View source for Portable media player

{{Short description|Portable device capable of storing and playing digital media}}
{{redirect-distinguish|Digital audio player|Digital media player|Home audio}}
{{Multiple issues|{{cleanup rewrite|date=April 2025}}{{update|date=April 2025}}{{more citations needed|date=April 2025}}}}
{{Use British English|date=October 2017}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2017}}

{{multiple image |total_width=420 |perrow=2
| direction = horizontal
| image1    = Archos.jpg
| caption1  = [[Archos]]'s [[Archos AV series|AV140]] hard disk based PMP (2003)
| image2    = Walkman NWZ-810 & iPod Nano 5G.jpg
| caption2  = [[Sony]]'s [[Walkman]] [[Sony NW-A810|A810]] and [[Apple Inc.|Apple]]'s [[iPod Nano]] flash memory based PMPs (2007/2009)
| image3    = SanDisk Clip Jam orange.jpg
| caption3  = [[SanDisk Sansa|SanDisk Clip Jam]] (2015)
| image4    = NW-ZX707.png
| caption4  = Sony Walkman ZX707 (2023)
}}

A '''portable media player''' ('''PMP''') or '''digital audio player''' ('''DAP''') is a portable [[consumer electronics]] device capable of storing and playing [[digital media]] such as audio, images, and video files.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dlna.org/dlna-for-industry/digital-living/how-it-works/dlna-device-classes/mobile-digital-media-player|title=What is DLNA|work=DLNA|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130910184728/http://www.dlna.org/dlna-for-industry/digital-living/how-it-works/dlna-device-classes/mobile-digital-media-player|archive-date=10 September 2013|df=dmy-all}}</ref><ref>[http://us.en.kb.sony.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/35234 What are the differences in DLNA device classes?] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160119082643/https://us.en.kb.sony.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/35234|date=19 January 2016}} What are the differences in DLNA device classes?</ref> Normally, they refer to small, [[Electric battery|battery]]-powered devices utilising [[flash memory]] or a [[Hard disk drive|hard disk]] for storing various media [[Computer file|files]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=All You Need To Know About Media Players |url=https://www.lenovo.com/gb/en/glossary/media-players |website=Lenovo}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Acepublisher |date=2010-09-29 |title=The Global Portable Media Player Industry |url=https://www.oboolo.com/marketing/services-marketing/term-papers/the-global-portable-media-player-industry-608927.html |journal=Publications Oboolo |language=en-US}}</ref> '''MP3 players''' has been a popular alternative name used for such devices, even if they also support other [[file format]]s and media types other than [[MP3]] (for example [[Advanced Audio Coding|AAC]], [[FLAC]], [[Windows Media Audio|WMA]]).<ref>{{cite web |title=Words to Avoid (or Use with Care) Because They Are Loaded or Confusing |url=https://www.gnu.org/philosophy/words-to-avoid.html#MP3Player |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130603145757/https://gnu.org/philosophy/words-to-avoid.html#MP3Player |archive-date=3 June 2013 |access-date=8 July 2013 |work=[[GNU Operating System]] |publisher=[[Free Software Foundation, Inc.]] |quote=Most support the patented MP3 codec, but not all. To call such players 'MP3 players' is not only confusing,... We suggest the terms 'digital audio player,' or simply 'audio player' if context permits.}}</ref><ref>[http://www.webopedia.com/DidYouKnow/Hardware_Software/2008/iPod_mp3Player.asp The Difference Between an iPod and a MP3 Player] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111008215444/http://www.webopedia.com/DidYouKnow/Hardware_Software/2008/iPod_mp3Player.asp|date=8 October 2011}}. Webopedia.com. Retrieved 16 August 2013.</ref>

Generally speaking, PMPs are equipped with a 3.5&nbsp;mm [[headphone jack]] which can be used for [[headphone]]s or to connect to a [[boombox]], [[home audio]] system, or connect to [[car audio]] and home [[High fidelity|stereos]] wired or via a wireless connection such as [[Bluetooth]], and some may include [[radio tuner]]s, [[voice recording]] and other features. In contrast, analogue [[portable audio player]]s play music from non-digital media that use [[analogue media]], such as [[cassette tape]]s or [[Gramophone record|vinyl record]]s. As devices became more advanced, the PMP term was later introduced to describe players with additional capabilities such as [[video]] playback (they used to also be called "[[MP4 file format|MP4]] players"). The PMP term has also been used as an umbrella name to describe any portable device for multimedia, including physical formats (such as [[portable CD player]]s) or [[handheld game console]]s with such capabilities.<ref>{{Cite web |title=portable media player |url=https://encyclopedia2.thefreedictionary.com/portable+media+player |access-date=2025-04-05 |website=TheFreeDictionary.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2006-10-18 |title=Windows Media Center support makes PSP an even better PMP |url=https://www.engadget.com/2006-10-18-windows-media-center-support-makes-psp-an-even-better-pmp.html |access-date=2025-04-05 |website=Engadget |language=en-US}}</ref>

DAPs appeared in the late 1990s, following the creation of the MP3 codec in Germany. MP3-playing devices were mostly pioneered by [[South Korea]]n startups, who by 2002 would control the majority of global sales.<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://s.japanese.joins.com/JArticle/26258?sectcode=300&servcode=300 | title=Ｍｐ３プレーヤー「韓国天下」 }}</ref> However the industry would eventually be defined by the popular [[Apple iPod]].<ref name="hist">{{cite web |url=https://mobile-review.com/mp3/articles/mpio-history.shtml |title=История Mpio |last=Dorozhin |first=Alexey |date=19 December 2006 |access-date=19 April 2022 |language=ru |trans-title=History of Mpio}}</ref> In 2006, 20% of Americans owned a PMP, a figure strongly driven by the young; more than half (54%) of American teens owned one, as did 30% of young adults aged 18 to 34.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ipsos.com/en-us/portable-mp3-player-ownership-reaches-new-high|title=Portable MP3 Player Ownership Reaches New High &#124; Ipsos|date=29 June 2006 |accessdate=21 December 2023}}</ref> In 2007, 210 million PMPs were sold worldwide, worth US$19.5 billion.<ref name="germ">[https://www.germanwatch.org/sites/default/files/publication/2252.pdf Playing with Labour Rights: Music player and game console manufacturing in China] FinnWatch, SACOM and SOMO</ref> In 2008, video-enabled players would overtake audio-only players.<ref name="overtake"/> Increasing sales of [[smartphone]]s and [[tablet computer]]s have led to a decline in sales of PMPs,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tomshardware.com/news/Smartphones-iPod-MP3-Players-Sales,20062.html|title=Smartphones Heavily Decrease Sales of iPod, MP3 Players|work=Tom's Hardware|date=30 December 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.eetasia.com/ART_8800411138_499495_NT_d0c02d8d.HTM|title=PMP needs to merge with cellphone, says Smartwork exec|last=Yu|first=Emily|publisher=EE Times Asia|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080423223723/http://www.eetasia.com/ART_8800411138_499495_NT_d0c02d8d.HTM|archive-date=23 April 2008|df=dmy-all|access-date=3 October 2007}}</ref> leading to most manufacturers having exited the industry during the 2010s. [[Sony Walkman]] continues to be in production and [[Portable DVD player|portable DVD and BD players]], which may be considered variations of PMPs, are still manufactured.<ref name="notel-reuters">{{cite web | url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/mar/28/north-korea-internet-notel | title=Portable media players give North Koreans an illicit window on the world | work=The Guardian | date=28 March 2015 | access-date=9 April 2015 | url-status=live | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150406104758/http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/mar/28/north-korea-internet-notel | archive-date=6 April 2015 | df=dmy-all }}</ref> The global portable media player market was valued at USD 26.42 billion in 2024 and is projected to grow to USD 36.24 billion by 2029, with a [[compound annual growth rate]] (CAGR) of 6.9%.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Portable Media Player Market Report 2025, Insights, Overview |url=https://www.thebusinessresearchcompany.com/report/portable-media-player-global-market-report |access-date=2025-11-20 |website=www.thebusinessresearchcompany.com |language=en}}</ref>

==Types==
The term portable media player (PMP) generally refers to (but not limited to) playback of [[digital audio file]]s rather than directly on tape or disc.

