February 02, 2024 06:33Updated by Brittany Garcia to Play Audio, Media Player
Summary: This post introduces you to the best 14 MP3 players. You can free download any of them to easily access and play various songs. Here you can directly download a free MP3 music player to enjoy music on your Windows 10/8/7 PC or Mac.
There are lots of MP3 music player apps offered on the internet for you to conveniently play all types of songs. You get so many choices. But which one you should choose? What is the best MP3 music player?
But you do. You still choose to burn videos to DVDs, for various reasons. And this post is for you.
In fact, you can handily play songs on a computer with a default player like Windows Media Player, QuickTime Player, or iTunes. However, for various reasons, you still prefer to get another MP3 player. For instance, you pay more attention to the audio quality and like some lossless audio formats. But in most cases, the default MP3 player doesn’t support these formats.
Considering that, here we recommend the best 14 music players for Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android to better play songs on your computer. We will show their key features and comparisons to help you quickly locate the best MP3 player. You can free download the MP3 music player to get a high-quality sound experience.
Table of Contents
- Part 1. How We Test the Best Free MP3 Player
- Part 2. Best 10 Free MP3 Player Download for Windows and Mac
- NO.1 MP3 Player Download – Free Blu-ray Player
- NO.2 Free MP3 Player Download – RealPlayer
- NO.3 Free MP3 Player Download – VLC Media Player
- NO.4 Free MP3 Player Download – Groove Music
- NO.5 MP3 Player Download – Music Player
- NO.6 Free MP3 Player Download – Winamp
- NO.7 Free MP3 Player Download – foobar2000
- NO.8 Free MP3 Player Download – MediaMonkey
- NO.9 Free MP3 Player Download – MusicBee
- NO.10 Free MP3 Player Download – AIMP
- Part 3. Best 4 Free MP3 Player Download for iOS and Android
- Part 4. FAQs of Free MP3 Player
| Free MP3 Player | OS | Audio Formats | Playlist Creator | Ads-Free |
| Free Blu-ray Player | Windows, Mac. | FLAC, WAV, WMA, MP3, MP2, AAC, AC3, AIFF, M4A. | Yes. | Yes. |
| RealPlayer | Windows, Mac, Android, iOS. | MP3, WMA, WAV, M4A, M4P, RA. | Yes. | Yes. |
| VLC Media Player | Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, iOS. | MP3, AAC, AC3, ALAC, AMR, DTS, and more. | Yes. | Yes. |
| Groove Music | Windows, Android, iOS. | MP3, M4A, WMA, WAV, FLAC, AAC, and 3GP. | Yes. | No. |
| Music Player | Windows. | MP3, WAV, AIFF, MIDI, AAC, and more. | Yes. | Yes. |
| Winamp | Windows, iOS, and Android. | MP3, MOD, MPEG-1, AAC, M4A. FLAC, WAV, MIDI, WMA. | Yes. | No. |
| foobar2000 | Windows, Mac, iOS, Android. | MP3, AAC, OGG, FLAC, AAC, WMA, and more. | Yes. | Yes. |
| MediaMonkey | Windows and Android. | MP3, AAC, FLAC, WAV, MPC, APE, OGG, WMA, ALAC. | Yes. | No. |
| MusicBee | Windows. | MP3, AAC, WMA, OGG, FLAC, etc. | Yes. | Yes. |
| AIMP | Windows, Android. | CDA, AAC, AC3, APE, DTS, FLAC, MO3, MOD, M4A, M4B, MP3, OGG, WAV, WMA, MKA, AA3, WebM, and more. | Yes. | Yes. |
| VOX – MP3 & FLAC Music Player | iOS. | FLAC, APE, WAV, MP3, WMA, OGG, etc. | Yes. | No. |
| BlackPlayer | Android. | MP3, FLAC, M4A, OGG, WAV, etc. | Yes. | No. |
| Evermusic Offline Music Player | iOS. | MP3, AAC, M4A, WAV, AIFF, etc. | Yes. | Yes. |
| Poweramp Music Player | Android. | MP3, OGG, WAV, APE, TTA, etc. | Yes. | Yes. |
Part 1. How We Test the Best Free MP3 Player
To select the best free MP3 players, we have tested 64 free MP3 players on the market, including desktop software and mobile phone apps.
