Music options

Where will the music for your MP3 player come from? All of it will come from what you've stored on your computer. But how that music got onto your PC could determine which kind of player you'll need.

A brief word about formats

Although portable digital music players have come to be known collectively as "MP3 players," the MP3 file format is not the only one in widespread use. Microsoft's Windows Media Audio (WMA) format was developed for Windows-based PCs and players. Apple® iPods® and computers use the AAC format. There's also an open-source codec, Ogg Vorbis, that works with a select group of players and systems.

Virtually every portable player is compatible with the MP3 codec. Just keep in mind as you explore these alternative formats that not every player is compatible with all of them.

Music from your CD collection

If you're planning to build a library of tunes for your player from your CD collection, you're in luck. Transferring tracks from disc to PC — known as "ripping" — leaves your player choices open.

Whether you use Windows Media® Player, iTunes or another kind of media player on your computer, you can usually set it to rip music as MP3 files. Even if you use the default format of the program (WMA for Windows Media Player, AAC for iTunes), you're still OK. Ripped tracks are "unprotected" files — that means there's no coding to restrict usage. You can make as many copies of unprotected files as you want, and freely transfer them to different computers and players. Unprotected files can easily be converted from one format to another to make them compatible with your player of choice.

Music from the Internet

There's an amazing amount of sources for legally downloaded music on the Internet — band websites, podcasts, Internet music stores, subscription services and more. A lot of this music is available in the MP3 format, but much of it isn't. So it's a good idea to make sure the player you're considering is compatible with the sites you want to use.

Most online music stores use a "protected" format. Unlike the music you rip from CDs, these files have additional coding to prevent unauthorized usage and copying. Songs you purchase from the iTunes store, for example, use a protected AAC format. These files can only be played through iTunes or on an iPod. Many online music stores, like Rhapsody.com and MusicGiants™, use the protected WMA format. Songs bought from these sites can't be played in iTunes or on an iPod — they require a WMA-compatible player.

If your tastes run more towards independent music, then your decision may get a little simpler. Legal music download sites that specialize in indie artists and labels, such as mp3.com and emusic.com, use the MP3 format, so just about any player you pick will be compatible.

Music subscription services

Music subscription sites, such as Napster, let you download and transfer anything in their catalogs to your player for a monthly fee. This can be a great way to get lots of music without having to purchase every single song. These subscription services mainly use protected WMA files.

Choose your format

By design, protected files can't readily be converted to other codecs, so your preference for a certain store or service can affect your choice of players. If you really like the iTunes store, for instance, then you'll need an iPod. If you're a big fan of Rhapsody.com, then you'll require a player that can read protected WMA files.

Fortunately, some music sites also offer "unprotected" downloads. For example, iTunes sells "iTunes Plus" songs which have no copy protection. And Amazon.com uses unprotected MP3s exclusively. Without the additional copy protection coding, these files can easily be converted to other file formats so you can use them on the player of your choice.