesn't you should file a bug report about it (after making sure you are using the latest version, currently 5.32).

Winamp 5.3 and up supports Replay Gain, on which MP3Gain is based, so you can do that inside of Winamp also (Send To->Calculate ReplayGain). The major difference between Replay Gain and MP3Gain is that Replay Gain isn't permanent (it writes it to the tags and the decoder uses it for playback) and it supports more formats - MP3, AAC, MP4/M4A, WMA, Vorbis, FLAC. pmp_ipod converts replaygain values to 'sound check' values when transferring to the iPod.

ml_pmp does not require iTunes to be installed, although it may be required if you need to do a system restore on the iPod.

[jazee]

I meant 5.32. I paid for Winamp Pro and have enjoyed using it. But I've been using MediaMonkey for the past few hours and for once, one program has everything I need! It even automatically read my ratings from the Winamp database! Cool! Can burn MP3 or Audio CD's within the program, yes! Even is smart enough to ask to erase CD R/W. Bye Winamp, I love you, but not that much.

[Koopa]

Are there any major/useful features in Winamp that I'll miss if I start using MediaMonkey Gold for everything?

Sure, on main thing is that Winamp can scan your library files in background in the Free version, for media monkey you must pay for this feature.

My personal list of Winamp advantages:

- playlist, library and main windows are seperate (I hate these all-in-one things)
- more improved input and output plug-ins (e.g. Monkey bundles an old DirectSound output plug-in with less features)
- tons of plug-ins, which just work with Winamp
- tons of Skins, which doesn't work in MM
- native video support (well it isn't best video player yet)
- MM doesn't really whip the llama's ass

Burning MP3 data discs is part of the Wishllist and I'm sure, that this feature will be added someday.

Since Winamp supports Unicode, ID3v2.4, 24Bit, Gapless Playback it is the first choise for every advanced user.

[jazee]

Great information, thanks. As I suspected, Winamp has a bit more advanced features and all the plug-ins are nice, but like many people who think iTunes is great (and we all think it's pathetic) because they just need something simple, MediaMonkey takes care of all my needs even though I considered myself an 'advanced user.' Bottom line is I have licenses for the paid version of both so I can go back and forth.

It is quite, let me say, curious, that such a basic feature as burning MP3 CD's that is in such high demand and on the wishlist forever is still not there. It is also curious to me that out of the 4 major choices (Windows Media Player, Winamp, iTunes, and Media Monkey) in my opinion the one that is the most well thought out as far as practical, useful features is the one developed by the smallest company of the four I believe. It is completely laughable that companies as big as Microsoft and Apple can't turn out something on par with Winamp and MediaMonkey. Although I hear Microsoft is catching up, as usual.

But as long as Winamp doesn't have two of the most practical useful features: 1) burn MP3 CD's naitively, and 2) be able to rename/move files based on tag information without losing meta data, I'll be staying with MM.

[Koopa]

It is quite, let me say, curious, that such a basic feature as burning MP3 CD's that is in such high demand and on the wishlist forever is still not there.

Winamp's dev team is very small, I belive features like Unicode, 24Bit, Gapless Playback etc are much more important than burning MP3 data discs, nevertheless, I'm sure this feature will come someday.

Feature like unicode have the highest priority, because without such features Winamp would die and couldn't be compared with players like Foobar.

To be honest, the ripping features in all media players are very basic.

You have no secure ripping function like in EAC, also if you want to burn data CDs or DVDs you need a burning application like Nero. So why should I use my player to burn audio/MP3 CDS, when I need other, much more imprved programs to burn data CDs/DVDs?

I always prefer Nero and EAC, because no player, doesn't matter if Media Monkey, Winamp or WMP, will have such advanced ripping/burning options.

[jazee]

Correct me if I'm wrong but Unicode and/or 24-bit audio are not very commonly used right now. They are out there, but if they were that common that would be like saying Blockboster is primarily renting Blu-Ray and HD-DVD's right now. NOT.

[Koopa]

You're wrong, Win9x is dead, since WinXP, many many users run a NT based system. So unicode is more important than for a few years. ANSI is outdated, international support in software will be the future.

24Bit is for enthusiasts, other players support 24Bit, so Winamp must provide this feature, or the enthusiasts will switch to foobar etc.

I still think, that most Winamp users are enthusiasts/advanced users and they want features like 24Bit instead of burning MP3 data discs, 'cause for this they have other advanced software.

This is what AOL will not check.