What devices do we use?
To test how the MP3 players work on different operating systems, we use the devices covering Windows OS, macOS, iOS, and Android operating systems.
Here is the list of the devices: Galaxy S23 Ultra, Google Pixel 7 Pro, OnePlus 11, iPhone 15, iPhone 14 Pro, 13-inch MacBook Air with M2 chip, Dell XPS 13 Plus, Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 10, and HP Spectre x360 14.
How do we evaluate the MP3 players?
When choosing the best free MP3 players, we consider the audio quality, supported audio formats, equalizer, and other enhancement tools. Besides, a good music player should be easy to use with an intuitive and organized interface. For music lovers, efficient library management is essential, too.
How long have we tested?
For each MP3 player, we tested 3-5 music clips containing both songs with lyrics and light music. We spent almost 15 minutes on each MP3 player, and testing all these programs took us three days. However, it’s worth it since we’ve selected the 14 best music players on Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS devices.
Part 2. Best 10 Free MP3 Player Download for Windows and Mac
NO.1 MP3 Player Download – Free Blu-ray Player
Compatible OS: Windows, Mac
Free one always come first. At the first part, we will show you a free MP3 music player, Free Blu-ray Player. As you can see from its name, besides audio, it also enables you to play Blu-ray, DVD, and videos in any popular formats like MP4, MOV, FLV, AVI, TS, MTS, M4V, QT, MPG, MPEG, and more.
Free Blu-ray Player has the capability to play any music files with high sound quality. It can help you play Blu-ray/DVD discs, and movies with ease. It guarantees you a comfortable user experience and high image/sound quality.
Pros
- It can play the most popular audio formats.
- You can create a personal song playlist.
- Easy sound playback control with keyboard shortcuts.
Cons
- You can only enjoy Dolby Digital and DTS in the pro version.
- It doesn’t offer a sound equalizer.
- This free MP3 player is compatible with all frequently-used lossless and lossy audio formats, such as FLAC, WAV, WMA, MP3, MP2, AAC, AC3, AIFF, M4A and more.
- This best MP3 music player cares much about audio playback quality and effect. Moreover, you can upgrade Pro version to get 5.1 surround sound (Dolby Digital, DTS).
Free Download
For Windows
Secure Download
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for macOS
Secure Download
NO.2 Free MP3 Player Download – RealPlayer
MP3 player compatible OS: Windows, Mac, Android
RealPlayer is one very popular music and movie player which can help you play various media files. It offers different versions to make sure you can handily play music on Windows 10/8/7/XP PC, Android and Mac. It can work as a free MP3 music player to play songs in any popular audio formats.
- Compatible with any popular audio formats like MP3, AAC, AC3, MP2, AIFF, WMA, M4A, ALAC, FLAC, and more.
- Support any frequently-used video formats like MP4, MKV, AVI, FLV, MPEG, and many more. MOV and WMV can’t be played.
- Work as a MP3 music converter to convert video to MP3 file.
- Support lock-screen music playback controls and headphones controls.
- Powerful online video search feature to easily search video.
- Browser plugin allows you to save videos.
Pros
- It’s convenient to sync your songs on your desktop to your phone.
- It has an equalizer to adjust the sound.
- You can create an album for your music.
Cons
- Some features require payment, such as streaming off-device content and more cloud storage.
NO.3 Free MP3 Player Download – VLC Media Player
MP3 player compatible OS: Windows, Mac, Android, iOS
VLC Media Player is one of the best MP3 music players for all operating systems, desktops, mobiles or TVs. It is the free, open-source and cross-platform media playing software. This free media player also enables you to stream media with ease. VLC is able to play all types of media files, discs and streaming files.