=== Flash memory ===
[[File:Creative muvo TX FM 512mb.jpg|thumb|A flash-based player ([[Creative MuVo]])]]
{{As of|2025}}, PMPs tend to store such files on internal [[flash memory]] or removable [[flash memory card]]s, both of which are (along with [[USB flash drive]]s) non-mechanical [[Solid-state (electronics)|solid state]] devices. Due to technological advances in flash memory, these originally low-capacity storage devices are now available commercially, ranging up to high storage capacities. Because they are solid state and do not have moving parts, they require less battery power, will not skip during playback, and may be more resilient to hazards such as [[mechanical shock]] or [[File system fragmentation|fragmentation]] than hard disk drive-based players.

=== Hard drive ===
[[File:Zenm.jpg|left|thumb|An embedded hard drive-based player ([[Creative ZEN]] [[ZEN Vision:M|Vision:M]])]]
As recently as 2010, [[hard disk drive]] based players were common. At the time, these players had capacities ranging up to 500&nbsp;GB.<ref>{{cite web |title=Archos 5 500GB Internet Tablet with Android |url=http://www.gazaro.com/archos-5-500-gb-internet-tablet-with-android-501333-2 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110711080337/http://www.gazaro.com/archos-5-500-gb-internet-tablet-with-android-501333-2 |archive-date=11 July 2011 |access-date=9 June 2010 |publisher=gazaro}}</ref> At typical encoding rates, this means that tens of thousands of songs can be stored on one player. The disadvantages with these units is that a hard drive consumes more power, is larger and heavier and is inherently more fragile than solid-state storage.

=== Other types ===
[[File:Expanium.jpg|thumb|An MP3 CD player ([[Philips]] Expanium)]]
[[Portable CD player]]s that can decode and play MP3 audio files stored on CDROMs ([[MP3 CD]]s) are also effectively MP3 players. When the first units of these were released, such players were typically a less expensive alternative than either the hard drive or flash-based players. The blank [[CD-R]] media they use is inexpensive. These devices have the feature of being able to play standard [[audio CD]]s. Since a CD can typically hold only around 700 megabytes of data, a large library will typically require multiple discs. However, some higher-end units are also capable of reading and playing back files stored on larger-capacity [[DVD]]; some also have the ability to play video content, such as movies.

Players that connect via (Wi-Fi) network to receive and play audio can also be considered PMPs.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Wireless Music Player: Do-it-yourself remotely managed music player |url=http://devices.natetrue.com/musicap/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060218045901/http://devices.natetrue.com/musicap/ |archive-date=18 February 2006 |publisher=natetrue.com |df=dmy-all}}</ref> These units typically do not have significant local storage and must rely on a server, typically a personal computer also on the same [[Computer network|network]], to provide the audio files for playback. [[Smartphones]] can also be considered PMPs as they have most of the media functions of a typical PMP.

==Operation==
[[File:Sansa Clip (Clip).JPG|thumb|A [[SanDisk Sansa|Sansa Clip]] player with a clip to attach on a person's clothing]]
[[Sampling (signal processing)|Digital sampling]] is used to convert an audio wave to a sequence of binary numbers that can be stored in a digital format, such as MP3. Common features of all MP3 players are a memory storage device, such as flash memory or a miniature hard disk drive, an [[embedded processor]], and an audio [[codec]] microchip to convert the compressed file into an analogue sound signal. During playback, audio files are read from storage into a [[RAM]] based memory buffer, and then streamed through an audio codec to produce decoded [[PCM]] audio. Typically audio formats decode at double to more than 20 times real speed on portable electronic [[Central processing unit|processors]],<ref>{{cite web |title=Codec Performance Comparison |url=http://www.rockbox.org/wiki/CodecPerformanceComparison |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120528090734/http://www.rockbox.org/wiki/CodecPerformanceComparison |archive-date=28 May 2012 |access-date=10 November 2012 |publisher=rockbox.org |df=dmy-all}}</ref> requiring that the codec output be stored for a time until the [[Digital-to-analog converter|DAC]] can play it. To save power, portable devices may spend much or nearly all of their time in a low power idle state while waiting for the DAC to deplete the output PCM buffer before briefly powering up to decode additional audio.

Most DAPs are powered by [[rechargeable batteries]], some of which are not user-replaceable. They have a 3.5&nbsp;mm stereo jack; music can be listened to with [[Headphones|earbuds]] or [[headphones]], or played via an external amplifier and [[loudspeaker|speakers]]. Some devices also contain internal speakers, through which music can be listened to, although these built-in speakers are typically of very low quality.

=== Display and interface ===
[[File:IPodShuffle.jpg|thumb|left|An [[iPod Shuffle]] DAP, featuring no display screen]]
Nearly all DAPs consists of some kind of display screen, although there are exceptions, such as the [[iPod Shuffle]], and a set of controls with which the user can browse through the library of music contained in the device, select a track, and play it back. The display, if the unit even has one, can be anything from a simple one or two line monochrome [[LCD]] display, similar to what are found on typical [[pocket calculator]]s, to large, high-resolution, full-color displays capable of displaying photographs or viewing video content on. The controls can range anywhere from the simple buttons as are found on most typical [[CD player]]s, such as for skipping through tracks or stopping/starting playback to full touch-screen controls, such as that found on the [[iPod Touch]] or the [[Zune HD]]. One of the more common methods of control is some type of the [[scroll wheel]] with associated buttons. This method of control was first introduced with the Apple iPod and many other manufacturers have created variants of this control scheme for their respective devices.

A standard PMP uses a 5-way [[D-pad]] to navigate. Many alternatives have been used, most notably the wheel and touch mechanisms seen on players from the [[iPod]] and [[SanDisk Sansa|Sansa series]]. Another popular mechanism is the swipe-pad, or 'squircle', first seen on the [[Zune]]. Additional buttons are commonly seen for features such as volume control.

=== Syncing and software ===
[[File:Sandisk Sansa Clip.JPG|thumb|Connecting a computer to a [[SanDisk Sansa|Sansa Clip]] DAP to transfer content by "syncing"]]
[[File:NETrax mp3 player with docking station.png|thumb|An early DAP (NETrax, from 1999) in its dedicated [[docking station]] for charging and connecting to a PC]]
Content is placed on DAPs typically through a process called "syncing", by connecting the device to a personal computer, typically via [[USB]], and running any special software that is often provided with the DAP on a [[CD-ROM]] included with the device, or downloaded from the manufacturer's website. Some devices simply appear as an additional disk drive on the host computer, to which music files are simply copied like any other type of file. Other devices, most notably the Apple iPod or Microsoft [[Zune]], requires the use of special management software, such as [[iTunes]] or Zune Software, respectively. Over the years, increasingly the players were natively recognised by the operating system through [[USB mass storage device class|Universal Mass Storage]] (UMS) or [[Media Transfer Protocol]] (MTP).

The music, or other content such as TV episodes or movies, is added to the software to create a "library". The library is then "synced" to the DAP via the software. The software typically provides options for managing situations when the library is too large to fit on the device being synced to. Such options include allowing manual syncing, in that the user can manually "drag-n-drop" the desired tracks to the device, or allow for the creation of [[playlist]]s. In addition to the USB connection, some of the more advanced units are now starting to allow syncing through a wireless connection, such as via [[Wi-Fi]] or [[Bluetooth]].<ref>{{cite web |title=MP3 streaming over Bluetooth |url=http://www.clarinox.com/docs/whitepapers/Whitepaper_05_MP3.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110219200056/http://www.clarinox.com/docs/whitepapers/Whitepaper_05_MP3.pdf |archive-date=19 February 2011 |access-date=4 August 2010 |publisher=clarinox |df=dmy-all}}</ref>

Content can also be obtained and placed on some DAPs, such as the iPod Touch or Zune HD by allowing access to a "store" or "marketplace", most notably the [[iTunes Store]] or [[Zune Marketplace]], from which content, such as music and video, and even games, can be purchased and downloaded directly to the device.

==Typical features==
PMPs are capable of playing [[digital audio]], [[Digital image|images]], and/or [[Digital video|video]]. Usually, a colour [[liquid crystal display]] (LCD) or [[organic light-emitting diode]] (OLED) screen is used as a display for PMPs that have a screen. Various players include the ability to record video, usually with the aid of optional accessories or cables, and audio, with a built-in [[microphone]] or from a [[Line out (signal)|line out]] cable or [[FM broadcasting|FM tuner]]. Some players include readers for [[memory card]]s (such as [[CompactFlash]] (CF), [[Secure Digital]] (SD), and [[Memory Stick]]s), which are advertised to equip players with extra storage or transferring media. In some players, features of a [[personal organiser]] are emulated, or support for [[video game]]s, like the [[iRiver Clix]] (through compatibility of [[Adobe Flash Lite]]) or the [[PlayStation Portable]], is included. Only mid-range to high-end players support "savestating" for power-off (i.e. leaves off song/video in progress similar to tape-based media).

