It is already the third day of the Ghacks Christmas Giveaway and the responses have been great so far. Both the Kaspersky Internet Security 2009 post and the Newsbin / Giganews post got heaps of comments. The lucky winners of the five Newsbin Pro licenses and the five Giganews Diamond account winners will be notified by email later today.
Today’s giveaway is another popular software program. MediaMonkey Gold is an all in one music management solution. The MediaMonkey team provide a free version of their software with limited (but still extensive) features.
At its core is the ability to list all audio files of a computer system. The first step after the installation is the scan of parts – or all – of the computer’s storage devices. Music that is discovered that way will be automatically archived in various categories according to their tags. All files without tags will be moved into unknown folders.
Music is sorted by various parameters in the library including location, title, artist, genre or rating. Parameters can be removed or added to the library with a right-click on the item and the selection of Options > Choose Tree Nodes. The very same menu contains options to add or remove sortable columns which are used to display the music in the main panel.
The program layout makes it pretty easy to find specific music of the collection. The libraries and the main panel can be used to sort the music quickly. The search on the other hand is pretty fast as well which makes it the best option to find that one track that you are looking for.
Probably one of the first things that a new user will be doing is to make sure that his music collection is tagged properly. MediaMonkey comes with extensive means of tagging and cleaning a music collection. Options include automatically tagging from the web, tagging from information that the filename provides, synchronizing tags and cleaning them.
Music can also be tagged manually in the extensive tag editor. MediaMonkey comes with an auto-organizer that can rename the music collection with the help of selected tags.
Other features include:
- Easy Playlist creation with the ability to create automatic mixes
- Record, convert and burn music
- Build in Podcast Catcher
- Party mode
- Sync with iPhones, iPods, and most any MP3 phone or Audio Device
- Visualizations
- Statistics
MediaMonkey Gold adds several interesting new features to those of the free version. It provides the possibility to create multiple music collections which comes in handy if multiple users share a computer or if you want to keep music separated from each other.
Other features include a file monitor which will automatically monitor locations on the hard drive for new music. advanced auto playlists (create 256 Megabytes of music that match the following criteria), auto-conversion and leveling, cataloging physical music CDs, a sleep timer and more.
MediaMonkey can be extended with addons in various categories like visualization, DSP or devices much like Winamp or other music players.
Five free copies of MediaMonkey Gold have been donated and are up for grabs. If you want to win them write a comment. It would be nice if you would tell us what tool – or set of tools – you are currently using to manage your music collection.
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Right now I use foobar2000 and songbird for my music collection, I haven’t gotten a chance to try out mediamonkey yet, but this would be a great opportunity.
Does this get as fiddly when transfering to an iphone as winamp does?
I use MediaMonkey (free) and find it invaluable at searching for songs.
It can even find duplicate songs!
The Gold Version would allow me to try out the many advanced features of this software.
I use winamp for music collection.
I use MediaMonkey standard (free version). I have also Winamp installed.
Will be trying out the free version. So much music so little time to sort it
I currently use iTunes, and I’m getting a little frustrated with it.
i used to use Winamp religiously for years but got over its buggyness and alternated between winamp and windows media player. For some reason i really thought Itunes was going to be the Shiznit of media managers but i was extermely dissappointed with it. Big download, installs extra crap and services, is super slow at syncing music over LAN, the list goes on.
Main reasons i use media monkey:
- Can sync with ipod touch 2g with the latest firmware. (Not sure how many others can do that.)
- Sick of the slow speed of itunes to simply sync music.
- Lack of format support in itunes. mediamonkey can play everything i have MP3, OGG, FLAC.
- It has a folder monitor, so you tell it to monitor certain folders and any additions, removals, modifications to any tags or filen are reflected in your mediamonkey db
- Lotsa different built in views and highly customizable interface with search as you type
- Can scrobble with last.fm (not built in natively).
- Able to play music directly from my ipod through the computer. This is awesome for work where i don’t want to sync any music to my work pc i can just play it straight from the ipod. Or you could just sync podcasts at work without any problems.
I does a whole lot more to automate stuff but my music collection is in pretty good knick thats to MP3TAG so i didn’t actually get to try those features.
Notes: Does not play video at all, only does music so it is not a complete media manager. Mediamonkey also has the ability to run certain scripts and has different skins but i dont use them so i can’t really comment other then they can be pretty useful for people with messy music collections.
Overall i love mediamonkey.
I use Mediamonkey free currently. Best music player I have EVER used. I love it to death. Owning the pro version would be awesome.
Struggling with the new Songbird at the moment, which I’m trying as an alternative to Winamp. Both seem sluggish with large libraries – be keen to see how MM operates.
I use Helium Music Manager – the best music app out there I think. It’s just had a GUI re-design, and it has loads of interesting features.I already have a licence for Media Monkey Gold, so can I win something else? I was thinking of maybe a small house in the Bahamas?
I use Banshee and Rhythmbox. But I love Songbird as well. I’ll be happy to give MediaMonkey a try. Thanks!
oh boy, this just keeps getting better and better. i’ve been meaning to check this one out for a few weeks now after hearing about it so much. maybe now’s my chance :)
Another nice one. In please. :)
@Rupert
Wow, I just noticed the GUI upgrade for Helium and I must say it looks good. I used to use the app but MediaMonkey was much better for me. I’ll give the latest Helium a try.
using AIMP for music
i am ussing windows media player, but i want try media monkey
Do you just choose the winners randomly or what?
Here is my question:
do you just choose the winners randomly or what?
i am using windows media player, but i want to use mediamonkey gold, if i win
I used a cracked version of MediaMonkey on a friend’s PC a while back and it converted me from a Winamp user – I got the free version as soon as I got home and have never switched. The fact that Foxytunes supports it is an added bonus, I’d love to win a copy of MM Gold
Nice !
I think I’m gonna try it.
Currently, i’m using iTunes or just VLC
Grobigou.
Hi – I’d love the Gold version (currently using the free version). I’m also using Songbird, and for tagging, I use Mp3tag (mp3tag.de).
I use mainly Foobar but Media Monkey is a vey capable program, way better than WMP and ITunes.
Sounds like a nice program.
Ray
Currently using the free MediaMonkey, best audio tagging program I have used :)
Ooh I like this. Kinda has the feel of a sane iTunes :P
Could not have been better!!
Presently i use MediaMonkey along with some of the scripts from this wonderful collection fo MediaMonkey scripts – http://trixmoto.net/mm/scripts.php?id=1
Special mention to the album art tagger as it helps me replace, or tag an album art to the entire album in one go instead of each song.
Would love to get the gold edition :)
I currently use the free version of MediaMonkey, Christmas really will have arrived if I win the Gold Version.
I’m using foobar2000 but would not say no to MediaMonkey Gold. :-)