- Play any popular video/audio formats like MP3, AAC, M4A, ALAC, FLAC, MP4, MOV, AVI, MKV, FLV, and more.
- Offer many music visualisation options for you to better enjoy music.
- Advanced control to set over the video, video/audio filters and sync subtitle.
- Ads-free, no spyware, and no user tracking.
- Fix and play some incomplete or broken music and video files.
Pros
- It’s a cross-platform and open-source MP3 player.
- It can play a wide range of audio formats.
- You can install extensions or plugins to expand its features.
Cons
- It doesn’t offer efficient tools to manage song playlists, like filters or tags.
- It can’t sync the music across platforms.
NO.4 Free MP3 Player Download – Groove Music
MP3 player compatible OS: Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, Xbox
Groove Music is a free MP3 player that offers a now-discontinued music streaming service, Groove Music Pass. It is compatible with Windows, Xbox, iOS and Android device. More than 50 million tracks are loaded on Groove Music.
- Support video/audio formats like MP3, M4A, AAC, FLAC, MP4, AVI, FLV, and more.
- Browse and manage all your music files from any portable devices.
- Make and manage playlists that rock any occasion.
- Sync playlists and songs through OneDrive and accessed from multiple devices.
Pros
- It’s convenient to upload songs to OneDrive and stream them directly.
Cons
- It’s no longer supported by the developer since 2017.
- It doesn’t offer many advanced options for library management.
- It can’t play OGG or some other common audio formats.
NO.5 MP3 Player Download – Music Player
MP3 player compatible OS: Windows
Music Player is one free MP3 music player for Windows 10 computer. This MP3 player highly supports almost all audio formats like MP3, AAC, M4A, WAV, AIFF, MOD, MTM, UMX, MP1, XM, MIDI, OTA, MP2, and more.
- Offer a powerful equalizer which enables you to adjust sound effects as you like.
- Pre-set music tone styles include Pop, Rock, Classic, Normal, Hip hop, Jazz, Dance, Folk, Heavy, and more.
- Provide a changeable theme and changes color automatically or based on album or music.
- Quick search feature to quickly browse and play music by albums, artists, songs, playlists, and folders.
Pros
- It supports an extensive range of audio formats.
- It offers advanced and customized settings on sound effects.
Cons
- It doesn’t have an equalizer in the free version.
- It can only run on Windows 10 or higher versions.
NO.6 Free MP3 Player Download – Winamp
MP3 player compatible OS: Windows
Winamp is one very popular free MP3 music player which can help you play all types of songs in any popular audio formats,such as MP3, AAC, M4A, WAV, AIFF, and so on. It enables you to manage the music library on iOS device like iPhone/iPad/iPod through some compatible plug-ins. Now it consists of over 20,000 skins and loads of plug-ins.
- Support many popular audio formats like MP3, AAC, M4A, ALAC, etc.
- Support Shoutcast internet radio stations and New Spinner MP3 of the Day Online Service.
- Consist of over 20,000 skins and loads of plug-ins.
- Sync iPod with iTunes music library.
Pros
- It has a fan zone to allow music lovers to gather together.
- You can enjoy high-quality sound with DSP plugins.
Cons
- It doesn’t support formats like OGG or AIFF.
- The interface is hard to navigate.
NO.7 Free MP3 Player Download – foobar2000
MP3 player compatible OS: Windows, iOS, Android
foobar2000 is an advanced free music player for Windows 10/8/7 PC users. This best MP3 player is very famous because of the high quality audio playback. It is designed with customizable user interface and simple features.
- Support popular audio formats like MP3, AAC, WMA, FLAC, WAV, AIFF, CD Audio, WavPack, Musepack, Speex, AU, SND, and more.
- Support gapless playback, full ReplayGain and advanced tagging capabilities.
- Allow third-party developers to extend the player’s functionality.
- Rip audio CDs and transcode all supported audio formats.
