Winamp is one of the most popular multimedia players in the market, as its impressive range of supported formats, a minimal memory footprint and a well-organized interface helped it stand out as a top pick in this particular software category.

Winamp is basically the easiest way to play any kind of multimedia file and, more importantly, it can perform this task vias a simple and very pleasant interface. It benefits from the same “Modern” skin support we've seen since version 3.0, along with support for up to 20 color themes for even greater personalization.

The user interface retains the attributes that made Winamp one of the most popular applications all over the world: strategically positioned buttons to allow perfect control over the multimedia files listed in the adjacent playlist window.

The installation process allows you to configure many of Winamp'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. 

Also worth mentioning is the fact that the installer offers a toolbar and other third-party software that the application does not require in order to work properly.

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

Aside from the audio and video player capabilities, Winamp can also burn selected audio files to a blank CD and can also rip 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. It doesn't support iPod Touch and iPhone though, but it remains however one of the most powerful tools of its kind.

Our tests proved that the free version of Winamp can easily face any challenge, but those looking for some more advanced functions should also check out the Pro version.