===Audio playback===
[[File:SONY Walkman NW-A1000.jpg|thumb|Sony [[Walkman A Series|Walkman NW-A1000]], one of the earliest Walkman players that played MP3 alongside the proprietary [[ATRAC]] format]]
Nearly all players<ref>{{cite web |last=Bell |first=Donald |date=25 October 2004 |title=Sony Network Walkman NW-HD1 (20GB) Review |url=http://reviews.cnet.com/mp3-players/sony-network-walkman-nw/4505-6490_7-30959614.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071224134933/http://reviews.cnet.com/mp3-players/sony-network-walkman-nw/4505-6490_7-30959614.html |archive-date=24 December 2007 |access-date=12 December 2007 |publisher=[[CNET]] |df=dmy-all}}</ref>{{failed verification|date=January 2020 |reason=article discusses Sony support for formats but doesn't comment on other players}} are compatible with the MP3 audio format, and many others support [[Windows Media Audio]] (WMA), [[Advanced Audio Coding]] (AAC) and [[WAV]]. Some players are compatible with open-source formats like [[Ogg Vorbis]] and the [[Free Lossless Audio Codec]] (FLAC). Audio files purchased from [[online store]]s may include [[digital rights management]] (DRM) copy protection, which many modern players support.

===Image viewing===
The [[JPEG]] format is widely supported by players. Some players, like the [[iPod]] series, provide compatibility to display additional file formats like [[GIF]], [[PNG]], and [[TIFF]], while others are bundled with conversion software.

===Video playback===
[[File:Gigabeat S Black.jpg|thumb|left|upright|[[Toshiba Gigabeat]] running [[Portable Media Center]], allowing video playback]]
Most newer players support the [[MPEG-4 Part 2]] video format, and many other players are compatible with [[Windows Media Video]] (WMV) and [[Audio Video Interleave|AVI]]. Software included with the players may be able to convert video files into a compatible format.

===Recording===
[[File:IRiver iFP-190TC,1.jpg|thumb|An [[iRiver]] iFP-190 player, with a built-in microphone for voice recording]]
Many players have a built-in [[electret microphone]] which allows recording. Usually recording quality is poor, suitable for speech but not music. There are also professional-quality recorders suitable for high-quality music recording with external microphones, at prices starting at a few hundred dollars.

The recording capability means that these players can [[data compression|encode]] directly to MP3 or other digital audio formats directly from a [[Line level|line-level audio signal]].{{citation needed|date=April 2024}}

===Radio===
Some DAPs have [[FM radio]] tuners built in. Many also have an option to change the band from the usual 87.5 – 108.0&nbsp;MHz to the Japanese band of 76.0 – 90.0&nbsp;MHz.  DAPs typically never have an AM band, or even [[HD Radio]] since such features would be either cost-prohibitive for the application, or because of AM's sensitivity to interference.

===Internet access===
Newer portable media players are now coming with Internet access via [[Wi-Fi]]. Examples of such devices are [[Android OS]] devices by various manufacturers, and [[iOS]] devices on Apple products like the [[iPhone]], [[iPod Touch]], and [[iPad]]. Internet access has even enabled people to use the Internet as an underlying communications layer for their choice of music for automated music randomisation services like [[Pandora Radio|Pandora]], to on-demand video access (which also has music available) such as YouTube. This technology has enabled casual and hobbyist DJs to cue their tracks from a smaller package from an Internet connection, sometimes they will use two identical devices on a crossfade mixer. Many such devices also tend to be [[smartphone]]s.

===Last position memory===
Many mobile digital media players have [[last position memory]], in which when it is powered off, a user does not have to worry about starting at the first track again, or even hearing repeats of others songs when a playlist, album, or whole library is cued for [[shuffle play]], in which shuffle play is a common feature, too. Early playback devices to even remotely have "last position memory" that predated solid-state digital media playback devices were tape-based media, except this kind suffered from having to be "rewound", whereas disc-based media suffered from no native "last position memory", unless disc-players had their own last position memory. However, some models of solid-state flash memory (or hard drive ones with some moving parts) are somewhat the "best of both worlds" in the market.

=== Miscellaneous ===
Media players' firmware may be equipped with a basic [[file manager]] and a text reader.<ref>[https://www.manualslib.de/manual/7968/Transcend-Mp870.html Transcend MP870 Handbuch] – Pages: 50, 55</ref> Some portable media players have recently added features such as simple camera, built-in game emulation (playing [[Nintendo Entertainment System]] or other game formats from ROM images) and simple text readers and editors. Newer PMPs have been able to tell time, and even automatically adjust time according to radio reception, and some devices like the 6th-gen [[iPod Nano]] even have wristwatch bands available.

Modern MP4 players can play [[video]] in a multitude of [[video format]]s without the need to pre-convert them or downsize them prior to playing them. Some MP4 Players possess [[USB]] ports, to allow users to connect it to a [[personal computer]] to [[sideload]] files. Some models also have [[memory card slot]]s to expand the memory of the player instead of storing files in the built-in memory.

=== Hardware ===
[[File:IriverTD.jpg|center|thumb|upright=2|The [[iRiver]] SPINN portable media player features [[Samsung]] storage and a Telechips processor. It also features both a touchscreen and a click-wheel mechanism for navigation. The SPINN implements [[Haptic technology|haptic]] feedback by vibrating with user input. Additional hardware capabilities enable it to decode the [[MPEG-4 Part 2]] format and play back audio using [[SRS WOW]].]][[File:Noname MP3 player - case removed-6800.jpg|thumb|Interior of a small unbranded flash-based DAP]]

PMPs may come in different form factors such as portrait styled, landscape styled, or keydrive type. [[Modularity|Modular]] MP3 [[keydrive]] players are composed of two [[wiktionary:detachable|detachable]] parts: the head (or reader/writer) and the body (the memory). They can be independently obtained and upgradable (one can change the head or the body; i.e. to add more memory).Display sizes range all the way up to 7&nbsp;inches (18&nbsp;cm). Most screens come with a colour depth of 16-bit, but higher quality video-oriented devices may range all the way to 24-bit, otherwise known as [[24-bit color|true colour]], with the ability to display 16.7&nbsp;million distinct colours. Screens commonly have a matte finish but may also come in glossy to increase colour intensity and contrast. More and more devices are now also coming with touch screen as a form of primary or alternate input. This can be for convenience and/or aesthetic purposes. Certain devices, on the other hand, have no screen whatsoever, reducing costs at the expense of ease of browsing through the media library.

==History==
{{see also|Portable audio player#History}}

Today, every smartphone also serves as a portable media player; however, prior to the rise of smartphones in the 2007{{En dash}}2012 time frame, a variety of handheld players were available to store and play music. The immediate predecessor to the portable media player was the [[portable CD player]] and prior to that, the [[personal stereo]]. In particular, [[Sony]]'s [[Walkman]] and [[Discman]] are the ancestors of digital audio players such as the Apple iPod.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Southerton |first1=Dale |title=Encyclopedia of Consumer Culture |date=2011 |publisher=[[SAGE Publishing]] |isbn=9780872896017 |page=515 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=l5sv5aqVN3MC&pg=PA1515}}</ref>

There are several types of MP3 players:
* Devices that play [[CD]]s. Often, they can be used to play both audio CDs and homemade data CDs containing MP3 or other digital audio files.
* Pocket devices. These are solid-state devices that hold digital audio files on internal or external media, such as [[memory card]]s. These are generally low-storage devices, typically ranging from 128MB to 1GB, which can often be extended with additional memory. As they are solid state and do not have moving parts, they can be very resilient. Such players may be integrated into USB flash drives.
* Devices that read digital audio files from a hard drive. These players have higher capacities, ranging from 1.5 to 100&nbsp;GB, depending on the hard drive technology. At typical encoding rates, this means that thousands of songs—perhaps an entire music collection—can be stored in one MP3 player. Apple's popular iPod player is the best-known example.

