14 DAY TRIAL // Have you ever counted the number of your mp3s on your disk? I assume it is a pretty large number, as this file format does not take too much space. But are they ordered? In my case, I admit that I have some mp3 files that I have never listened to and I have never moved them or arranged them in any way. They just sit there waiting for a miracle.
What would you say if I told you that there is a solution to this problem? Yes, you can arrange your mp3 collection by genre, year, album and artist. The solution comes from Zortam, who has developed Zortam MP3 Media Studio.
It is a 2.2 MB software that comes into two version: Free (Standard) and Pro. The difference between them (apart from the price - $24.95) is that the Standard version does not include all the features the Pro version does. But the developer has been generous with the customers and allows them to test the Pro for free, for one day.
At first sight, the interface of the software seems extremely complicated, but if you take your time it'll prove very simple. It is grouped into six areas: the menu bar, a managing bar (includes options like searching for media, searching on the Internet, finding mp3s, opening and saving playlists, options and help menu). In the right part of the window there are the Mp3 Library box and the Folder box (use this box for going to the mp3 folders on your disk).
The largest area of the application window is occupied by the mp3 managing window. Here, there are displayed the mp3 files you are going to work with. You can view the files alphabetically by artist, title, album, genre, year, track number, volume, bitrate, frequency, comment, file or path.
In this window the user has the options (at selecting a file) of playing, viewing the information on that file (size, codec, bitrate, etc), deleting the file either from the software's library or from the disk, tagging the file and renaming it.
The lower part of the application window has the ID3v1 and ID3v2 Tags. The user can edit them and add some new elements. The ID3 v2 Tag allows extended editing and covers fields like composer, original artist, copyright, URL, band, etc.
If you want to add lyrics of the songs in the library this Media Studio is the software to do it with. This feature is extremely useful for the karaoke feature (opens .kar and .mid files). You can add covers (back and front) for the album; just load the pictures from your disk or find them on the Internet and add them to the mp3 file.
The software provides Internet links to web sites where you can buy mp3s or just simply listen to online radio stations. You can also find data about the mp3 files you have. If you have duplicate files (and I'm sure you do) the software allows finding and deleting them with the Find Dups feature.
The playlists you create in Zortam MP3 Media Studio can be played in any mp3 player you have. Just go to the Options menu and define the path to that player. Then you can simply double click an item to play it.
I know how inconvenient it is to play an audio CD on your computer. Now you can rip it into .mp3 or .wav file format, add it to your mp3 collection and play it whenever you feel like it.
The Good
It has great features that allow you to organize your music collection and create playlists. The software is also a fun tool as you can enjoy a good karaoke laugh. Searching and cataloging .mp3 files into the mp3 library is piece of cake. You can even add lyrics and picture ID3 tags (cover, artist picture, etc.) to your .mp3 files. Listen to online radio stations while you're working. The user can also profit from the normalizing option, make all the mp3s in an album and listen the songs at the same amplitude.
The Bad
The interface seems very complicated and it may confuse you for a while. I couldn't do any CD burning and the software crashed a couple of times during testing. This feature may be active with an external burning software installed on the computer, but there is no information about that. Some mp3 organizing tools on the market, despite the fact that were designed for working with the .mp3 file format, also support other audio formats (.ogg, .ape).
The Truth
The price seems quite fair for the features the product displays. The truth is that if those minor problems would be fixed (the Help menu and the CD burning) this would be one of the best .mp3 managing softwares on the market. Zortam MP3 Media Studio is indeed an all-in one Mp3 application.
Here are some snapshots of the application in action:
