If you want to embed and manage a plugin on your WordPress blog that plays audio files then you would need an audio player plugin to do that. There are many options out there considering WordPress has thousands of free and paid plugins available. Some plugins need not be a pro version in order for you to get exactly the audio player plugin you need as many of these plugins can be yours just by simply downloading and installing them to your website. Here are just some of the best audio player plugins tested that can be yours for free.
Freemium Options
Freemium plugins are plugins that offer a free version and an upgrade version that charges a fee. This allows you to test the plugin and if you like it or need a feature only available on the paid model, you can purchase it in confidence.
HTML5 MP3 Player with Folder Feedburner Playlist
HTML5 MP3 Player with Folder Feedburner Playlist has a free version and a paid version. It supports all types of browsers like Internet Explorer, Google Chrome, FireFox and others. It can support MP3 format audio files and supports the XML song playlist and also supports Unicode. It lets your site visitors choose to repeat the playlist, put it in random, control volume, stream seek and choose to play the next audio file or the previous one. It also has social links for Facebook and Twitter.
The paid version of HTML5 MP3 Player with Playlist gives you a bigger player with the option for your visitors to download the song. You can customize the color and the size of the playlist and also customize the social links. Lastly, you can offer a volume control option and offer the ability for your visitors to embed the player on their websites with an embed code option.
The paid version will cost you $25.
HTML5 jQuery Audio Player
This HTML5 jQuery Audio Player plugin comes in the lite (free) version and pro version. If you’re looking for an audio player that looks cool then you need not look any further as this audio player is the trendiest one on the list. It can support all types of browsers and can even support Apple’s iPhone and iPads. With this WordPress plugin you can add a solo audio track or a playlist and these audio tracks can display ratings, cover photo and you can also include a buy link or a download link if it can be downloaded for free. You can even customize the color of your audio player. The lite version supports both mp3 and ogg audio formats. It uses HTML5 but if this format is not supported then it goes to its backup which is Flash. By using the shortcode, you can add the audio player anywhere you want.
The PRO Version lets you make several playlists and embed as many of them on your site as you want. You can add your audio player as a widget on the sidebar of your WordPress blog. Drag n Drop feature for managing your playlist makes it easier for you to organize the music you want. It also lets you distribute your own music if you want to sell the track as it can also have a buy button where you can even sell your music to places such as iTunes.
The Pro version will set you back $25.
Free Plugin Options
These plugins are available free of charge.
MB Mini Audio Player
The MB Mini Audio Player WordPress plugin audio player gives your blog a small audio player in HTML5. You need to upload your mp3 file through this plugin and you can’t create a playlist rather just a single file audio. It features volume, seeking control, rewind, mute, and play buttons and a title bar of the audio track. One drawback is that when you have other audio plugins in HTML5 you need to deactivate them to avoid conflicts with it.
Haiku Minimalist Audio Player
The Haiku Minimalist Audio Player WordPress plugin can be displayed as a graphical player or you can get a text version of the audio player. It has Google Analytics settings enabled so you can track how often the audio was played.
CodeArt Google MP3 Player
The CodeArt Google MP3 Player for WordPress plugin for audio can be embedded on your blog’s sidebar, page or on the post itself. You need to first upload the audio file then copy the URL of the mp3 file you uploaded and put this code on your post or wherever you want the audio player to be displayed. It runs on HTML5 on any web browser but if HTML is not supported then its fall back would be the flash player. It also supports the HTML5 for iPhone.
podPress
If you want to host a podcast on your website then the podPress WordPress plugin is the one you want. It can support several media file types. You can choose where in your blog you want to display the audio player and how you want it to look like. You can opt to have the paid version as well but the only difference really is with the technical support. It’s available both in English and German languages.
Audio Tube
The Audio Tube WordPress plugin audio player lets you display the audio from any Youtube video. You need the id of the Youtube video to create a shortcode. You can set the audio file on loop, or set it on autoplay. It’s customizable and the great way to add audio directly from Youtube.
So there you have it, the top 7 audio player plugins for WordPress. By choosing one of these audio players you’ll surely get a wonderful experience and so will your site visitors. Do you have experience with audio on your websites and feel we missed an important one? Leave a comment below and let us know.