Note that RealPlayer Gold was the original version of RealPlayer which went "Gold" after beta testing was finished between versions 10 to 11. After that however, RealPlayer confusingly went back to version 1 again with RealPlayer SP although even more confusingly, the latest version is labeled version 12.0.0 in the program's "About" section but version 1.0 on the Real download site. RealPlayer Gold however remains very popular because it offers extra features that have been removed in SP and you can still download it here on Softonic even if it's not apparent on the RealPlayer site. We assume that the reason RealNetworks did this, is to try and encourage people to pay to upgrade to RealPlayer SP Plus.

The installation process is a bit annoying because to configure RealPlayer SP, you have to shutdown your browser. However, you can still configure it afterward even if you don't so my guess is that it's trying to install itself as your default player by asking you to shutdown and restart your browser first. In addition, the RealPlayer converter comes as a separate program with this download and has to be installed separately although it works well convering Flash to H264 for example and automatically adding tracks to iTunes. You're also prompted to install the Real agent which will sit quietly in your system and help you download Real compatible videos when needed.

There is wide support for most major video formats although audio such as ACC+ isn't supported. Also, although it is supposed to be compatible with Adobe Flash 10, many users have reported problems when trying to play it over long periods and RealNetworks suggest going back to Flash 9.

While RealPlayer SP may lack some of the functionality of Gold - mainly the absence of a CD burner - it's certainly a more modern player designed for the social networking and mobile era. RealPlayer SP for Mac lets you download online videos from thousands of sites and transfer them to your iPod, iPhone, iPad, BlackBerry or other mobile device. Tranferring video is easy courtesy of an on-screen menu within the main screen itself simply labeled "convert".

RealNetworks have also introduced features such as PerfectPlay and LivePause, a new Playlist window and the ability to play Windows Media content. There have also been improvements in the way RealPlayer handles streaming and buffering courtesy of TurboPlay for fast connections and RealVideo 9 and RealAudio Surround for the needs of HDTV. There's also a RealPlayer downloader integrated which means that you can download Real media video and audio to your Mac.

One of the most annoying aspects of RealPlayer releases is that they often take a while to start because of the various plugins they use but RealPlayer SP is pretty snappy. The removal of the CD burner from RealPlayer SP however is a shame but overall, it's a vastly improved media player.

RealPlayer SP is RealNetworks slickest and most advanced media player to date.

Download RealPlayer SP 12.0.1 in Softonic

It is indeed bloated and often intrusive but RealPlayer has a lot of functionality - it can do a hell of a lot from streaming radio and video to burning CD's but it's often slow and cumbersome. In this latest release of RealPlayer, there is an included conversion program with a bunch of different devices it can re-encode video for. This is really handy if you want to take some videos on your portable device. Conversions in RealPlayer take a while, so be patient.

The most recent incarnation RealPlayer SP has done much to solve stability and streaming problems and also includes ways to share videos on mobile devices as well as download videos that are absent from RealPlayer. There's also a handy integrated RealPlayer Downloader for downloading RealPlayer clips for viewing later or sharing with friends.

In saying this, RealPlayer isn't bad at all. It's comparable to Windows Media Player as they both have some impressive ways of organizing your music and for me the best feature is the CD burner which is one of the easiest burners I've ever used.

RealPlayer is a bit of a bloated media player, which is slower and less user friendly than the competition but includes handy downloading and conversion features that may benefit some users.

Download RealPlayer Gold 12.0.0 1725 in Softonic

Once registered with SoundCloud, you can upload up to two hours of music in AIFF, WAVE, FLAC, OGG, MP3 or AAC formats. You can share your music publicly or privately, and even make your track downloadable. The social part of SoundCloud is similar to Twitter - you follow members and others follow you. There are also groups, so you can find people with similar tastes to you.

This desktop client allows you to make your recordings easily and both upload and share them from your Mac. You can browse and search and sound and create your own playlists. The only problem you may have is connecting to SoundCloud occasionally - if it times out, there is no error log to explain what's wrong and the application may just crash as a result.

If you're a big SoundCloud user, then this Mac desktop client is a must.

Download SoundCloud 1.2.0 in Softonic

Xstreamripper integrates with your internet connection so that whenever it detects a radio stream, it immediately springs into action. To initiate recording you simply click on "Start". Xstreamripper then proceeds to store the songs in MP3 format - there's nothing much more to it than that.

Most recently, the developers have added a configuration file for stored settings, the ability to run the windows GUI application without running Winamp, and a new experimental silence detection method. This feature however can cause several problems - if there's a delay or pause in your broadcast, Xstreamripper can stop recording meaning you end up with nothing.

Xstreamripper is a great solution for Mac radio fans that want to store their favourite radio broadcasts for later listening or sharing with others.

