MediaMonkey vs Foobar

[TheEmpathicEar]

[i have only used Zune and WMP software so far...]

I'm trying to decide between using one or the other. My primary focus at the moment is being able to sync my iPod, but I may have more needs going forward.

Edited July 19, 2014 by TheEmpathicEar

[A.lemane]

foobar or http://www.softpedia.com/get/Multimedia/Audio/Audio-Players/AIMP-Classic.shtml

[MrEprize]

Top Music managers listed in order:

Foobar - great but takes some tinkering to get it looking nice. It is also the fastest if you have a big Library. I would label it as "Advanced". Free (has portable version)

MediaMonkey - easy and works very well great for entry level. Free\Gold

Clementine - Another good alternative, it is also entry level and 100% free.

MusicBee - good, I would rank it as "Medium", it is also 100% free. (has portable version)

Others of note:

Aimp - Too simple

Winamp - Too simple

iTunes - To bulky, wasteful and Intrusive

Helium - Its ok but seems aimed at someone who wants to REALLY live in their music collection (its deep)

JRiver - Not bad but it was sort of buggy, some weird rendering issues.

[TheEmpathicEar]

I started looking at Foobar because it seems to have a lot of features. And, the "foo_dop" plug-in "iPod Manager" seems to have quite a few features for iPod. The question with "foo_dop" is that it seems to have been abandoned - no development - since the middle of 2011. I was hoping to find someone here that used Foobar with their iPod. I posted here, http://www.hydrogenaud.io/forums/index.php?showtopic=45160, but did not get many specifics about "foo_dop".

The other software, Spotify, for windows apparently is able to sync iPod. But, I don't know where it ranks amongst these other music managers?

[Tarik]

well my vote goes to foober

[TheEmpathicEar]

I'm just getting ready to install Foobar and the "foo_dop" plug-in. The installer is under 4MB?!!? How can this be?

[Knightmare]

I've only used MediaMonkey but I like it because it organizes my large music collection, syncs with my iPod, and has a good interface.

[TheEmpathicEar]

I have installed Foobar for the first time. I set Media Library>Music Folders>"D:\iPod\My Music" (Status == Monitoring) This contains all of my music [MP3s] in a hierarchy: i.e. One folder each for each artist, sub-folders for each album, and the MP3s contained in each sub-folder.

I expected to see all my music in the main window? But, nothing is displayed there? If I go to Library>Album List, I can see all of the music [but no album art, etc.].

[exodius]

IMO, foobar is lightweight music player, suitable for old pc/low spec. pc.

MediaMonkey is too heavy. But has many features. Suitable for modern/high spec. pc.

Edited July 20, 2014 by exodius

[iih1]

yes, course foobar....choose foobar..powerful..

[TheEmpathicEar]

@iih1

Did you see my last post? Why is all of music not being displayed?

[uVSthem]

I still play my music off of discs. Does anyone have any suggesting for a player that supports DVD-A, CD, HDCD and SACD?

[jackieo]

If you have an actual Apple Ipod just use Itunes, it is designed to be used with it.

or are you using some off brand mp3 player?

[DNM]

foobar2000 gets my vote 4 sure

[Dodel]

Foobar

OP, Create a new play list, and drag your parent folder into it.

[Nastrahl]

I have installed Foobar for the first time. I set Media Library>Music Folders>"D:\iPod\My Music" (Status == Monitoring) This contains all of my music [MP3s] in a hierarchy: i.e. One folder each for each artist, sub-folders for each album, and the MP3s contained in each sub-folder.

I expected to see all my music in the main window? But, nothing is displayed there? If I go to Library>Album List, I can see all of the music [but no album art, etc.].

Because library is different from playlist. I hardly use the library personally. You have to add your songs from the library to the playlist, a drag and drop should work (or File → Add Folder).

[TheEmpathicEar]

I have installed Foobar for the first time. I set Media Library>Music Folders>"D:\iPod\My Music" (Status == Monitoring) This contains all of my music [MP3s] in a hierarchy: i.e. One folder each for each artist, sub-folders for each album, and the MP3s contained in each sub-folder.

I expected to see all my music in the main window? But, nothing is displayed there? If I go to Library>Album List, I can see all of the music [but no album art, etc.].

Because library is different from playlist. I hardly use the library personally. You have to add your songs from the library to the playlist, a drag and drop should work (or File → Add Folder).