===Early digital audio players===
British scientist [[Kane Kramer]] invented the first digital audio player,<ref name="kanekramer.com">{{cite web|url=http://www.kanekramer.com/#!About|title=Kane Kramer - The Inventor of the Digital Audio Player|website=www.kanekramer.com|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170527132741/http://www.kanekramer.com/#!About|archive-date=27 May 2017|df=dmy-all}}{{self-published inline|date=May 2023}}</ref> which he called the [[IXI (digital audio player)|IXI]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://kanekramer.com/downloads/IXI-Report.pdf |title=IXI Systems |access-date=2016-12-29 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161229101656/http://www.kanekramer.com/downloads/IXI-Report.pdf |archive-date=29 December 2016 |df=dmy-all}}</ref> His 1979 prototypes were capable of up to one hour of audio playback but did not enter commercial production. His UK patent application was not filed until 1981 and was issued in 1985 in the UK and 1987 in the US.<ref>{{cite patent |invent1=Kramer, Kane N. |invent2=Campbell, James S. |country=US |number=4667088 |issue-date=1987 |title=Portable data processing and storage system}}</ref> However, in 1988 Kramer's failure to raise the £60,000 required to renew the patent meant it entered the public domain.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.wired.com/2008/09/briton-invented/|title=Briton Invented iPod, DRM and On-Line Music in 1979|magazine=Wired|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170327175756/https://www.wired.com/2008/09/briton-invented/|archive-date=27 March 2017|df=dmy-all|last1=Sorrel|first1=Charlie}}</ref> [[Apple Inc.]] hired Kramer as a consultant and presented his work as an example of [[prior art]] in the field of digital audio players during their litigation with [[Burst.com]] almost two decades later.<ref>[https://www.foxnews.com/story/british-man-says-he-invented-ipod-in-1979 British Man Says He Invented iPod in 1979], Fox News Channel, 9 September 2008</ref> In 2008, Apple acknowledged Kramer as the inventor of the digital audio player.<ref name="kanekramer.com"/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cnet.com/news/apple-admits-it-didnt-invent-the-ipod/|title=Apple admits it didn't invent the iPod|date=7 September 2008|website=cnet.com|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161229101323/https://www.cnet.com/news/apple-admits-it-didnt-invent-the-ipod/|archive-date=29 December 2016|df=dmy-all}}</ref>

{{multiple image |total_width=420
| image1 = FlashPAC.jpg
| image2 = ListenUp player.jpg
| footer = Two early DAPs from 1996: FlashPAC and Listen Up
}}

The Listen Up Player was released in 1996 by Audio Highway, an American company led by [[Nathan Schulhof]]. It could store up to an hour of music, but despite getting an award at CES 1997 only 25 of the devices were made.<ref>{{cite web|title=Teknik vi minns – 14 prylar som var före sin tid|url=https://m3.idg.se/2.1022/1.506083/tekniker-prylar-som-var-fore-sin-tid/sida/2/prylar-vi-minns-8-14|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180413185756/https://m3.idg.se/2.1022/1.506083/tekniker-prylar-som-var-fore-sin-tid/sida/2/prylar-vi-minns-8-14|archive-date=13 April 2018|access-date=8 May 2018|website=idg.se|language=sv}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|last=Ha|first=Peter|date=25 October 2010|title=All-TIME 100 Gadgets - TIME|url=https://content.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,2023689_2023681_2023609,00.html|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171020164221/http://content.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,2023689_2023681_2023609,00.html|archive-date=20 October 2017|access-date=8 May 2018|magazine=TIME|via=content.time.com}}</ref> That same year [[AT&T]] developed the FlashPAC digital audio player which initially used AT&T's [[Perceptual Audio Coder]] (PAC)<ref>J.D.Johnston, D. Sinha, S. Dorward, and S. R. Quackenbush, AT&T Perceptual Audio Coding (PAC), pp. 73–82, in Collected Papers on Digital Audio Bit-Rate Reduction, N. Gilchrist and C. Grewin, eds, Audio Engineering Society Publications, 1996</ref> for music compression, but in 1997 switched to [[Advanced Audio Coding|AAC]].<ref>J.D.Johnston, J. Herre, M. Davis, and U.Gbur, MPEG-2 NBC Audio&nbsp;– Stereo and Multichannel Coding Methods, Proceedings of the 101st Convention, 1996 November, Los Angeles</ref> At about the same time AT&T also developed an internal Web-based music streaming service that had the ability to download music to FlashPAC.<ref>{{cite conference|url=https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B6N5T1Dw_gTQcGt3VWh3SXF2Yjg/view?pli=1 |title=Consumer Devices for Networked Audio|last1 = Onufryk |first1=Peter |last2=Snyder |first2=Jim |conference=Proceedings of the IEEE International Symposium on Industrial Electronics|year=1997|volume=1|pages=SS27–SS32}}</ref> AAC and such music downloading services later formed the foundation for the Apple iPod and iTunes.<ref>{{cite AV media|title=Early Digital Music Player – AT&T FashPAC|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dXRZX6vOctM|publisher=CNN Business Week 7 March 1997|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180510220055/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dXRZX6vOctM|archive-date=10 May 2018|df=dmy-all}}</ref>

The first production-volume portable digital audio player was '''{{vanchor|The Audible Player}}'''<!-- Don't delete this anchor, linked from other pages, unless you know the resulting consequences --> (also known as MobilePlayer, or Digital Words To Go) from [[Audible.com]] available for sale at the end of 1997, for $199. It only supported playback of digital audio in Audible's proprietary, low-bitrate format which was developed for spoken word recordings. Capacity was limited to 4&nbsp;MB of internal flash memory, or about 2 hours of play, using a custom rechargeable battery pack. The unit had no display and rudimentary controls.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.audible.com/audible/9_15_97.html |title=Audible Player Will Mark the First Time Consumers Can Access RealAudio Programming Away from the PC |access-date=20 February 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19980118092012/http://www.audible.com/audible/9_15_97.html |archive-date=18 January 1998 }}, Press Release from Audible Inc., archived by archive.org 18 January 1998</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.audible.com/audible/the_player.html |title=The Audible Player for sale |access-date=20 February 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19980118091417/http://www.audible.com/audible/the_player.html |archive-date=18 January 1998 }}</ref>

===The MP3 standard===
[[MP3]] was introduced as an [[audio coding standard]] in 1992.<ref name="dis-1992">{{cite web |url=http://mpeg.chiariglione.org/meetings/london/london_press.htm |title=MPEG Press Release, London, 6 November 1992 |author=ISO |date=6 November 1992 |publisher=Chiariglione |access-date=17 July 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100812034709/http://mpeg.chiariglione.org/meetings/london/london_press.htm | archive-date = 12 August 2010 }}</ref> It was based on several [[audio data compression]] techniques, including the [[modified discrete cosine transform]] (MDCT), [[FFT]] and [[psychoacoustic]] methods.<ref name="Guckert">{{cite web |last1=Guckert |first1=John |title=The Use of FFT and MDCT in MP3 Audio Compression |url=http://www.math.utah.edu/~gustafso/s2012/2270/web-projects/Guckert-audio-compression-svd-mdct-MP3.pdf |website=[[University of Utah]] |date=Spring 2012 |access-date=14 July 2019}}</ref> MP3 became a popular standard format and as a result most digital audio players after this supported it and hence were often called '''MP3 players'''.

While popularly being called MP3 players at the time, most players could play more than just the MP3 file format. Players also sometimes supported [[Windows Media Audio]] (WMA), [[Advanced Audio Coding]] (AAC), [[Vorbis]], [[FLAC]], [[Speex]] and [[Ogg]].

