Media player software
Media player software decodes and plays digital audio, video, or other media, commonly providing playback controls, playlists, and library management.
Digital media: Audio, video, images, and other content represented and stored in digital form. Media player software operates on content encoded as digital media.
Playlist: An ordered collection of media items selected for playback. Playlists let players sequence tracks without opening each file individually.
Media streaming: The delivery of media over a network for playback as data arrives, rather than after complete download. Streaming players begin presentation before a full media file is stored locally.
Compact disc: An optical disc format for digitally encoded audio and data, introduced commercially in the early 1980s. CD playback established familiar digital audio controls before computer-based libraries became common.
Napster: A peer-to-peer file-sharing service launched in 1999 that became known for exchanging digital music. Its popularity tied downloadable music files to desktop playback and collection software.
Codec: Software or hardware that encodes or decodes a digital data stream, especially audio or video. Codecs translate compressed media into signals the player can present.
Media library: An organized collection of media items and associated metadata managed by software. Library features help players browse and retrieve large personal collections.
Web browser: Software for accessing and interacting with resources on the World Wide Web. Browsers can play embedded media, but their main purpose extends beyond playback.
MP3: A lossy audio coding format that reduces file size by discarding less perceptible sound information. MP3 files helped make software playback and portable digital music collections practical.
iTunes: Apple software for managing digital media and, originally, syncing music with iPods and purchasing songs online. iTunes joined a player with a store and device-syncing system, reshaping music libraries.