MP3 players ... there are so many choices! How do you know which one is best for you? Read the tips below and you will surely find the right mp3 player for your own needs.

1) First of all, you need to find out what are your needs. It sounds obvious, but choosing the right mp3 player for you starts right here.

You should ask yourself "What kind of mp3 player do I want?" and "What I will be using the mp3 player for?"

Can you afford an expensive mp3 player, or do you want a cheaper one? You will use it while driving to and from work, working around the house or exercising? It needs to play video files and to show pictures as well? Or maybe you need it to have a FM radio tuner or digital voice recording features.

Find out exactly what you need it for and then it will be much easier to choose.

2) There are two types of mp3 players: flash mp3 players and hard drive mp3 players.

The advantage of the flash mp3 players is that they have no moving parts (they have an embedded memory chip) and are ideal to use while running or exercising. Another advantage is that they are cheaper than hard disk mp3 players.

The disadvantage is that flash mp3 players have relatively low memory, but on the other hand they can be upgraded by choosing a larger memory card.

The other type of mp3 players are similar to computers, considering the fact that they hold the memory on a hard disk. They are also known as "jukeboxes" and have hard drives of 20 GB or more. And this is their main advantage, because you can store much more content. You can play music and audio books and lately display pictures and play video files as well.

However, you need to know that the hard disk is not upgradeable, so you should decide right from the start how much storage space do you really need. Another disadvantage is that they are expensive compared to the flash mp3 players.

3) If price is important to you, then you need to know that you can have a flash mp3 player for $100 or less. The most expensive hard drive mp3 players can cost in the $500 range.

However, as new models appear all the time, older quality models are now available at cheaper prices, even for the hard drive mp3 players.

4) Research before you buy. We often tend to buy on impulse, but please don't do it. It is very easy to get on the Internet and check the websites with reviews from other users or comparison websites. This way you can find "insider" information that you would otherwise have no access to.

Basically, know what you want and need and then do the research. This way you can be almost sure that you will choose the right mp3 player for you.

To help you get started, here are some MP3 shopping links.