=== First portable MP3 player ===
The first portable MP3 player was launched in 1997 by [[SaeHan Information Systems]],<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=x30ovxn2eCcC&pg=PA75|title=Roberto Verganti, Design-Driven Innovation: Changing the Rules of Competition by Radically Innovating What Thing Mean. Harvard Business Press, 2009|isbn=9781422136577|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171018013152/https://books.google.de/books?id=x30ovxn2eCcC&pg=PA75|archive-date=18 October 2017|df=dmy-all|last1=Verganti|first1=Roberto|date=12 August 2009|publisher=Harvard Business Press }}</ref> which sold its [[MPMan F10]] player in [[South Korea]] in spring 1998.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cnet.com/news/bragging-rights-to-the-worlds-first-mp3-player/|title=Bragging rights to the world's first MP3 player|date=25 January 2005|website=cnet.com|access-date=8 May 2018|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171231010900/https://www.cnet.com/news/bragging-rights-to-the-worlds-first-mp3-player/|archive-date=31 December 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://reviews.cnet.com/4520-6450_7-5622055-1.html|title=Introducing the world's first MP3 player|last=Van Buskirk|first=Eliot|publisher=[[CNET]]|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090121150259/http://reviews.cnet.com/4520-6450_7-5622055-1.html|archive-date=21 January 2009|df=dmy-all}}</ref> In mid-1998, the South Korean company licensed the players for North American distribution to Eiger Labs, which rebranded them as the EigerMan F10 and F20.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/03/10/ft_first_mp3_player/|title=Ten years old: the world's first MP3 player|work=The Register|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160808220936/http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/03/10/ft_first_mp3_player|archive-date=8 August 2016|df=dmy-all}}</ref> The flash-based players were available in 32&nbsp;MB or 64&nbsp;MB (6 or 12 songs) storage capacity and had a LCD screen to tell the user the song currently playing.

The first car audio hard drive-based MP3 player was also released in 1997 by MP32Go and was called the MP32Go Player. It consisted of a 3&nbsp;GB IBM 2.5" hard drive that was housed in a trunk-mounted enclosure connected to the car's radio system. It retailed for $599 and was a commercial failure.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/03/10/ft_first_mp3_player/|title=Ten years old: the world's first MP3 player|date=10 March 2008|website=theregister.com|access-date=15 May 2018}}</ref>

[[File:Diamond Rio PMP300.jpg|thumb|left|[[Rio PMP300]], one of the earliest marketed DAPs, which plays music in the MP3 format.]]
The [[Rio PMP300]] from [[Diamond Multimedia]] was introduced in September 1998, a few months after the MPMan, and also featured a 32&nbsp;MB storage capacity. It was a success during the holiday season, with sales exceeding expectations.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.antiqueradio.com/Dec04_Menta_mp3pt1.html|title=Collecting MP3 Portables – Part 1|last=Menta|first=Richard|publisher=Antique Radio Classified|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041207005424/http://www.antiqueradio.com/Dec04_Menta_mp3pt1.html|archive-date=7 December 2004|df=dmy-all}}</ref> Interest and investment in digital music were subsequently spurred from it.<ref>{{cite press release|url=http://news.harmony-central.com/Newp/1998/Rio-PMP300.html|date=14 September 1998|title=Diamond Multimedia Announces Rio PMP300 Portable MP3 Music Player|access-date=5 December 2007|publisher=Harmony Central|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071206091013/http://news.harmony-central.com/Newp/1998/Rio-PMP300.html|archive-date=6 December 2007|df=dmy-all}}</ref> The [[RIAA]] soon filed a lawsuit alleging that the device abetted illegal copying of music, but Diamond won a legal victory on the shoulders of ''[[Sony Corp. of America v. Universal City Studios, Inc.]]'' and MP3 players were ruled legal devices. Because of the player's notoriety as the target of a major lawsuit,<ref name="mp3">{{cite book|last=Hart-Davis| first=Guy|author2=Rhonda Holmes|title=MP3 Complete|publisher=Sybex|location=San Francisco|year=2001|isbn=0-7821-2899-8|page=613}}</ref> the Rio is erroneously assumed to be the first digital audio player.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.news.com/Bragging+rights+to+the+worlds+first+MP3+player/2010-1041_3-5548180.html|title=Bragging rights to the world's first MP3 player}} [[CNET]] article on the first manufactured digital audio players.</ref>

Eiger Labs and Diamond went on to establish a new segment in the portable audio player market and the following year saw several new manufacturers enter this market. The PMP300 would be the start of the [[Rio (digital audio players)|Rio]] line of players. Noticeably, major technology companies did not catch on with the new technology, and instead young startups would come to dominate the early era of MP3 players.

=== Other early MP3 portables ===
Other early MP3 portables included the [[Creative Nomad|Creative Labs Nomad]] and the [[RCA Lyra]]. These portables were small and light, but had only enough memory to hold around 7 to 20 songs at normal 128&nbsp;kbit/s compression rates. They also used slower parallel port connections to transfer files from PC to player, necessary as most PCs then used the [[Windows 95]] and [[Windows NT|NT]] operating systems, which did not have native support for [[USB]] connections.

=== Emergence of hard-drive-based players ===
In 1999 the first hard drive based DAP using a 2.5" laptop drive, the [[Personal Jukebox]] (PJB-100) designed by [[Compaq]] and released by [[Remote Solution|Hango Electronics Co]] with 4.8&nbsp;GB storage, which held about 1,200 songs, and pioneered what would be called the jukebox segment of digital music portables.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.eetimes.com/story/OEG20000818S0035|last=Yoshida|first=Junko|author2=Margaret Quan|title=OEMs ready to roll on jukeboxes for Net audio|page=1|publisher=[[EE Times]]|date=18 August 2000|access-date=5 December 2007|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080906131627/http://www.eetimes.com/story/OEG20000818S0035|archive-date=6 September 2008|df=dmy-all}}</ref> This segment eventually became the dominant type of digital music player.

Also at the end of 1999 the first in-dash MP3 player appeared. The [[Empeg Car]]{{efn|Empeg Car was renamed Rio Car after it was acquired by [[SONICblue]] and added to its Rio line of MP3 products}} offered players in several capacities ranging from 5 to 28&nbsp;GB. The unit did not catch on and was discontinued in the fall of 2001.

[[File:Ipod backlight transparent.png|thumb|upright|The third generation [[iPod Classic|iPod]], which stores audio files on a miniature [[hard disk drive]].]]

=== Rise of South Korean companies ===
For the next couple of years, there were offerings from [[South Korea]]n companies, namely the startups [[iRiver]] (brand of Reigncom), [[Mpio]] (brand of DigitalWay) and [[Cowon]]. At its peak, these Korean makers held as much as 40% world market share in MP3 players.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://mobile-review.com/mp3/articles/mpio-history.shtml|title=Mobile-review.com История компании Mpio|website=mobile-review.com}}</ref> These manufacturers however lost their way after 2004 as they failed to compete with new [[iPod]]s. By 2006 they were also overtaken by the South Korean giant [[Samsung Electronics]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://mobile-review.com/mp3/articles/vr-mp3-3.shtml|title=Mobile-review.com Диктофон в MP3-плеере. Обзор рынка|website=mobile-review.com}}</ref>

=== Sony's entry in the market ===
[[File:NW-MS7 shot one.jpg|thumb|The Memory Stick Walkman (NW-MS7), Sony's first (alongside Vaio Music Clip) digital audio player, storing audio files on a [[Memory Stick]]]]
[[Sony]] entered the digital audio player market in 1999 with the [[Vaio]] Music Clip and [[Memory Stick]] [[Walkman]],<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1999/09/30/technology/news-watch-new-player-from-sony-will-give-a-nod-to-mp3.html|title=NEWS WATCH; New Player from Sony Will Give a Nod to MP3|newspaper=The New York Times|date=30 September 1999|last1=Marriott|first1=Michel}}</ref> however they were technically not MP3 players as it did not support the MP3 format but instead Sony's own [[ATRAC]] format and [[Windows Media Audio|WMA]]. The company's first MP3-supporting Walkman player did not come until 2004.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://reactionwheel.net/2018/11/itunes-and-the-basis-of-competition-in-the-mp3-player-market.html|title = ITunes and the Basis of Competition in the MP3 Player Market|date = 16 November 2018}}</ref> Over the years, various hard-drive-based and flash-based DAPs and PMPs have been released under the Walkman range.

