Winamp

The abundance of versatile audio and video players can make it difficult to decide on a particular piece of software that will serve as the default playback device for viewing movies and listening to music. One of the biggest names in the business that used to set the bar for the rest of the pack is Winamp and it still offers one of the easiest ways to play any kind of multimedia file.

The installation process allows you to configure many of the program's features, including file associations (you can tweak this later as well), but it also grants you the possibility to select which components you wish to deploy on your computer.

The user interface retains the attributes that made Winamp one of the most popular applications all over the world: strategically positioned buttons to allow effortless control over the multimedia files listed in the adjacent playlist window. It benefits from the same “Modern” skin support we've seen since version 3.0, along with support for dozens of color themes for even greater personalization.

Winamp is compatible with the majority of multimedia files out there and during our tests, we didn't encounter any problems while playing all the files we had on our computer. On top of that, it provides access to a huge Shoutcast Radio Stations collection, so listening to good music is a matter of just a few clicks.

Extensive audio and video customizations are available, including an equalizer, over 100 visualizations and a handy playlist editor. With Winamp you can also organize and manage all your songs and movies thanks to the built-in 'Library'.

Aside from the multimedia player capabilities, Winamp can also burn selected audio files to a blank CD and can rip audio discs in several formats, including AAC, MP3, WMA and WAV.

Last but not least, Winamp can easily be converted into a real portable media player manager, as it can detect connected gadgets to allow you to transfer music in a matter of seconds.

Still one of the most popular multimedia players on the market, Winamp supports an impressive range of formats, sports a well-organized interface and is loaded with features and customization, attributes that help it stand out as one of the top choices in this particular software category.