What is the Best Free Jukebox Software?

[mark f.]

I recently bought a hard drive to store music files. I tried using Windows Media Player but it does not recognize as many CDs as iTunes. I'm looking for jukebox software that rips WAV files and organizes the music for me, what software do you all recommend?*

*Note: I use iTunes for by iPod and store that music on my hard drive. Since I do not rip everything to WAV I'd prefer to use something other than iTunes for my new hard drive.

[AerosSaga]

You should use EAC to rip your disks
http://www.exactaudiocopy.de/

I use MediaMonkey, they have a free version, I paid for the pro version though, it's very reasonably priced.
http://www.mediamonkey.com/

[jstraw]

I think EAC makes sense for backing up CDs but for applications where wav files aren't required, I just rip with WMP.

I'd like to find an application that will allow me to add files to a playlist but play the next file and stop or play the next file and continue playing files per my choice.

Anyone know of an app that will play songs one at a time, stopping after each one and playing the next one when I tell it to?

[mark f.]

I love EAC but I can't find away to have it organize my files like a jukebox will.... i.e. it doesn't create artists/album folders automatically and it doesn't put the track number on the file.** At least I can't see any function that does this in EAC.

Just tried Media Monkey and it didn't recocognize an old Fleetwood Mac Rumours CD. I need a jukebox that connects to Gracenote because that seems to have the most comprehensive CD data base.

I also tried Yahoo Music/Music Match and that didn't recognize the CD either.

**EDIT: I did find where I can add track number to the file in EAC

[jeff mai]

I have some pretty obscure music and using freedb in EAC has only failed to tag them a few times. If you want wave files, rip CDs in EAC and extract a cuesheet. Use the cuesheets (not the wave files) in the music manager software.

[ROLO46]

MACS are best for music

imho

Roger

[OliverReich]

Media Monkey- I use as well.

[jstraw]

I downloaded MM last night and it looked interesting but I have what turns out to be a not uncommon problem where it plays one file and crashes. So I tried the version 3 beta and I'm loving it. Is there anything that it can't do?

I'm going to need to get to know it better because so far, the only way I've found to "bookmark" a shoutcast stream is to save it in a playlist. I'd rather have it listed logically under Net radio than in playlists.

But still...when 3 is released I'm buying the gold version.

[mark f.]

Thanks for the tips everyone.

I did some ripping in EAC last night and its definitely better than WMP - a lot better. The tag issue I'm having isn't freedb, in fact all of my CDs were recognized just fine in EAC. But I'm going to retry Media Monkey since that will create folders for me and it does look like good jukebox software. EAC is great but it will take me double the time to rip things if I have to make all of the folders myself.

[Feisal K]

I love EAC but I can't find away to have it organize my files like a jukebox will.... i.e. it doesn't create artists/album folders automatically and it doesn't put the track number on the file.** At least I can't see any function that does this in EAC.

**EDIT: I did find where I can add track number to the file in EAC


its in EAC Options (F9) > Filename Tab

under naming scheme, the back slash "\" creates a folder, so

%A\%C\%N %T

%A = Artist name (is folder name)
%C = CD title (is folder name)
%N = Track No

[mark f.]

Wow, great! Looks like that's all I need. Thanks for the heads up.

[CBC]

not free, but I was playing with MP3Toys & though it pretty slick. Can also play tunes using Foobar2k, xmplayer, etc
http://www.mp3toys.net/

[RoyalScam]

MACS are best for music

imho

Roger

I agree...but PC people hate to read that. :shh:

[cosmosis]

MACS are best for music

imho

Roger

LOL care to expand on that?

EAC for copiying, FLAC for encoding and foobar to play them. To me there's nothing else :thumbsup:

http://images.google.com/images?q=foobar

[CBC]

well...they're "prettier" than a PC... :p

[Doug Hess Jr.]

I used to really like Music Match Jukebox until Yahoo bought it and stripped out all of the mp3 functionality and made it WMA only. So I guess I like the last OLD non-yahoo version of Music Match.

[kurtphyre]

Is Media Monkey better than Foobar?

Can Media Monkey do kernel streaming? I need 96000Hz playback.

[jstraw]

Is Media Monkey better than Foobar?

Can Media Monkey do kernel streaming? I need 96000Hz playback.


What's kernal streaming?

Like what I do with Winamp, and Shoutcast?

[ROLO46]

I-Tunes runs better on the Mac

Optical out is clean

It works.

Roger imho

[Feisal K]

What's kernal streaming?



kernel streaming gives me a major headache