Music Center: CNET's guide to digital audio

Understand music

CNET's digital audio resource for beginners and experts alike. Whether you're gathering basic information to make the best decision on your next purchase or you want to make the most out of the tech you already own, you'll find the answers here.

FEATURED STORY:

MP3 player buying guide

The MP3 player market covers a range of shapes, sizes, features, storage capacities, file formats, and download services. Amid such variety, how do you choose? That's where we come in.
See the guide

MP3 player personality test

MORE STORIES:

Music compatibility wizard
Use this helpful wizard to navigate through the tricky online music jungle.
Use the wizard

Music store bit-rate chart
All online music stores are not created equal. Use this chart to see how they differ.
See the chart

Music Center glossary

M3U - When you create a playlist in audio playback software such as Winamp, the playlist file contains the extension .m3u. Clicking an M3U file will bring up all of the songs in the playlist in your default audio player.

See all glossary terms

Novice tutorials

How to get music off your Windows iPod
Release music from your Windows iPod without the use of software--and it's free!

See the tutorial

How to create an MP3 CD
Get more mileage out of your CD with an MP3 CD.

See the tutorial

More novice tutorials from Music Center

Advanced tutorials

How to convert video for the iPod
You don't have to plunk down all your spare change on iTunes videos. Why not covert some of the content you already have?

See the tutorial