Scan & Fix 50 registry issues FREECNET Editors' review
All too often we encounter music players that are either lacking basic features or crammed with features that aren't particularly useful. MusicBee is one of those rare programs that covers all the basics and includes some pretty cool extras. If you're in the market for a new way to manage your music collection, you should take a look at it.
The program's interface is plain and intuitive, with a list of tracks dominating the center of the screen and a list of directories down the left side, just like many other music players. If you have songs with incomplete album information, MusicBee can automatically search for and update that information for you, and it has several other tools to help you organize your music collection. The auto DJ feature is much more than just a song shuffler; with this function of the program you can customize the way that songs are selected, choosing tracks that are similar to the seed song, favoring more highly rated tracks, setting a minimum gap before the same artist is repeated, and much more. MusicBee also provides access to a wide variety of Internet radio stations, as well as local concert listings and upcoming album releases. The program's online Help file is well written and thorough. Overall, we were quite impressed with MusicBee; it was easy to use and brought several really useful features together in a way that we hadn't seen before.
MusicBee comes as a ZIP file but installs and uninstalls without issues.
Publisher's Description
From Steven Mayall:
MusicBee makes it easy to organize, find and play music files on your computer, on portable devices and on the web. Features include play your music the way that you want, manage large music libraries, and easily find what you want to hear, add metadata to your music, utilize your Internet connection to automatically find useful information about your music collection or the currently playing song, create party playlist and turn your computer into a music jukebox, add songs from your CD collection to your library and synchronize with your devices, and create your own unique look and feel.
What's new in this version: Version 2.0.4663 has improved buffering for music playback, enhanced save and load custom views, and included filter based on information for the current playing track.
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All versions:
4.7 starsout of 47 votes
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Current version:
4.8 starsout of 15 votes
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My rating:
Write review
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"Love it sooo much"
Version: MusicBee 2.0.4663
Pros
Very quick and simple to install
Very simple and intuitive to useCons
The skins don't floor me but I don't care much
Summary
I've been avoiding using or upgrading iTunes for years when possible. Without wasting time on horror stories (you've probably experienced them yourselves or you wouldn't be looking at MusicBee), I'll just say the last straw was the fun I had installing it on a new PC.
I unzipped MusicBee, told it where my music files reside and poof, I was looking at all my music, well organized and easy to navigate. One of the quickest installs and setups I've seen. -
"Search no more. This is the one."
Version: MusicBee 2.0.4663
Pros
* Versatile renames music files
* Moves files from a set of directories to an organized folder automatically
* Can automatically populate track info/album art from internet search and track scan (awesome!)
* Extremely customizable
* DJ mode that seems to select a decent random mix
* automatic lyrics display
* any files without enough data are automatically sent to Inbox for reviewCons
* Multi-panel interface sometimes feels twitchy
* no automated way (I could find at least) to fix a set of tracks' info (highlight all and Cntl-L)
* you could be overwhelmed by options, but just stick with itSummary
I have tried iTunes, MediaMonkey, and Windows media player to manage a music collection. They are all amateurs compared to MusicBee. After using it for about 5 hours, I went to the website and donated $5. Once I get my wife hooked on it, I'll probably give more. It is really good.
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"Best of all worlds."
Version: MusicBee 2.0.4663
Pros
~ Free
~ Customizable Sleep / Fade Volume Mode
~ Auto Dj (like 'Playing Doctor' in JRivers) only a little more complicated than JRivers. 5 clicks as opposed to 3.
~ Buttload of default skins to muck about with.
~ Skins are organized by "dark skins", "blue skins", multi colored skins" etc. With 20-30 skins within each folder.
~ 1 click: 'Play Entire Library Randomly'.
~ Can easily take said randomly played songs and throw them in the playlist of your choice.
~ Has everything I look for in MM (sleep function) and JRivers (Playing Doctor).
~ Is free.Cons
~ As with any new ware, have to get used to new set up...before you start 'jamming' on it.
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"Just downloaded MusicBee, hopeful..."
Version: MusicBee 2.0.4663
Pros
Talk later about MusicBee.
Cons
Talk later about MusicBee.
Summary
I will write back later of my experience with MusicBee, but it has a huge job trying to compare to MusicMatch Jukebox 9. MusicMatch Jukebox came out about the same time as Napster in 1992. MusicMatch Jukebox ran from 1992 until September of 2004, their was nothing to compare it to. It was so simple to operate, and user friendly that nothing to this day can compare. All the buttons for operating the player were not all piled to the left, along the top and sides of the player like most players. MusicMatch Jukebox had the buttons under or over, and along side the part of the player that you were operating, making it so simple. You didn't have to go, all the way to the left, and try to figure out what buttons to click on. Another thing that made it very simple was..., you took your arrow and placed it over the word or phrase, and it explained what the button was used for. I have never seen or used a better player than this, I just wish someone would continue MusicMatch Jukebox. It is not under licence anymore. Talk Later...
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"The best!!!!"
Version: MusicBee 2.0.4663
Pros
First try it out!
Cons
none I could think of!
Summary
coolest .....
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"Bee GREAT! Download...Not so Much"
Version: MusicBee 2.0.4663
Pros
Music Bee is simply the best out there and I've only scratched the surface
Cons
Downloading this software could be ALOT easier without all the adware/malware that must be carefully worked through during download/install
Summary
One of the best free software out there. too bad for the work-through to get it
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"Brilliant. In a league of its own *****"
Version: MusicBee 2.0.4663
Pros
Lots of great features.
Just a pity I didn't find this before downloading other media players and deleting them because of all the crap bundled with them.
Music Bee is a little gemCons
NONE FOUND SO FAR
Summary
I was quite happy using WMP until I lost close on 3,000 music files for no apparent reason.
After dragging files into in-box and not being able to find them I realized that they had gone straight into play lists.
Its only taken a short time to find my way around this program and already its a favorite. Well done MusicBee -
"Finally, a real and awesome alternative"
Version: MusicBee 2.0.4663
Pros
This software is amazing. I've been looking for a program to replace iTunes. I've tried foobar, mediamonkey and several others but all had major limitations. Some didn't read all of my music, some had horrible interfaces, some couldn't be customized or rip music effectively. This software has it all and can manage over 350 gigs of music, in multiple formats, and use less than 100 megs of memory.
Cons
The only bad part is no iPhone synching and you have to play in the settings a bit to get all of the tweaks set to your liking. i'm still messing around to get it just right.
Summary
Give it a try, free your music and your RAM from iTunes.
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"outstanding"
Version: MusicBee 2.0.4663
Pros
does everything I want.
Cons
I have none. It has done nothing I don't want.
Summary
Works all the time, with no crap I do not want with no ridiculous learning curve like Fubar2000
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"How is this #38?"
Version: MusicBee 2.0.4663
Pros
Fast... It took no time to scan my library.
Light... Well, everything is compared to iTunes.
Quality Sound... I've ran live sound and having a nice 15 bar EQ helps fixes differences with my speaker setup. This player has sound quality that matches FooBar2000 and J.River.
Customization like crazy... If you can't get it the way you like it, you have issues. Loads of skin options.Cons
Less options when collecting and finding podcast compared to iTunes. I've one very minor issue with one skin.
Summary
When I updated to Win 8, I tried every media player/manager I could find. Music wins hands down and only FooBar2000 was close. Such a shame that so few people know of it.
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