- Support keyboard shortcuts to easily control the music playing process.
Pros
- It offers advanced features like sound equalizer, DSP manager, and audio converter.
- If has many visualizations, like Spectrum, Oscilloscope, or VU Meter.
- You can customize your audio playback on ReplayGain, preamp, and total time played.
Cons
- The interface is text-oriented and complicated for beginners.
NO.8 Free MP3 Player Download – MediaMonkey
MP3 player compatible OS: Windows
MediaMonkey is a free and all-featured movie and music player. It has the capability to play any audio/video files with high image and sound quality. This best MP3 player enables you to organize, browse, or search music by Artist, Genre, Rating, Year, and so on. It can also work as a great movie and music organizer to help you better manage all kinds of media files.
- Support music formats like MP3, AAC, ALAC, M4A, OGG, WMA, FLAC, etc.
- Easy manage video/audio files more than 100,000 without bogging down.
- Rip CDs, burn music to DVDs and CDs, and convert audio formats.
- Sync Android, iPhone, iPad, iPod, and other devices, converting and leveling tracks.
- Manage volume automatically without worrying about the varying volume.
Pros
- It offers more advanced library management for your songs, like automatic tagging.
- It’s easy to sync your music to phones with Wi-Fi.
- You can enjoy high-quality audio playback with equalizer, DSP effect add-ons, and volume leveling.
Cons
- The free version has limited features without automatic leveling or unlimited streaming.
NO.9 Free MP3 Player Download – MusicBee
MP3 player compatible OS: Windows
MusicBee is a free music player which can easily import songs from iTunes and music library. It is designed with a concise and elegant user interface. You can get a good user experience as long you download and user it. This best MP3 music player provides a simple way to find, manage and play all your favorite songs on Windows 10/8/7 computer.
- Support audio formats like MP3, AAC, M4A, WMA, OGG, WAV, FLAC, APE, TAK, etc.
- Support podcasts, web radio stations and SoundCloud integration.
- Support 10-band or 15-band equalizer, DSP effects, automatic meta data import, and more.
- Support utilize high-end audio cards with WASAPI and ASIO.
- Support last.fm, CD ripping, and tagging tools.
- Support some WinAmp plugins to enhance the music quality.
Pros
- It’s a lightweight and completely free MP3 player without ads.
- It offers various skins and has an album cover-oriented interface.
- Many advanced tools are available to enhance sound quality.
Cons
- It requires more memory usage compared with other MP3 players.
- It offers limited options for podcasts.
NO.10 Free MP3 Player Download – AIMP
MP3 player compatible OS: Windows, Android
AIMP is a free MP3 audio player which highly supports large number of music formats and playlists. This MP3 music player works with multiple playlists. You can use it to make bookmarks and have a playback queue. It offers a sensitive equalizer to give you a better sound experience.
- Crystal-clear sound, technology of reproduction essentially differs from Winamp and WMP.
- Many plug-ins make possible to expand opportunities of the program.
- Offer 29-band graphic equalizer, playback speed and balance control.
- Support many popular audio formats like WMA, MP3, WAV, OGG, AAC, FLAC, etc.
- Support cross-fade tracks, internet radio and HTTP Live streaming.
Pros
- It has a multi-user mode to allow different users on one computer.
- It offers more advanced audio library management.
- It delivers impressive sound quality with WASAPI.
Cons
- It freezes or stops responding when adding multiple files at a time.
- It displays too much text (file name, album, local files, etc.) even when playing music.
Part 3. Best 4 Free MP3 Player Download for iOS and Android
No.11 Free MP3 Player Download – VOX – MP3 & FLAC Music Player
MP3 player compatible OS: iOS
MP3 Player Free is a free music and radio player for iPhone, iPad and iPod. It can send your files to the device via Wi-Fi or USB and iTunes is not needed to connect for music syncing. All the music imported into your iOS device will be arranged in the order by artist and album, and you can find them quickly.
