MP3 Converter Software Review

Why MP3 Converter Software?

With all the emphasis that companies who create portable media devices put on digital rights management, consumers have found it much more difficult to play music on a variety of mediums. Even within the same medium, certain files work and then don’t, depending on the program being used. For example, a song purchased from iTunes will not work on Windows Media Player, and anything purchased from Napster will only work on certain devices and not others.

Consumers go about everything legally and still hit roadblocks. Some CD players don’t even support certain formats.

Because of this, many companies have created MP3 converter software that converts, for example, an M4A file from iTunes to a regular MP3. That way, the file can be played on a greater number of mediums.

MP3 Converter Software: What to Look For

Conversion Features
How quickly the program converts the original file to the new format. Some players only support speeds of 16x (converts the song 16 times faster than normal time), while others reach upwards of 50x. How much control do users have over the quality of the converted file? This includes customizing frequencies, bitrates, channels, variables, and more. Which formats are able to be converted and the formats to which files can be converted? For example, a program might convert WMA, M4A, CDA files. The resulting converted file’s format could be an MP3, M4A, OGG, WMA, etc.

Additional Features
Not all of these programs limit themselves purely to conversions. In fact, most are audio suites with a converter built in, meaning there’s plenty more to do after your files finish their transition from one format to another.

Interface
Granted, this is not the most vital aspect to a successful conversion program, but interfaces greatly influence users’ experiences. A good interface leads to efficient navigation and conversion; a bad interface impairs users’ attempts to quickly and easily accomplish their objectives. They should be designed with intuition in mind, leading to users easily operating and navigating the software without encountering a large number of complications.

Ease of Use
Simply put, how simple is it to operate the software? Does it take a long time to pour over help documents to find one answer, or is everything fairly self-explanatory and self-evident, leading to a much more enjoyable experience.

Support
Just as all the programs are designed differently, so are their help systems. This takes into account all the resources available for users, from email contact to technical support phone lines to user-generated and maintained forums.

Whether you’re searching for a program that will simply convert files from one format to another, or a program that converts in addition to offering a truckload of extra features that will lead to an even greater listening experience, we have you covered. The top programs are Switch, dB Poweramp Converter, and Tunebite, so visit those reviews first to get a sense of how the leaders in the market approach MP3 converter software. Additionally, be sure to check out a Learning Center article on MP3 converter software that explains the intricacies of some of the more popular output formats.  At TopTenREVIEWS We Do the Research So You Don't Have To.™

 
 
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Software » Multimedia » MP3 Converter Software Review
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Switch dBpoweramp Converter Tunebite AVS Audio Converter Winamp Tipard All Music Converter FXBear Audio Converter MediaMonkey Blaze Media Pro SoundTaxi
Switch dBpoweramp Converter Tunebite AVS Audio Converter Winamp Tipard All Music Converter FXBear Audio Converter MediaMonkey Blaze Media Pro SoundTaxi
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Lowest Price
Visit Switch 2.03
$29.99
Visit dBpoweramp Converter 13.5
$38.00
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$26.90
Visit AVS Audio Converter 6.2.1.441
$39.95
Visit Winamp 5.57
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Visit Tipard All Music Converter 4.2.12
$15.00
Visit FXBear Audio Converter 1.0
$14.94
Visit MediaMonkey 3.2
$39.95
Visit Blaze Media Pro 9.0
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Visit SoundTaxi 4.0.4
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Overall Rating
Ratings
Conversion Features
Additional Features
Interface
Ease of Use
Support
 
Conversion Features
Batch Conversions
Auto-Tagging
Customizable Frequency
Customizable Bitrate
 
Customizable Channels
 
 
 
Volume Normalization
 
       
Customizable Encoding  
   
  
Simultaneous Conversions   
       
0-5 Output Formats        
6-10 Output Formats  
     
11-16 Output Formats
    
   
Additional Features
Audio Effects
 
  
  
Extract Audio from Video
 
 
 
 
Audio/Video Recording
 
     
Audio Editor
  
 
 
CD Burning/Ripping  
 
  
 
Video Conversions   
      
File Merging      
    
Support
Email
FAQs
 
Forums  
 
  
  
Phone