Adding an MP3 Player to Your Car

Do you suffer from any of these problems? You have an MP3 player full of music and want everyone in the car to hear it, but don't know how. Broadcast radio is full of ads and songs you hate. You can't afford a new car with a built-in MP3 player. If this sounds like you, here's an easy, inexpensive solution to your troubles: buy an adapter that broadcasts music from your MP3 player to your car's FM radio.

If your car has an FM radio and a 12 or 24-volt DC outlet (the cigarette lighter) you can add an MP3 adapter to your car for as little as $10. The adapters are low-power FM transmitters that broadcast what comes into their audio input out to a few FM channels. Plug the adapter into the DC outlet and your MP3 player into the adapter, set the output channel to a clear FM channel, turn on your radio and get ready to enjoy your music. The adapter is easily transportable and can be used in multiple cars.

Here's a Google search string that will bring up pages of adapters for you to choose from: MP3 Player Wireless FM Transmitter Car Stereo Radio Cordless Adapter Modulator

There are some features to keep in mind when purchasing an adapter. How does music get in and out of your player? Does your MP3 player have an "audio out" connection, a USB connector, or an SD Memory card? Do you want an MP3 player combined with the FM adapter, or do you want to plug your player into the adapter? The cheapest adapters use the "audio out" of your MP3 player, and as the adapter price rises, the number of devices it will accept music from also rises. Make sure you're aware of how your MP3 player operates before purchasing an adapter.

You can also install an aftermarket CD player that can play MP3 discs. They are widely available and range from cheap to expensive depending on what other features you want. Some of them have connections on the front for audio cables, USB drives, and SD cards so you can also enjoy the music from your MP3 player without burning a CD. The advantage of MP3 disk players for automobiles is that you get more music on each disk. My car's 3-disk changer will play about 3 hours of music if I use CDs, and over 30 hours with high-quality MP3 files. Every car audio player I looked at this week could play MP3 discs; the differences were in whether it had a disc changer, extra input ports, a Bluetooth transceiver and more.

Adapting your car's stereo to play MP3s is easy. Just make sure you keep these helpful tips in mind.