Best Sounding MP3 Player 2012

Apple pioneered the MP3 industry, and they're still on top. This sixth generation iPod nano has more features than you would ever believe in an MP3 player. Not only can this iPod hold around 4000 songs, but you can page through them with simple finger swipes to search by artist, song title, or personal playlist. A simple shake of the nano will play a random song from your library if you're not sure what you're in the mood for. In addition, there is an FM radio, and you have the ability to pause and rewind live radio by up to fifteen minutes, so you'll never miss the name of that new song you loved.

Aside from all the music functions this iPod nano has, you can also use the pedometer to count your steps, and it allows you to log on to the Nike website to download your stats and check your progress. For the fitness-minded, there are Nike shoes available that communicate directly with your iPod so you can keep track of your running speeds, times, and distances covered.

The iPod nano 16 GB is small, light, and comes in 6 great colors.

Although not as featured packed as the new iPod nano, the Zune does have some great things going for it. For example, the Zune has 48 hours of music play, vs 24 for the nano, and plays up to 10 hours of HD video on one charge. Standard video will play for up to 48 hours. The Zune holds 8000 songs, vs the nano's 4000.

The Zune also allows you to listen to radio, and any song you hear can be tagged so that later, when you charge it, you can upload data on your tagged songs and purchase them if you like. A generous 3.3" screen allows for great video watching on the go, but the unit only weighs 2.6 ounces, so it's very portable.

The Zen is a versatile little MP3 player. It has the ability to play 30 hours of audio, or 5 hours of video in several different formats. So whether you prefer your video in MP3 format, Audible 4, or WMA, the Zen can handle it. With a 2.5" screen, the Zen provides a decent video viewing experience, and there's also an FM tuner for listening to the radio. The Zen has an alarm clock (there goes your excuse for being late!) and altogether only weighs 2.2 ounces. That's some serious entertainment power in a small package.

Last (but not least) on the list of best MP3 players for 2012 is the Apple iPod touch with 32 GB of storage. This fourth generation iPod touch has a monster amount of memory for its price: enough for 8000 songs, 40 hours of video, or 40,000 pictures! Can't get enough of your music on the go? Don't worry: you've got 40 hours of audio from a single charge, which is enough to listen to close to 500 songs, and you've got seven hours of video time-enough to squeeze in three full movies!

This iPod touch has other great features like new technology that makes the touch screen even more sensitive, and the tilt sensor is more sensitive as well, for easier gaming. You've got two cameras, and Apple FaceTime comes preloaded, so you can enjoy video calling with your friends on the go. There's also built-in editing software for pictures, and the highest resolution of any MP3 on the market.

MP3 players today do far more than just play music, and all the features makes shopping for an MP3 player difficult. I hope the reading Best sounding MP3 player 2012 has made your choice a little easier.