Your first digital music player — it seems like there are so many choices. With all the different styles and features available, how do you decide which player's right for you? Figuring out the features you want in a player and how you expect to use it is a good place to start. In this guide we'll offer up some things for you to consider so you can select the MP3 player that's best suited to your needs.

If you're leaning towards an Apple® iPod® — currently the most popular type of MP3 player — you might like to check out our iPod shopping guide.

Hard drive players — such as the 160GB iPod classic — can generally store more music and videos.

Hard drive vs. embedded memory

There are two basic types of MP3 players — those with a hard drive, and those that use embedded memory. Inside a hard-drive player, data is stored on a spinning disc that's similar to the one in your computer. Embedded or flash memory players use a kind of transistor to store information, eliminating the need for internal moving parts. It's the same system found in memory cards and thumb drives.

While hard-drive and embedded memory players share many similarities, there are a few basic differences.

Memory capacity

Some hard-drive players currently have as much as 160 gigabytes of storage, and even greater capacity drives are currently in development. How much storage is that? Enough to hold almost four months of music. Hard drive players were made for larger music collections.

Embedded memory players generally have smaller storage capacity. Some micro-sized players hold only 1 gigabyte; some larger embedded memory players go up to 16 gigabytes. In terms of storage, that's a range of about 16 hours to about eleven days worth of music. If you're interested in only having a select best from your collection with you, an embedded memory player may be the way to go.

The iPod shuffle® player is only about the size of a thumb drive, and uses the same kind of memory.

Size

Embedded memory players don't need to provide interior space for a spinning hard drive and spindle, so they tend to be much more compact and slender than hard-drive players of comparable memory capacity. Some embedded memory players aren't much bigger than the thumb drives they emulate.

Non-skip operation

A jolt can cause the spindle in a hard-drive player to skip. Most players cache 15 minutes or more of music to compensate. The player continues with the cached material while the spindle "finds its place" on the hard drive again, providing uninterrupted listening. While bumps encountered through normal handling won't hurt a hard-drive player, excessive, repeated jostling can put an unusual strain on the spindle, shortening its operational life.

Embedded memory players have no internal moving parts to jostle. Regardless of how hard or how often they're bumped, they won't skip. If you'd like to listen to your player while jogging or performing other strenuous physical activities, an embedded memory player might make a better choice.

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 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 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 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.

Photos and graphics

Almost all MP3 players now have the ability to display photos and other still images, like album cover art. Photos take up a surprisingly small amount of storage space, so memory size isn't usually an issue. Images are converted to a compressed format to save memory space. This process automatically takes place when you transfer images over from your PC to your player.

The iPod touch has a wide screen for viewing movies and videos.

Video

The demand for video on MP3 players has grown dramatically. Several Internet sites now offer movies, TV shows and other videos for download. As with music download stores, your favorite site's protected format may determine your choice of player. Video purchased through the iTunes Store, for example, can only be transferred to an Apple iPod; those from Amazon.com will only play on a Windows®-based device.

Players with video capabilities have full-color screens, which draw more power than the monochrome screens of earlier audio-only players. Video also requires more processing power than audio, draining more juice from your player's battery. While a player may give you 15-20 hours of audio playback on a single battery charge, you may only get 3-6 hours of video playback.

If you require a player that will go a long time without recharging, you might want to think about how important video playback is to you.

Radio tuners and voice recorders

Some players come with additional features that can also affect your decision. Still like to listen to the radio? A built-in FM tuner is a common, although not universal, feature among both hard-drive and embedded memory MP3 players.

The Sony NWZ-X1061FMBSMP features a built-in FM tuner for more listening options.

Voice recording is another popular option, especially among students who want to take audio notes of lectures or seminars. Players with this feature come with built-in microphones. Recordings are usually done at a very low bitrate, which lets even smaller capacity MP3 players store 8 or more hours of voice recording.

Bluetooth® connectivity

Some MP3 players, cell phones, and other devices are Bluetooth-enabled, making them easy to connect together wirelessly. For example, if you had a Bluetooth-enabled cell phone, MP3 player, and headset, you could easily switch from listening to music on your MP3 player to answering calls on your cell phone. Bluetooth headsets usually include built-in microphones, so you can carry on a conversation with your caller.

If your car stereo has Bluetooth, you can play your compatible MP3 player through it without having to connect any wires. And the same is true for using a Bluetooth-enabled player with Bluetooth portable speakers, or audio/video system.

Other devices

In the process of choosing an MP3 player, it's important to remember that other devices like cell phones, PDAs, plug-and-play satellite radios, and even GPS units also play digital music files. This function is not their primary purpose, however, and song storage and playback options are generally limited compared to MP3 players of similar capacity.

Function can help determine if any of these alternative devices may be a good solution for you. If you only want to carry one portable device, for example, you may opt for a cell phone with MP3 playback capability. If most of your music listening is done while hiking or exercising outdoors, a GPS health and fitness monitor may make more sense.

The trade-off for consolidating these devices is usually lower storage capacity, which means less variety. With a cell phone or a GPS unit you can keep your favorite songs close at hand, but if you want to access thousands of songs and perhaps a movie or two at a moment's notice, then an MP3 player is probably in your future.