=== Samsung's YEPP line and Creative's NOMAD Jukebox ===
The [[Samsung YEPP]] line was first released in 1999 with the aim of making the smallest music players on the market.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.engadget.com/2014-07-20-gadget-rewind-2005-samsung-yepp-yp-w3-limited-edition.html|title = Gadget Rewind 2005: Samsung YEPP YP-W3 (Limited edition)| date=20 July 2014 }}</ref> In 2000, [[Creative Technology|Creative]] released the 6&nbsp;GB hard-drive-based [[Creative NOMAD]] Jukebox. The name borrowed the [[jukebox]] metaphor popularised by ''Remote Solution'', also used by ''Archos''. Later players in the Creative NOMAD range used [[microdrive]]s rather than laptop drives. In October 2000, South Korean software company [[Cowon Systems]] released their first MP3 player, the CW100, under the brand name [[iAUDIO]]. In December 2000, some months after the Creative's ''NOMAD Jukebox'', [[Archos]] released its [[Archos Jukebox series#Jukebox 5000 and 6000|''Jukebox 6000'']] with a 6&nbsp;GB hard drive. [[Philips]] also released a player called the Rush.<ref>{{cite magazine |title= |magazine=Billboard |page=24 |date=January 22, 2000}}</ref>

===Growth of market===
On 23 October 2001, Apple unveiled the [[first generation iPod]], a 5&nbsp;GB hard drive based DAP with a 1.8" hard drive and a 2" monochrome display. With the development of a spartan [[user interface]] and a smaller form factor, the iPod was initially popular within the [[Macintosh]] community. In July 2002, Apple introduced the second generation update to the iPod, which was compatible with [[Windows]] computers through [[Musicmatch Jukebox]]. iPods quickly became the most popular DAP product and led the fast growth of this market during the early and mid 2000s.

[[File:Bärbar mp3-spelare Archos typ Jukebox 6000.jpg|thumb|left|The [[Archos Jukebox 6000]] released late 2001 was a DAP with a hard disk, one of the earliest of its kind.]]
In 2002, [[Archos]] released the first PMP, the [[Archos Jukebox Multimedia]]<ref>{{cite press release|url=http://www.archos.com/corporate/press/press_releases/PR_ARCHOS_Gen_5_Availability.pdf|title=ARCHOS Generation 5 Available Worldwide|publisher=Archos|date=12 September 2007|access-date=5 December 2007|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071028004929/http://www.archos.com/corporate/press/press_releases/PR_ARCHOS_Gen_5_Availability.pdf|archive-date=28 October 2007|df=dmy-all}}</ref> with a little 1.5" colour screen. The next year, Archos released another multimedia ''jukebox'', the [[AV300]], with a 3.8" screen and a 20&nbsp;GB hard drive. In the same year, [[Toshiba]] released the first [[Gigabeat]]. In 2003, [[Dell]] launched a line of portable digital music players called [[Dell DJ]]. They were discontinued by 2006.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2006/feb/09/guardianweeklytechnologysection.dell|title=Why did Dell discontinue its hard drive MP3 player?|website=[[TheGuardian.com]]|date=9 February 2006}}</ref>

The name ''MP4 player'' was a marketing term for inexpensive portable media players, usually from little-known or generic device manufacturers.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://bj.beareyes.com.cn/2/lib/200510/26/20051026011.htm|title=MP3≠MP4！区别和认识MP3与MP4的不同！|publisher=Beareyes|access-date=11 July 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081011113630/http://bj.beareyes.com.cn/2/lib/200510/26/20051026011.htm|archive-date=11 October 2008|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}}</ref> The name itself is a [[misnomer]], since most MP4 players through 2007 were incompatible with the [[MPEG-4 Part 14]] or the ''.mp4'' container format. Instead, the term refers to their ability to play more file types than just MP3. In this sense, in some markets like Brazil, any new function added to a given media player is followed by an increase in the number, for example an MP5 or MP12 Player,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://lista.mercadolivre.com.br/mp12|title=Mp12 &#124; MercadoLivre 📦|website=lista.mercadolivre.com.br}}</ref> despite there being no such corresponding MPEG standards.

[[iRiver]] of South Korea originally made portable CD players and then started making digital audio players and portable media players in 2002. Creative also introduced the [[Creative Zen|ZEN]] line. Both of these attained high popularity in some regions.

In 2004, [[Microsoft]] attempted to take advantage of the growing PMP market by launching the [[Portable Media Center]] (PMC) platform. It was introduced at the 2004 [[Consumer Electronics Show]] with the announcement of the [[Zen Portable Media Center]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cnet.com/4520-7912_1-5116568-1.html|title=Microsoft visualizes portable video|date=9 January 2004|access-date=30 December 2007|last=Van Buskirk|first=Eliot|publisher=[[CNET]]|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080225050459/http://www.cnet.com/4520-7912_1-5116568-1.html|archive-date=25 February 2008|df=dmy-all}}</ref> which was co-developed by [[Creative Technology|Creative]]. The Microsoft [[Zune]] series would later be based on the [[Gigabeat#Gigabeat S|Gigabeat S]], one of the PMC-implemented players.[[File:IRiver H320 FIRMWARE ROCKBOX 20100322.JPG|thumb|[[Rockbox]] was developed as a popular free and open source firmware for various PMPs]]In May 2005, flash memory maker SanDisk entered the PMP market with the [[SanDisk Sansa|Sansa]] line of players, starting with the e100 series, and then following up with the m200 series, and c100 series.

Inexpensive generic MP3 players also became popular during the mid-2000s. Many of these were based on the [[S1 MP3 player]] and included knock-offs of official brands.

In 2007, Apple introduced the [[iPod Touch]], the first iPod with a multi-touch screen. Some similar products existed before such as the [[iRiver Clix]] in 2006. In South Korea, sales of MP3 players peaked in 2006, but started declining afterwards. This was driven partly by the launch of mobile television services (DMB), which along with increased demand of movies on the go led to a transition away from music-only players to PMPs.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://koreatimes.co.kr/pages/article.asp?newsIdx=31245 | title=Korea Times | date=18 September 2008 }}{{dead link|date=April 2024|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> By 2008, more video-enabled PMPs were sold than audio-only players.<ref name="overtake">{{Cite web | url=https://www.tvtechnology.com/news/video-to-overtake-audio-in-mobile-media-players-by-the-end-of-2008 | title=Video to overtake audio in mobile media players by the end of 2008 | date=31 August 2007 }}</ref>

===Brands and popularity throughout the world===
By the mid-2000s and the years after, Apple with its iPod was the best-selling DAP or PMP by a significant margin, with one out of four sold worldwide being an iPod. It was especially dominant in the United States where it had over 70% of sales at different points in time,<ref name="germ"/> is nearest competitor in 2006 being [[SanDisk]].<ref name="review"/> Apple also led in Japan over homegrown makers [[Sony]] and [[Panasonic]] during this time,<ref name="review">{{cite web|title=Mobile-review.com MP3-players – Global markets|url=https://mobile-review.com/print.php?filename=%2Fmp3%2Farticles%2Fmp3-global-en.shtml|access-date=2021-03-26|website=mobile-review.com|archive-date=25 November 2006|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061125191014/https://mobile-review.com/print.php?filename=%2Fmp3%2Farticles%2Fmp3-global-en.shtml|url-status=dead}}</ref> although the gap between Apple and Sony had closed by about 2010.<ref>{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.wired.com/2009/09/walkman-outsells-ipod-in-japan/|title = Walkman Outsells iPod in Japan|magazine = Wired|last1 = Sorrel|first1 = Charlie}}</ref> In South Korea, the market was led by local brands iRiver, Samsung and [[Cowon]] as of 2005.<ref name="Smith">{{cite web |last=Smith |first=Tony |title=iPod fails to impress South Koreans|url=https://www.theregister.com/2005/08/11/apple_ipod_sk/|access-date=March 26, 2021|website=www.theregister.com}}</ref>

European buying patterns differed; while Apple was in a particularly strong position in the United Kingdom, continental Western Europe generally preferred cheaper, often Chinese rebranded players under local brands such as [[Grundig]].<ref name="germ"/> Meanwhile, in Eastern Europe including Russia, higher priced players with improved design or functionality were preferred instead. In South Korea makers like iRiver and Samsung were particularly popular, as well as such OEM models under local brands. [[Creative Labs|Creative]] was the top-selling maker in its home country of Singapore. In China, local brands Newman, DEC and Aigo were noted as the top vendors as of 2006.<ref name="review"/>

