The 5 things you should know about MP3 players

If you're getting started with a personal audio player, it can feel like there are millions of choices to be made. Nowadays, just about every electronic device you can buy comes with some kind of MP3 player compatibility. Many newer vehicles even advertise that their onboard stereo system works with MP3 players. Before you get too far into your pre-purchasing research, there are a few things you should know. A lot about the wide world of electronic audio will just seem like jibberish and babble if you aren't aware of these fundamentals.

1. Not all formats are compatible. Without much trouble, you can find music in easily over a dozen different electronic music formats on the internet. After all, electronic music has been around a few decades now and the technology that produces this medium has had all that time to advance. And while computers and many smartphones are good about playing the most common formats, you could still find yourself with the occasional file format that's incompatible with your device. Take the time to make sure the music want to play will actually work the digital audio player you want to buy.

For that matter, most personal audio players are more than just MP3 players. They can handle many different formats, and some can handle either audio content or video content.

2. Software is required to load music. Most audio players use software to "sideload" music onto your device. iTunes is a great example of this kind of software. Basically, the software looks at the music on your computer and allows you to choose how much and which songs are included on your phone. These music management systems are necessary because most home computers have vastly greater storage than mobile personal devices, and audio players just can't hold all the files at one time. Since this software is such a key part of your audio player experience, it's pretty important that you actually like the design of interface. If you don't like the way the program looks or works, then you won't have as much fun with it.

3. DRM restrictions can be an issue. DRM stands for Digital Rights Management. The DRM control on your music file determines which devices and systems can play that music. It's important to make sure you understand the DRM settings of downloaded music before you pay for it. Sometimes, you'll find that you can only maintain a copy of the song on a handful of devices at one time or that perhaps you'll be unable to play that music on your home television even though it's capable of playing MP3s. The DRM restrictions are important to the music industry because they help combat music piracy.

4. Earbuds aren't the only thing you can use. Many popular digital audio players now come with included earbuds. You can also use headphones equally well. The earbuds are just an easy, stylish choice to be included with an audio player, but some folks will want to upgrade to specialized headphones. There's no problem with that; headphones work just fine with digital music players.

Your options don't end with earbuds or headphones, however. Many manufacturers even create stereo speakers you can play from audio players. These speakers are often portable and inexpensive. Home docking stations are available; these are standing speakers that rest on your desk or table. You plug your audio player into the docking station and use it like you would an older home stereo.

5. Check out the controls. It's possible to have intuitive, natural preference for certain control layouts. You may enjoy the radial button controls of a classic iPod, while another person could find that cumbersome and unwieldy. A lot of this is simple personal opinion, but it does mean you should take the time to check out the controls for an audio player. If you review the button scheme before you purchase the product, you might prevent yourself from buying a product you don't like.

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