MediaMonkey

MediaMonkey

Price: $

For those who keep their media files on their computers and who haven't switched to streaming services like Netflix and Spotify, managing their library and keeping it in perfect order might be a serious and complex task. If you're looking for a free solution for Windows, MediaMonkey might hold the answer for you.

MediaMonkey is a free and powerful media player and manager. It has a premium version as well (MediaMonkey Gold), which brings some advanced features, like automatic file conversion and better CD ripping, as well as free upgrades for life. The Gold version also contains Automatic Tagging, High-Speed Encoding, and other useful benefits for the most professional users. It's lightweight, and the installation process is rather smooth.

The latest version (Version 5) managed to balance between keeping a clean, intuitive UI while still presenting loads of options to its users within reach. The right-side navigation menu can take you to your favorite music, podcasts, playlists, and remote content from other devices or the web. You can easily import your data from iTunes or Windows Media Player, and add library folders easily. The good thing is that almost every aspect of MediaMonkey is fully customizable within the app's list of settings. If you're serious about media library organization and playback, it might be worth it to invest your time in MediaMonkey.

MediaMonkey can natively handle almost any file format you might have, without the need for codecs. The best thing about it is that it doesn't matter where your tracks are stored. They can be on your computer, on a network device, external disc, or even online. It only takes a few clicks to play a song from Amazon.com, Last.fm, or iHeart.com. If you're starting with a messy library with missing media info, MediaMonkey can tag your files automatically by downloading relevant info, like artist and album info, as well as song lyrics! If you still think MediaMonkey could use new features, there's also the option of downloading user-made extensions from their official site.

MediaMonkey allows complete device and cloud sync to manage your library from one place. From media organization, playback, streaming, casting, and synchronization, MediaMonkey has you covered. Regarding the actual playback, the player is relatively simple, with powerful playlist management. In the settings, you'll find loads of useful options, modes, Auto-DJ to automatically play tracks based on user-defined criteria, the Party mode that allows users to make playlist requests, and many more. If you're serious about music, look no further than MediaMonkey. If you're willing to take it to the next level, MediaMonkey Gold is sure to add some extra functionality you'll use regularly.

By definition, it's not for people who aren't willing to invest time to learn everything that can be tweaked about MediaMonkey. The good side is, MediaMonkey can very easily function as a simple media player like Windows Media Player or Groove Music for Windows 10. Don't let that fool you as it contains so much under the hood! The only minus is that it's only available for Windows (and Android when it comes to mobile screens).