Editing Portable media player (section)

{{Short description|Portable device capable of storing and playing digital media}}
{{redirect-distinguish|Digital audio player|Digital media player|Home audio}}
{{Multiple issues|{{cleanup rewrite|date=April 2025}}{{update|date=April 2025}}{{more citations needed|date=April 2025}}}}
{{EngvarB|date=October 2017}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2017}}

{{multiple image
| width             = 200
| direction         = horizontal
| image1            = Archos.jpg
| caption1          = [[Archos]]'s [[Archos AV series|AV140]] hard disk based PMP (2003)
| image2            = Walkman NWZ-810 & iPod Nano 5G.jpg
| caption2          = [[Sony]]'s [[Walkman]] [[Sony NW-A810|A810]] and [[Apple Inc.|Apple]]'s [[iPod Nano]] flash memory based PMPs (2007/2009)
| image3            = SanDisk Clip Jam orange.jpg
| caption3          = [[SanDisk Sansa|SanDisk Clip Jam]] (2015)
| perrow            = 2
| image4            = NW-ZX707.png
| caption4          = Sony Walkman ZX707 (2023)
}}

A '''portable media player''' ('''PMP''') or '''digital audio player''' ('''DAP''') is a portable [[consumer electronics]] device capable of storing and playing [[digital media]] such as audio, images, and video files.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dlna.org/dlna-for-industry/digital-living/how-it-works/dlna-device-classes/mobile-digital-media-player|title=What is DLNA|work=DLNA|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130910184728/http://www.dlna.org/dlna-for-industry/digital-living/how-it-works/dlna-device-classes/mobile-digital-media-player|archive-date=10 September 2013|df=dmy-all}}</ref><ref>[http://us.en.kb.sony.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/35234 What are the differences in DLNA device classes?] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160119082643/https://us.en.kb.sony.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/35234|date=19 January 2016}} What are the differences in DLNA device classes?</ref> Normally they refer to small, [[Electric battery|battery]]-powered devices utilising [[flash memory]] or a [[Hard disk drive|hard disk]] for storing various media [[Computer file|files]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=All You Need To Know About Media Players |url=https://www.lenovo.com/gb/en/glossary/media-players |website=Lenovo}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Acepublisher |date=2010-09-29 |title=The Global Portable Media Player Industry |url=https://www.oboolo.com/marketing/services-marketing/term-papers/the-global-portable-media-player-industry-608927.html |journal=Publications Oboolo |language=en-US}}</ref> '''MP3 players''' has been a popular alternative name used for such devices, even if they also support other [[file format]]s and media types other than [[MP3]] (for example [[Advanced Audio Coding|AAC]], [[FLAC]], [[Windows Media Audio|WMA]]).<ref>{{cite web |title=Words to Avoid (or Use with Care) Because They Are Loaded or Confusing |url=https://www.gnu.org/philosophy/words-to-avoid.html#MP3Player |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130603145757/https://gnu.org/philosophy/words-to-avoid.html#MP3Player |archive-date=3 June 2013 |access-date=8 July 2013 |work=[[GNU Operating System]] |publisher=[[Free Software Foundation, Inc.]] |quote=Most support the patented MP3 codec, but not all. To call such players 'MP3 players' is not only confusing,... We suggest the terms 'digital audio player,' or simply 'audio player' if context permits.}}</ref><ref>[http://www.webopedia.com/DidYouKnow/Hardware_Software/2008/iPod_mp3Player.asp The Difference Between an iPod and a MP3 Player] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111008215444/http://www.webopedia.com/DidYouKnow/Hardware_Software/2008/iPod_mp3Player.asp|date=8 October 2011}}. Webopedia.com. Retrieved 16 August 2013.</ref>