Download Xstreamripper for Mac OS X 1.14 in Softonic

What I've always liked about TVUPlayer is the number of channels available, the fact that it's in English (unlike some P2P efforts), and that the streaming is generally reliable. All these plus points apply to the Mac version, although it would have been nice to have seen them give it a bit of a more Mac OS-style look.

Using TVUPlayer is extremely simple. You have a list of channels down the left-hand side and categories across the top. Click on a category and then a channel. A buffer bar in the bottom of the interface shows you how much time remains until the image will be streaming. Usually a channel takes no more than a few seconds to stream which is a definite improvement on previous versions. The quality of the channels available is one of the outstanding features of TVUPlayer, and it includes the likes of CNN, Sky Sports News, and BBC World. Finally, now you can add favorite channels to a list like in the Windows version.

The latest release of TVUPlayer has seen some much improved interface and usability enhancements. Now all of the channels feature a flag next to them so you can see which country they're from. At the top of the channel list, you can also filter channels by language. Most importantly, however, a very handy search function has been integrated enabling you to search by topic. So for example, 'Soccer' will return a snapshot of channels that are broadcasting soccer games. You'll be able to see from the snapshots whether the channel is broadcasting what you're looking for. You can even search by tags. Equally impressive is a new TV Guide menu - you can select most channels available on TVUPlayer and immediately see what's on - something seriously lacking in other P2P efforts.

Finally, as with Sopcast, you can broadcast your own channels on TVUPlayer, although in my mind, this isn't as obvious as with the former. You'll have to check the developer website to find out how to do this though as nothing indicates this on the main interface itself.

TVUPlayer is one of the best P2P TV streaming apps available for Mac and the latest improvements mean it can finally be compared on an equal footing with Windows version.

Download TVUPlayer for Mac 1.1.7 in Softonic

FStream is the ideal tool to enjoy them as it focuses on playing and recording radio streams. Offering a discreet and functional interface, unobtrusive FStream can play any online radio station without ever interfering with your other applications. The program uses up very little memory and can be switched on or off very quickly as it simply uses internal QuickTime plugins to play streams. Both the player and recorder functions are very easy to use although lack any advanced functions, such as an equalizer.

Thanks to recent improvements, it's now much easier to add and organize new streams. The preset view allows you to see stations by lists, whether ShoutCast or SourceMac and you can easily import new streams straight from iTunes. The only downside is that FStream doesn't allow you to browse for new streams. Note that, since version 1.30, FStream no longer supports Tiger OS X 10.4 and lower but when you click download, we've also provided a link here for those Mac users on older OS's than don't want to miss out.

An unobtrusive yet functional application, FStream is great to listen to and record your favorite online radio streams.

Download FStream 1.4.5 in Softonic

Overview

Pandora is a music streaming website that helps you discover new music and artists. It does this by taking into account music you give either a thumbs up or thumbs down after listening to it. The more songs you rate, the better Pandora gets at personalizing song suggestions for you.

Features

Pandora One Desktop App does the same thing, except straight from your Mac's desktop this time around. Using the Music Genome Project, Pandora One Desktop App will analyze the music content of the songs or artists you enjoy and will subsequently play music that shares some of those defining characteristics.

Pandora One Desktop App is also a nice looking app. It's small and has a great, sleek appearance that will fit most peoples' aesthetics.

Pandora One Desktop App is only available to people subscribed to the streaming website's paid service, Pandora One. In order to make use of this app, you'll need to be a paid subscriber as a result.

On top of the same great service the regular Pandora web app offers, Pandora One Desktop App gives you better music quality and, best of all, no annoying commercials or advertisements during your music listening experience. Music aficionados will undoubtedly love the new perks that come with a premium membership.

Installation

To install the Pandora One Desktop App, simply go to Pandora's website, log in with your user name and password and click on your email address at the top right. Then click Settings from the dropdown menu, and choose the Install Desktop App link at left of center. From there, you'll be prompted to join Pandora One if you haven't already or will simply be allowed to download the app if you have.

Pandora One Desktop App offers all the comforts and conveniences of Pandora's music discovery service, straight from your desktop.

Download Pandora One Desktop App 2.0.5 in Softonic

After registering for a Zattoo account online and installing the client, you'll get an overview of the available TV stations in your locality. When you click on a channel, you have to sit through a 10-15 second advert which is a bit annoying but after that, the streaming is uninterrupted. Streaming is very stable and image quality is very good.

Zattoo also has a TV Guide which helps you plan your viewing schedule and see what's up and coming and you can search for specific channels. There are very few features or options beyond that, however. There are no quality settings and no way to change the language of the interface either which is a bit annoying. There's also no way to make recordings of programs in Zattoo, which would be useful.

If you don't have a TV at home or want to watch local TV on the move, Zattoo is an excellent solution.

Download Zattoo 4.0.5 in Softonic

Glossing over the unavailability of some programs and channels, Adobe Media Player is making all the right strides to becoming the best place to watch TV online.

Download Adobe Media Player 1.6 in Softonic