RealJukebox 2
RealJukebox 2 (download) supplies all the features and functionality you need from a
software jukebox. But even though the interface seems cluttered compared with the
clean lines of Microsoft Windows Media Player 7.0, for example, you really need
to hunt for some of the powerful features.
The heart of any jukebox package is the music manager, and RealJukebox's exhaustive ID3V2 tag editor is a particularly robust one; it handles dozens of fields. Press the question-mark icon beside the search field for instructions on how to search your music library for a track, an album, an artist, or even an encoding rate.
RealJukebox uses Adaptec's Easy CD Creator engine to burn CDs from within the program. You can encode in Real, WMA, WAV, or MP3 format at up to 320Kbps in the Plus version. (RealJukebox's default is to encrypt MP3 files so that they can be played on only your computer, but you can disable this feature.) You can also downsample on the fly, reducing a song's file size for better portability on a digital audio player (22 devices are supported).
The free Basic version also gives you great skins and visualisations, which you can set to launch and apply automatically by playing a specific song. The Plus version adds VBR encoding, a cross-fade feature, and the ability to input analog sources for recording. One other cool touch: Real is working on a music delivery service that will send music in your favourite genre to your e-mail in-box.
Company: Real Networks
Price: Free download; Plus, US$29.99 direct download
Rating: 4 Star
4%
4%