Generally speaking, PMPs are equipped with a 3.5&nbsp;mm [[headphone jack]] which can be used for [[headphone]]s or to connect to a [[boombox]], [[home audio]] system, or connect to [[car audio]] and home [[High fidelity|stereos]] wired or via a wireless connection such as [[Bluetooth]], and some may include [[radio tuner]]s, [[voice recording]] and other features. In contrast, analogue [[portable audio player]]s play music from non-digital media that use [[analogue media]], such as [[cassette tape]]s or [[Gramophone record|vinyl record]]s. As devices became more advanced, the PMP term was later introduced to describe players with additional capabilities such as [[video]] playback (they used to also be called "[[MP4 file format|MP4]] players"). The PMP term has also been used as an umbrella name to describe any portable device for multimedia, including physical formats (such as [[portable CD player]]s) or [[handheld game console]]s with such capabilities.<ref>{{Cite web |title=portable media player |url=https://encyclopedia2.thefreedictionary.com/portable+media+player |access-date=2025-04-05 |website=TheFreeDictionary.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2006-10-18 |title=Windows Media Center support makes PSP an even better PMP |url=https://www.engadget.com/2006-10-18-windows-media-center-support-makes-psp-an-even-better-pmp.html |access-date=2025-04-05 |website=Engadget |language=en-US}}</ref>

DAPs appeared in the late 1990s, following the creation of the MP3 codec in Germany. MP3-playing devices were mostly pioneered by [[South Korea]]n startups, who by 2002 would control the majority of global sales.<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://s.japanese.joins.com/JArticle/26258?sectcode=300&servcode=300 | title=Ｍｐ３プレーヤー「韓国天下」 }}</ref> However the industry would eventually be defined by the popular [[Apple iPod]].<ref name="hist">{{cite web |url=https://mobile-review.com/mp3/articles/mpio-history.shtml |title=История Mpio |last=Dorozhin |first=Alexey |date=19 December 2006 |access-date=19 April 2022 |language=ru |trans-title=History of Mpio}}</ref> In 2006, 20% of Americans owned a PMP, a figure strongly driven by the young; more than half (54%) of American teens owned one, as did 30% of young adults aged 18 to 34.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ipsos.com/en-us/portable-mp3-player-ownership-reaches-new-high|title=Portable MP3 Player Ownership Reaches New High &#124; Ipsos|date=29 June 2006 |accessdate=21 December 2023}}</ref> In 2007, 210 million PMPs were sold worldwide, worth US$19.5 billion.<ref name="germ">[https://www.germanwatch.org/sites/default/files/publication/2252.pdf Playing with Labour Rights: Music player and game console manufacturing in China] FinnWatch, SACOM and SOMO</ref> In 2008, video-enabled players would overtake audio-only players.<ref name="overtake"/> Increasing sales of [[smartphone]]s and [[tablet computer]]s have led to a decline in sales of PMPs,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tomshardware.com/news/Smartphones-iPod-MP3-Players-Sales,20062.html|title=Smartphones Heavily Decrease Sales of iPod, MP3 Players|work=Tom's Hardware|date=30 December 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.eetasia.com/ART_8800411138_499495_NT_d0c02d8d.HTM|title=PMP needs to merge with cellphone, says Smartwork exec|last=Yu|first=Emily|publisher=EE Times Asia|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080423223723/http://www.eetasia.com/ART_8800411138_499495_NT_d0c02d8d.HTM|archive-date=23 April 2008|df=dmy-all|access-date=3 October 2007}}</ref> leading to most manufacturers having exited the industry during the 2010s. [[Sony Walkman]] continues to be in production and [[Portable DVD player|portable DVD and BD players]], which may be considered variations of PMPs, are still manufactured.<ref name="notel-reuters">{{cite web | url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/mar/28/north-korea-internet-notel | title=Portable media players give North Koreans an illicit window on the world | work=The Guardian | date=28 March 2015 | access-date=9 April 2015 | url-status=live | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150406104758/http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/mar/28/north-korea-internet-notel | archive-date=6 April 2015 | df=dmy-all }}</ref>