MP3 players have become a vital accessory in our daily lives.

Also called digital audio players, they come in a wide variety of styles, capacities, sizes, and colors. So which one is right for you?

HDD

These types of devices are the largest in size and have the highest capacity of all portable audio players. They tend to be quite heavy and have several moving parts, but they are very versatile.

These larger memory players are ideal for home use and can be connected to your stereo speakers. Entire music collections with thousands of songs can be stored on this type of music device. Examples of hard drive players include the Apple iPod video or the Sony Network Walkman NW-HD15.

micro hard drive

While these may have a smaller hard drive and less capacity than a portable hard drive music player, they are much lighter and definitely have more capacity than their smaller flash memory counterparts.

While they are still relatively light, they still contain moving parts, so any impact exercise like jogging can affect the internal workings. However, these players are ideal for travel. It is even possible to purchase an FM transmitter that fits into your car to allow you to listen to music through your car stereo. Examples of micro hard drive players include the Apple iPod mini or Creative Labs Zen Micro.

Flash memory

These small and very light MP3 players may have the lowest capacity, but they are incredibly portable. This makes them ideal to wear while exercising or jogging.

Since there are no moving parts in these little players, they are ideal for athletes or active people who don’t want to risk breaking or jarring players. Examples of flash memory music players include the mobiBLU Dah 1500i and the Apple iPod Nano.

What other features should you look for?

You will need to check if it is compatible with the current operating system on your computer. This means checking for PC or Mac compatibility before purchasing. You may also find that some MP3 players include features such as voice recorders, FM radios, and even video players.