- lay music and playlist by loop or shuffle.
- Offer 30,000+ radio stations, including the talk stations from BBC Radio 1 and 6 Music.
- Sync music with Wi-Fi without any USB connection.
Pros
- It supports Hi-Res audio with lossless quality.
- It offers advanced tools to adjust your music, like BS2B and equalizer.
Cons
- Some users find it crashes or glitches often.
- Unlimited cloud storage needs a subscription.
No.12 Free MP3 Player Download – BlackPlayer
MP3 player compatible OS: Android
BlackPlayer is a free MP3 player to play local audio files on Android phone. Compared with the MP3 player, BlackPlayer lets you change the software design with powerful settings. It can keep the tracks of your most played artists and albums so that you can find and play your favorite songs conveniently.
- Play WAV, OGG, FLAC, and M4A music files apart from MP3.
- Offers the BassBoost, 3D Surround Virtualizer, Amplifier, and 5 Band Equalizer effects for the music playback.
- View and edit the music lyrics and synchronize the lyrics.
- Support Android Wear.
Pros
- It offers many bells and whistles to play.
- It’s easy to manage your songs by sorting them by album, artist, and track.
Cons
- The latest update causes an unstable Bluetooth connection.
- It requires music to be downloaded to listen to them offline.
No.13 Free MP3 Player Download – Evermusic Offline Music Player
MP3 player compatible OS: iOS
Evermusic Offline Music Player is an audio equalizer cloud streamer for iPhone and iPad. Supporting the most popular audio formats like MP3, AAC, M4A, WAV, AIFF, M4R, etc., this app can move your local music content to the cloud service. Besides, it lets you download songs, albums, and artists and listen to the music offline. Surely, some features of this free MP3 player are enabled after your subscription.
- Upload local music to the cloud like Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive, Box, MEGA, Yandex.Disk, WD MyCloud Home, DLNA, etc.
- Download MP3 songs for offline playback.
- Adjust the audio playback speed, and support crossfade playback.
- ID3 tag editor can edit your audio files as you like.
Pros
- It’s convenient to stream or download songs from cloud services.
- Your music library can automatically sync with cloud services.
- It supports Apple CarPlay, which allows you to listen to music when driving.
Cons
- It can’t play FLAC audio files.
- The app is not very stable and sometimes crashes.
No.14 Free MP3 Player Download – Poweramp Music Player
MP3 player compatible OS: Android
Poweramp Music Player is an MP3 player app for Android users. It plays a wide range of audio formats like mp3, mp4/m4a (incl. alac), ogg, wma, flac, wav, ape, wv, tta, mpc, aiff; V3 also plays opus, dsd (dff/dsf), mka, tak, flv (audio), etc. Besides, it offers 10 brand optimized graphical equalizer for all the MP3 and other audio playback.
- Support various audio files playback on Android.
- 10 brand optimizer graphical equalizer for MP3 playback.
- Adjust Bass and Treble separately.
- Support Google Assistant and Chromecast.
Pros
- You can see all the local files in the app.
- It offers various customized settings on equalizer, volume control, and skins.
Cons
- It sometimes skips and stutters during playing.
- The customer service isn’t responsive enough.
Part 4. FAQs of Free MP3 Player
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Is there a totally free MP3 music player?
Yes. There are many free music players, such as VLC, foobar2000, and MusicBee. You can listen to music for free.
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What is the best app to download free MP3 music?
You can download free MP3 music from apps like Spotify, Google Play Music, SoundCloud, etc.
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What is better than MP3 for sound quality?
FLAC or WAV have better sound quality than MP3 since they are lossless audio formats and can preserve the original sound details.
Wrapping up
Conclusion
That’s all for the best 14 MP3 players for PC, Mac, iOS, and Android. After reading this post, you can easily find a free music player you like. Some of the recommended players are working across platform so that you can listen to music on iPod and Mac at the same time. Tell us in the comment if you have any great MP3 music player recommendations.
