Produced by Streamcast Networks, Morpheus Preview Edition continues the Morpheus tradition of providing a full-featured and easy-to-use P2P application that allows users to share content across the Morpheus Users Network. This new edition of Morpheus utilizes open protocols established by the Gnutella developers, and enables users to directly communicate with each other and search for any type of digital file across the network. Users can control CPU utilization, word filters, upload limits, and file sharing. Morpheus also simultaneously transfers content files from multiple sources for fast downloads of large files, even from users with slower connection speeds. Morpheus Preview Edition 1.3.3.1 enables faster searching, displays more search results, and allows users to search the Web as well as the Morpheus Users Network from one interface. Users should be sure that their current Morpheus application is completely shut down (at the taskbar) before attempting to install this new edition.  You can download it free at Music City. 

Here’s another similar freebie from Frontcode Technologies. WinMX is a file-sharing program. In addition to letting you share MP3s and other types of files, WinMX allows you to connect, simultaneously, to many established networks based on the OpenNap and Napster protocols. This is designed to yield more search results from a larger base of users. WinMX supports any file type, allowing you access to a diverse assortment of shared video and picture files, as well as the usual MP3 audio files. WinMX also features full chat and hot list capabilities, all wrapped in a multiwindowed interface. Version 2.5 added a new decentralized WinMX Peer Networking Protocol, in addition to updated support for the Napster and OpenNap protocols. This latest update features a single-window interface, with option to use a classic multi-window interface, advanced CPU throttling options for processing WinMX Peer network searches, and a number of minor bug fixes WinMX.

Windows Media Player 7.1 consists of seven features in a single application: a CD player, an audio and video player, a media jukebox, a media guide, an Internet radio tuner, a portable device that you can transfer music files to, and an audio CD burner. These software programs are combined into one easy-to-use application designed to make playing digital media a mainstream experience. An audio CD creator and a unified player are also included with the program. This program also allows you to play streaming and downloadable digital audio, video, and other Internet content; play back CD and digital recordings; use the jukebox functionality to play or copy an entire CD to your PC in just a few minutes with one click; and much more. Windows Media Player 7.0 incorporated new built-in support for custom CD creation. It also included new skins, new visualizations, and a new Digital DJ skin that allows Media Player to create playlists. Version 7.1 adds WMA8 (Windows Media Audio 8) encoding, Windows Media Audio and Video 8 decoding, new smart transcode support for high-quality transfer to portable devices, and other enhancements and bug fixes. Its free from Microsoft. 

The latest full version of Winamp plays MP2 and MP3 audio streams, and combines extensive functionality with an intuitive, customizable interface. It has a full-featured playlist editor and a 10-band graphic equalizer with user-definable presets that can automatically load specific files. It also features Windows Media Technology 4.0 input/output support and the industry-standard Fraunhofer MP3 decoder. This download no longer includes VIS/DSP plug-ins; you can download them separately on the Winamp site. Version 2.79 features upgraded unzip and decompress support, improved multiple instance detection code, and other minor performance enhancements. It’s free from Nullfsoft.

Zap Image Solution offers the following for free:"Skinned' audio player to play music in the background (uses very few system resources). The software allows you to play: Sound Stream files (mp3, mp2, mp1, ogg, wav.), MOD music (xm, it, s3m, mod, mtm, umx), and MO3 music (mp3/ogg compressed MODs). Plus it has audio CD playback functions and supports Winamp 'm3u' play list files." Get it at <http://www.zapsolution.com/>. 

This is cool piece of freeware from GEE!Soft Solutions. MP3 Wake Up is a positive alternative to the traditional style alarm clock. The basic idea is that, instead of being jolted awake by a monotonous, high-volume, high-pitch pulse, you can wake up to the music of your choice. Of course, this is ideal if your PC is in the bedroom (like most college and high school students). After installing the program, you will be asked to select a directory where you keep MP3s in your computer. The program will search this directory and any subdirectories that it finds. All of these songs will create a playlist. Then, through the task scheduler, when the pre-determined “alarm time” arrives, the program will launch and begin playing your selected MP3s. The sound will begin at a nearly inaudible level and gradually increase to top volume over a period of minutes that you can determine. The volume button is adjustable if you want to continue listening after you do get up. A snooze button allows you to go back to sleep for a certain number of minutes, determined by you. This program also includes a very helpful tutorial and feature list, and of course, skins." Find it at  GEE!Soft Solutions .