===Other categories===
[[File:Draagbare spelcomputer PSP (Playstation Portable), merk Sony, zwart, objectnr 86498.JPG|thumb|[[PlayStation Portable]]]]
The ''Samsung SPH-M2100'', the first mobile phone with built-in MP3 player was produced in [[South Korea]] in August 1999.<ref>{{cite web|publisher=Telecompaper BV |title=SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS UNVEILS SPH-M2100 PHONE |date=August 1999 |url=http://www.telecompaper.com/news/samsung-electronics-unveils-sphm2100-phone--182214 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130728080403/http://www.telecompaper.com/news/samsung-electronics-unveils-sphm2100-phone--182214 |archive-date=28 July 2013 }} ()</ref><ref>{{cite web|publisher=I4U NEWS |title=First MP3 Mobile Phone already in 1999 on the market |author=Luigi Lugmayr |date=December 2004 |url=http://www.i4u.com/7064/first-mp3-mobile-phone-already-1999-market |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130507055125/http://www.i4u.com/7064/first-mp3-mobile-phone-already-1999-market |archive-date=7 May 2013 }} ()</ref> The ''Samsung SPH-M100 (UpRoar)'' launched in 2000 was the first mobile phone to have MP3 music capabilities<ref name="iMobile">{{cite web|url=http://www.imobile.com.au/whatsnew/default.asp?ID=whatsep0001 |title=Samsung launched the World's first MP3 mobile phone – iMobile |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130502123021/http://www.imobile.com.au/WhatsNew/default.asp?ID=whatsep0001 |archive-date=2 May 2013 }}</ref> in the US market. The innovation spread rapidly and by 2005, more than half of all music sold in South Korea was sold directly to mobile phones and all major handset makers in the world had released MP3 playing phones. By 2006, more MP3-playing mobile phones were sold than all stand-alone MP3 players. Apple cited the rapid rise of the media player in phones as a primary reason for developing the [[iPhone]].{{citation needed|date=March 2025}} In 2007, the number of phones that could play media was over 1&nbsp;billion.{{citation needed|date=August 2011}} Some companies created music-centric sub-brands for mobile phones, for example the former [[Sony Ericsson]]'s [[Walkman]] range or [[Nokia]]'s [[XpressMusic]] range, which have extra emphasis on music playback and typically have features such as dedicated music buttons.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.financialexpress.com/archive/music-to-the-ear/329579/|title = Music to the ear|date = 2 July 2008}}</ref>[[File:Newsmy ManMan A3.jpg|thumb|An "MP4 player" from Newsmy, a major PMP manufacturer in China]]Mobile phones with PMP functionalities such as video playback also started appearing in the 2000s. Other non-phone products such as the [[PlayStation Portable]] and [[PlayStation Vita]] have also been considered to be PMPs.
{{Clear}}

===Decline and contemporary===
[[File:NW-A35.png|thumb|A recent player, Sony [[Walkman A Series|Walkman NW-A35]], focusing on audiophilic capabilities such as the ability to play [[Direct Stream Digital]] (DSD)]]

PMPs have declined in popularity after the late 2000s due to increasing worldwide adoption of [[smartphone]]s that include PMP functionalities. Sales peaked in 2007 and market revenue peaked in 2008 at {{usd|21.6 billion}}. Mobile phones that could play music outsold DAPs by almost three to one in 2007.<ref name="germ" />

In the [[EU]], demand for MP3 players peaked in 2007 with 43.5 million devices sold, totalling {{euro|3.8}} billion. Both sales and revenue experienced a double-digit shrinkage for the first time in 2010.<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://businesscomputingworld.co.uk/mp3-players-have-played-their-last-tune-market-in-decline/ | title=MP3 Players Have Played Their Last Tune, Market in Decline | date=8 April 2018 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220308164240/https://businesscomputingworld.co.uk/mp3-players-have-played-their-last-tune-market-in-decline/ | archive-date=8 March 2022 }}</ref> In India, sales of PMPs decreased for the first time in 2012, a few years after the decline in developed economies.<ref>{{Cite news | url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/tech/hardware/portable-music-players-sales-plunge-for-the-first-time-in-2012/articleshow/18265297.cms?from=mdr | title=Portable music players' sales plunge for the first time in 2012 | newspaper=The Economic Times | last1=Mukherjee | first1=Writankar }}</ref>

Meanwhile, sales of Apple's best-selling PMP product, the iPod, were eclipsed by the [[iPhone]] in 2011.<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://www.businessinsider.com/rise-and-fall-apple-ipod-2020-1?r=US&IR=T | title=The rise and fall of the iPod | website=[[Business Insider]] }}</ref>

{{as of|January 2021}} DAPs continue to be made in lower volumes by manufacturers such as SanDisk, Sony, iRiver, Philips, Cowon, and a range of Chinese manufacturers namely Aigo, Newsmy, PYLE and ONDA.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://apnews.com/press-release/wired-release/technology-business-corporate-news-products-and-services-portable-audio-players-019d9e891095c8b41eb7cdb8dd634e91|title=MP3 Player Market Trends Evaluation and Revenue Assumption to 2031 &#124;&#124; Apple, Sony, Philips|website=[[Associated Press]]|date=29 January 2021}}</ref> They often have specific selling points in the smartphone era, such as portability or for high quality sound suited for [[audiophile]]s.

==Common audio formats==
There are three categories of audio formats:
* Uncompressed PCM audio: Most players can also play uncompressed PCM in a container such as [[WAV]] or [[Audio Interchange File Format|AIFF]].
* [[Lossless audio]] formats: These formats conserve storage space without degrading audio quality. Lossless formats include [[Apple Lossless]] and [[FLAC]].
* [[Lossy compression]] formats: Most audio formats use [[lossy compression]], to further conserve storage space with some degree of reduction in sound quality. There is a [[trade-off]] between size and sound quality of lossily compressed files; most formats allow adjustments.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://nigelcoldwell.co.uk/audio/|title=Comparison of audio compression using ogg vorbis, mp3 CBR & VBR, flac and wma at different bit rates|publisher=nigelcoldwell.co.uk|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110727193035/http://nigelcoldwell.co.uk/audio/|archive-date=27 July 2011|df=dmy-all}}</ref>

There are also royalty-free lossy formats like [[Vorbis]] for general music and [[Speex]] and [[Opus (audio format)|Opus]] used for voice recordings. When [[ripping]] music from CDs, [[lossless audio]] formats can be used to preserve the CD quality in audio files on a desktop, these can then be transcoded to [[lossy compression]] formats when they are copied to a portable player.<ref name="guardian">{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/jul/13/music-lossless-rip-cds-tech-questions-answered|title=How best to rip 1,500 music CDs? Your tech questions answered|work=The Guardian Technology|date=13 July 2014|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161015193527/https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/jul/13/music-lossless-rip-cds-tech-questions-answered|archive-date=15 October 2016|df=dmy-all}}</ref> The formats supported by a particular audio player depends upon its [[firmware]]. MP3 and [[Advanced Audio Coding|AAC]] are dominant formats,<ref name="guardian" /> and are almost universally supported.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://gale.cengage.com/reference/peter/200712/amazon.htm|title=Péter's Digital Reference Shelf – Amazon MP3|access-date=17 April 2008|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080505011750/http://gale.cengage.com/reference/peter/200712/amazon.htm|archive-date=5 May 2008|df=dmy-all}}</ref>

==Digital signal processing==
Some portable media players include [[Audio signal processing|audio processing]] chips that allow digital effects like [[3D audio effect]]s, [[dynamic range compression]] and [[Equalization (audio)|equalisation]] of the [[frequency response]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cirrus.com/en/products/software/consumer.html|publisher=[[Cirrus Logic]]|title=Consumer Audio Software|quote=Virtual Stereo Surround – Multiband Compressor – Tone Control – Bass Manager – Bass Enhancer – Dynamic Volume Leveler – Multichannel Surround – Crossbar Mixer – Speaker Protection – Dolby Digital Post-processing Support|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150429113945/http://www.cirrus.com/en/products/software/consumer.html|archive-date=29 April 2015|df=dmy-all}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|quote=bass management, 3D virtual surround, Lucasfilm THX5.1, soundfield processing, and advanced equalization|url=http://www.freescale.com/webapp/sps/site/prod_summary.jsp?code=DSP56362&fsrch=1&sr=4&pageNum=1|title=Freescale 24-bit Symphony DSP|publisher=Freescale semiconductor|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150710080830/http://www.freescale.com/webapp/sps/site/prod_summary.jsp?code=DSP56362&fsrch=1&sr=4&pageNum=1|archive-date=10 July 2015|df=dmy-all}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.am3d.com/home-english/android/android-solution.aspx|title=Android solution|publisher=am3d.com|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150530210929/http://www.am3d.com/home-english/android/android-solution.aspx|archive-date=30 May 2015|df=dmy-all}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cirrus.com/en/pubs/whitePaper/smartphones_wp.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=2015-04-25 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150923203714/http://www.cirrus.com/en/pubs/whitePaper/smartphones_wp.pdf |archive-date=23 September 2015 |df=dmy-all }}</ref><!--[[User:Kvng/RTH]]-->

==Controversy==
{{further|iTunes Store#The Consumer Council of Norway EULA challenge|Digital rights management}}

Although these issues are not usually controversial within digital audio players, they are matters of continuing controversy and litigation, including but not limited to content distribution and protection, and [[digital rights management]] (DRM).

