If you need the extras, MusicMatch Plus 7.5 is a great choice. But if you just want to play audio, hang onto Winamp instead.
MusicMatch has tucked yet another feather in its cap. The latest version of the company's five-year-old flagship jukebox not only helps you build and organize your digital music, create CDs, rip MP3s, and listen to your music, now, you can also sync up your library to your MP3 player in a matter of seconds. If you juggle a lot of music files, own an MP3 player, and want a no-nonsense way to manage your music, pay for MusicMatch Jukebox Plus 7.5. But if all you need is a decent music player, we still say Winamp is better and more intuitive.
Two ways to tango
MusicMatch comes in two versions: the free, downloadable Basic package (128Kbps MP3 encoding, 96Kbps MP3Pro encoding) and the feature-packed US$19.99 Plus version (encodes up to 320Kbps). For the uninitiated, MP3Pro is a new codec from Thomson (owner of MusicMatch), which enables higher-quality music at smaller file sizes. MusicMatch made a few tweaks to the Basic package, most importantly the addition of a Portable Device Manager for transferring music to any of 23 portable MP3 players. Unless you need CD burning, high-quality MP3/MP3Pro encoding, and Super Tagging, don't rush to upgrade. If you decide you need these features, it's easy to upgrade from within the software.
Getting started with MusicMatch is a walk in the park. Install the jukebox, making sure to select Custom Install if you want to keep your default audio player. Then, 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. Besides being able to rip CDs to four formats (MP3, MP3Pro, WMA, WAV), MusicMatch can play almost every audio file type in the book, so no matter how you have your collection encoded, this app can handle it.
Yearn to burn?
If you spend hours making countless CDs for friends and family, Jukebox Plus 7.5's Burner Plus will take some of the pain out of your burns. In addition to standard audio-CD burning, this app burns both MP3 and data CDs--and it does so up to a fast 40X. Of course, your PC will need a CD-R/RW burner that's supported by MusicMatch. Burning enhancements in version 7.5 Plus include: a new preview tracks feature (so you're less likely to make mistakes), a Save Projects option (so you don't have to fret about not having a life when you're archiving), and a whole slew of new options for creating full-color custom jewel cases and CD labels (so you can impress your friends with your elegance and taste). MusicMatch Basic does not burn CDs.
Not only can MusicMatch Plus burn with ease, it rips CDs awfully fast, too. To rip a CD, insert it, click the Record button in the main window, then hit the Record button in the resulting window. In a flash, MusicMatch converts all your tracks and adds them to your library. You can also add album art to your files as you rip. MusicMatch Basic rips at about 4X--fast enough for all but the most demanding ripping enthusiasts.
A portable universe
Finally, MusicMatch 7.5 (Basic and Plus) adds a Portable Device Manager for quick transfer of your tunes onto any of 23 MP3 players (for an updated list, install MusicMatch Basic and click File > Send To Portable Device, then right-click Attached Portable Devices and choose Add Portable Device Plug-in). Another nice perk: if your MP3 player supports MP3Pro, MusicMatch can encode and transfer even more music than normal, since you can use a lower bit rate with MP3Pro and get the same sound quality. Plus, you can have MusicMatch normalize the transferred tracks by checking the "Enable the volume leveling and sound enhancements during download" box in the Portable Players window. That way, the volume will remain constant through all the tracks on your MP3 player.
Super Tagging made super easy
If you're a hard-core ripper and downloader, you know how quickly a music library can become unwieldy. One of our favorite features retained from the last version of Plus is Super Tagging , which examines your audio files and matches the appropriate ID3 tags based on certain characteristics, such as filename. And if your tags are right but your filenames are incomplete, Version 7.5's new "Rename files from Tag" feature cleans them up.
Need an incentive to organize? If your files aren't properly tagged, you'll miss out on one of our other favorite MusicMatch tools, the Auto DJ feature. This nifty tool lets you specify up to three attributes per file (such as Artist, Genre, Tempo, or Mood), then rounds up all the songs that match those specifications and plays them.
All you can stream
MusicMatch still offers a staggering collection of streaming radio stations. You can stream music from one of two providers: MusicMatch's free radio service or a US$3.33-per-month subscription to MusicMatch's Radio MX. While the no-cost version provides a large selection of music categories, it displays annoying visual and audio ads. Check out Radio MX, instead: it includes the same goodies you find in the free service, plus more ways to help you track down the music of certain artists, genres, and time periods so that you can design your own station.
If you're really into music, MusicMatch Plus 7.5 has everything you need. We think it's well worth the US$20 price tag. But if you don't intend on making the most out of its features, pare down and download a basic free player such as Winamp.
MusicMatch Plus 7.5
Company: MusicMatch
Price: US$19.99 via download
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