How do you manager your music collection/library? You need to add/edit/remove artwork, tags, etc.? A playlist is fine for playback, but what a database/library view is needed for all this other stuff? i.e. Adding/deleting more music, etc.?

[avmad]

I've been looking for similar. Tried Media Monkey and found it horrible, although it used to be pretty good.

I use a Cowon D2 portable player and wanted to manage it with some program, not to sync, just send and remove albums from my collection when I fancied it.

You can use something like this to get all the info for your collection http://www.nsanedown.com/?request=3262347

There are more on the front page, and others. Portable if you prefer.

Then find something else for the synching part.

I think it's just worth playing with software until you find what you like. I've used most of them over the years but am yet to find one that does only what I want without loads of extra uneeded features.

Music players that have the best sound for PC are Foobar and AIMP imo. I find them limited to just that though.

Edited July 20, 2014 by avmad

[dcs18]

How do you manager your music collection/library? You need to add/edit/remove artwork, tags, etc.?

The best standalone program for that is Tag & Rename.

[TheEmpathicEar]

Thx for all your feedback. I may be confusing the issue here. I am talking about a library/database view that allows you to see your entire collection. i.e. You can sort by artist, album, song, genre, etc. You can choose whether to view album art in this view or a list w/o art, etc. You can add/edit/remove music in this view. Or, you can add music directly to the folder on your hard drive [from which this view is derived] and the music will be added to this view. This is what I can not seem to find in Foobar anyway. It may not exist for all I know. This is what I am used to from using Zune and WMP. Does this make sense? And, is this possible in Foobar? Or, MediaMonkey for that matter?

[Nastrahl]

Thx for all your feedback. I may be confusing the issue here. I am talking about a library/database view that allows you to see your entire collection. i.e. You can sort by artist, album, song, genre, etc. You can choose whether to view album art in this view or a list w/o art, etc. You can add/edit/remove music in this view. Or, you can add music directly to the folder on your hard drive [from which this view is derived] and the music will be added to this view. This is what I can not seem to find in Foobar anyway. It may not exist for all I know. This is what I am used to from using Zune and WMP. Does this make sense? And, is this possible in Foobar? Or, MediaMonkey for that matter?

If I'm not wrong, the library in foobar just shows you the music you added in, in a treeview manner or such, nothing more.

For the views, you have to customize the layout or play with the predefined ones for it to displays the playlists to your liking, then you can configure it to shows you what you want to.

You can stil edit some things by going through the properties (Alt + Enter), but I doubt Foobar is a music manager in the first place, but just a media player.

[TheEmpathicEar]

Does MediaMonkey allow you to do what I have described? Or, is it playlist-based as is Foobar? [i just found this out via http://www.hydrogenaud.io/forums/index.php?showtopic=106348&st=0&gopid=870002entry870002

Edited July 20, 2014 by TheEmpathicEar

[rach]

http://musicbee.wikia.com/wiki/IPod_%26_iPhone_Driver

[jackieo]

Thx for all your feedback. I may be confusing the issue here. I am talking about a library/database view that allows you to see your entire collection. i.e. You can sort by artist, album, song, genre, etc. You can choose whether to view album art in this view or a list w/o art, etc. You can add/edit/remove music in this view. Or, you can add music directly to the folder on your hard drive [from which this view is derived] and the music will be added to this view. This is what I can not seem to find in Foobar anyway. It may not exist for all I know. This is what I am used to from using Zune and WMP. Does this make sense? And, is this possible in Foobar? Or, MediaMonkey for that matter?

Itunes will do everything you just said. why are you trying not to use it?

Ipod + ITunes = success ( I have the Ipod nano 5G with the video cam and the click wheel ( now discontinued of course)

I have tried a few apps to move files in and out of the Ipod but only ITunes does it right.

Just use ITunes ! :) Foobar on the PC side is an awesome player, library manager, I got tired of looking for something to replace ITunes...for moving files to the Ipod.

and again, you keep saying zune...Ipod... but havent specified your player, "Ipod" sometimes is generic for MP3 player

IS IT AN IPOD? AN APPLE IPOD? if so just use ITunes.

Zune played so nicely with media player BECAUSE ITS M$ PRODUCT.

Apple is not and is very difficult to find something to play nicely with it other than ITunes.

I dont know why you keep dodging the obvious here....

Edited July 20, 2014 by jackieo

[TheEmpathicEar]

@jackeio

I don't use iTunes because it does not allow me to "point" it to my music library resulting in a database/library view of all my music.