===Lawsuit with RIAA===
{{Main|Recording Industry Ass'n of America v. Diamond Multimedia Systems, Inc.}}

The [[Recording Industry Association of America]] (RIAA) filed a lawsuit in late 1998 against [[Diamond Multimedia]] for its [[Rio PMP300|Rio]] players,<ref name=mp3/><ref>{{cite court|litigants=RIAA v. Diamond|court=[[United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit|9h Cir.]]|date=15 June 1999|url=http://www.ca9.uscourts.gov/ca9/newopinions.nsf/04485f8dcbd4e1ea882569520074e698/ddc79aee7dcda44288256e5a007184a3?OpenDocument|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061004081232/http://www.ca9.uscourts.gov/ca9/newopinions.nsf/04485f8dcbd4e1ea882569520074e698/ddc79aee7dcda44288256e5a007184a3?OpenDocument|url-status=dead|archive-date=4 October 2006}}</ref> alleging that the device encouraged copying music illegally. But Diamond won a legal victory on the shoulders of the [[Sony Corp. v. Universal City Studios]] case and DAPs were legally ruled as electronic devices.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.virtualrecordings.com/rio.htm |title=Court Gives "Go-Ahead" to Digital Music Revolution |publisher=Virtual Recordings |last=Gross |first=Robin D |access-date=5 December 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071031072846/http://www.virtualrecordings.com/rio.htm |archive-date=31 October 2007 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

===Risk of hearing damage===
According to the [[Scientific Committee on Emerging and Newly Identified Health Risks]], the risk of [[Deafness|hearing damage]] from digital audio players depends on both sound level and listening time. The listening habits of most users are unlikely to cause hearing loss, but some people are putting their hearing at risk, because they set the volume control very high or listen to music at high levels for many hours per day. Such listening habits may result in temporary or permanent hearing loss, [[tinnitus]], and difficulties understanding speech in noisy environments.
The [[World Health Organization]] warns that increasing use of headphones and earphones puts 1.1&nbsp;billion teenagers and young adults at risk of hearing loss due to unsafe use of personal audio devices.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/releases/2015/ear-care/en/|title=1.1&nbsp;billion people at risk of hearing loss – WHO highlights serious threat posed by exposure to recreational noise|publisher=World Health Organization|date=27 February 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151024050443/http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/releases/2015/ear-care/en/|archive-date=24 October 2015|df=dmy-all}}</ref> Many [[smartphone]]s and personal media players are sold with earphones that do a poor job of blocking ambient noise, leading some users to turn up the volume to the maximum level to drown out street noise.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/health/smartphones-can-blast-your-hearing-health-report-warns-1.2993009|title=Smartphones can blast your hearing, health report warns|publisher=Canadian Broadcasting Corporation|date=6 April 2015|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150411081344/http://www.cbc.ca/news/health/smartphones-can-blast-your-hearing-health-report-warns-1.2993009|archive-date=11 April 2015|df=dmy-all}}</ref> People listening to their media players on crowded commutes sometimes play music at high volumes feel a sense of separation, freedom and escape from their surroundings.<ref>Bull, Michael. "No Dead Air! The IPod and the Culture of Mobile Listening." The Journal of Leisure Studies 24.4 (2004): 343–55. Print.</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Personal Music Players & Hearing|publisher=GreenFacts Website|date=23 September 2008|access-date=26 March 2009|url=http://copublications.greenfacts.org/en/hearing-loss-personal-music-player-mp3/index.htm|url-status=live|archive-url=http://archive.wikiwix.com/cache/20111008140251/http://copublications.greenfacts.org/en/hearing-loss-personal-music-player-mp3/index.htm|archive-date=8 October 2011|df=dmy-all}}</ref>

The World Health Organization recommends that "the highest permissible level of noise exposure in the workplace is 85 dB up to a maximum of eight hours per day" and time in "nightclubs, bars and sporting events" should be limited because they can expose patrons to noise levels of 100&nbsp;dB. The report states
{{blockquote|Teenagers and young people can better protect their hearing by keeping the volume down on personal audio devices, wearing earplugs when visiting noisy venues, and using carefully fitted, and, if possible, [[Noise-cancelling headphones|noise-cancelling earphones/headphones]]. They can also limit the time spent engaged in noisy activities by taking short listening breaks and restricting the daily use of personal audio devices to less than one hour. With the help of smartphone apps, they can monitor safe listening levels.}}

The report also recommends that governments raise awareness of hearing loss, and to recommend people visit a hearing specialist if they experience symptoms of hearing loss, which include pain, ringing or buzzing in the ears.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://myfox8.com/2015/04/13/more-young-people-being-diagnosed-with-hearing-loss/|title=More young people being diagnosed with hearing loss|date=13 April 2015|work=Fox8|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150421164839/http://myfox8.com/2015/04/13/more-young-people-being-diagnosed-with-hearing-loss/|archive-date=21 April 2015|df=dmy-all}}</ref>

A study by the [[National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health|National Institute for Occupational Safety & Health]] found that employees at bars, nightclubs or other music venues were exposed to noise levels above the internationally recommended limits of 82–85&nbsp;dBA per eight hours. This growing phenomena has led to the coining of the term music-induced hearing loss, which includes hearing loss as a result of overexposure to music on personal media players.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://blogs.cdc.gov/niosh-science-blog/2011/01/25/music/|title=CDC – NIOSH Science Blog – These Go to Eleven|date=25 January 2011 |publisher=cdc.gov|url-status=live|archive-url=http://archive.wikiwix.com/cache/20160625052812/http://blogs.cdc.gov/niosh-science-blog/2011/01/25/music/|archive-date=25 June 2016|df=dmy-all}}</ref>

In 2009 the European Union drafted a law to force manufacturers to cap the maximum volume output on players to 80&nbsp;dB.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Noise warning – DW – 09/28/2009 |url=https://www.dw.com/en/eu-to-impose-volume-caps-on-mp3-players/a-4736663 |access-date=2025-04-06 |website=dw.com |language=en}}</ref>

===FCC issues===
Some MP3 players have electromagnet transmitters, as well as receivers. Many MP3 players have built-in FM radios, but [[personal FM transmitter]]s are not usually built-in due to liability of transmitter [[audio feedback|feedback]] from simultaneous transmission and reception of FM. Also, certain features like Wi-Fi and Bluetooth can interfere with professional-grade communications systems such as aircraft at airports.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Ramanatt|first1=Peter Reji|last2=Natarajan|first2=K.|last3=Shobha|first3=K.R.|date=2020-02-07|title=Challenges in implementing a wireless avionics network|url=https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/AEAT-07-2019-0144/full/html|journal=Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology|language=en|volume=92|issue=3|pages=482–494|doi=10.1108/AEAT-07-2019-0144|s2cid=214199969|issn=1748-8842|url-access=subscription}}</ref>

==See also==
{{div col|colwidth=30em}}
*[[Personal stereo]]
*[[Portable CD player]]
*[[Portable DVD player]]
*[[Smartphone]]
*[[Tablet computer]]
*[[Transistor radio]]{{div col end}}

==Notes==
{{Notelist}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{commons category|Portable media players}}
* [http://www.antiqueradio.com/Dec04_Menta_mp3pt1.html Collecting MP3 Portables&nbsp;– Part I], [http://www.antiqueradio.com/Apr05_Menta_mp3.html Part II] and [http://www.antiqueradio.com/Jul05_Menta_MP3s.html Part III] – [[Richard Menta]]'s three-part article covers the first digital audio players on the market with pictures of each player.

{{Audio players}}
{{Computer sizes}}
{{Media player (application software)}}
{{Portal bar|2000s}}

[[Category:Digital audio players| ]]
[[Category:Portable media players| ]]
[[Category:Portable audio players| ]]
[[Category:MP3]]
[[Category:Boombox culture]]
[[Category:Audio hobbies]]
[[Category:2000s fads and trends]]
[[Category:2000s in music]]