by Andrew Tran

Created on: August 27, 2010   Last Updated: December 28, 2010

Music is now a staple in society. With less and less people using CDs and more people switching to digital music, companies are making MP3s better and more advanced. When planning to buy an MP3 player you should first decide what features do you want to be included with your MP3 player. Here is a list of what you should consider.

>Memory

If you're the kind of person who likes to listening to all kinds of music and you never get tired of hearing old songs, it is recommended you get an MP3 player that has a good amount of memory on it. If you only listen to the new songs that come out once in a while, you should just buy an MP3 player that has less memory. An MP3 with less memory is obviously going to cosst less, but if you have thousands of songs, it is best to get one with more memory, rather than a couple with a small amount of memory.

>Sound Quality

You want to have an MP3 player that can play at a wide range of decibels. The more decibels it has will make your sound quality better. If you crank the volume up on a song that has a lot of base, sometimes the MP3 player cannot handle those low decibels, and the song will sound different and less appealing. MP3 players also have a feature that lets you choose how the audio plays back.

>Videos

More and more MP3 players can play videos. They do certainly cost more, but if you like to watch a lot of videos, it is certainly worth the money. Apple provides the 5th generation iPod nano that can play and record videos. If the MP3 has a large enough memory drive, it can even store and play whole movies.

>Size

Some MP3 players are bigger than others. Older MP3 players are more likely to be bigger than newer ones. Technology is advancing at a faster pace every year. Currently the 5th generation iPod nano holds about 8-16 GB and is about 1.5'' wide, 4'' long, and not even ½'' thick. As time moves on, our technology will become more smaller, but hold much memory.

>Battery life

The point of the MP3 is for you to listen to music. You don't want the battery to die out on you. Do some quick research on how long the MP3's batteries last. The iPod has an average battery life of 5-8 hours after being fully charged. Some MP3 players claim to last over 15 hours, but it is guarenteed that the batteries will not even last half the time. Most MP3s will have a battery life 3-5 hours.

>Brand

The most well-known MP3 marketer is Apple. Apple has not only popularized the use of MP3, but also still is creating better versions and updates almost every couple months. One of Apple's newest MP3 is the 5th generation iPod nano, it has many features, like a video camera on the back and an interior speaker. Some people prefer to use other brands, not only because they are cheaper, but have some features that Apple does not offer.

Some things to keep in mind is that just because an MP3 is cheap, doesn't mean it will run badly. Also do not buy an MP3 because it is expensive. Most of the cheaper MP3 models will work and last as long as the expensive models. Just remember to always do research on the MP3 you plan to buy before actually purchasing it.

Learn more about this author, Andrew Tran.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.