Smashing Multimedia - Free Wordpress Theme

Smashing Multimedia is a flexible and advanced WordPress theme for artists, designers, photographers, podcasters and other users. The theme was designed by the germany based Sarah Neuber of SN WebDesign & Development especially for Smashing Magazine.

A more advanced version of this theme is available on ThemeForest with the name MultiMedia Reloaded. The price for MultiMedia Reloaded theme is $25.00.

It is the same Wordpress theme like Smashing Multimedia, but with more features and better support. The Smashing Multimedia theme comes unsupported with exception for the extensive help file included with the theme.

Some confusion occurred since Smashing Magazine went out that Smashing Multimedia was especially designed for them. But like a Smashing Editorial explains: “The theme was designed specifically for Smashing Magazine from the very beginning - we’ve set the requirements and ideas for the theme. As far as I can see, an advanced version of the theme is being sold on ThemeForest”.

Smashing Multimedia has a parent theme and a customizable child theme - and is delivered with layered PSD source files, a visual help guide and is fully localized ready for you to translate into your preferred language.

To translate the theme you need to download the Code Styling and Localization plugin.

With this theme you can embed videos and images, rate them and showcase them in an attractive way. But be sure to read the help file before you begin to use this theme because Smashing Multimedia has especial shortcodes for YouTube, Vimeo, Google Video, Blip.tv, Veoh, Viddler and Revver. Or you could just simply use a media plugin of your choice.

The theme has a nice theme options page where you can change more parameters than in an average Wordpress theme. In theme options you can for example choose and put together Main Navigation and Category Navigation (appears in sidebar) without touching the code in the template files, how many related posts should appear in the single page sidebar and more. You can see a preview of the theme options page below.

The developer has also built in some extra finesses: wp-PostRatings, easy 125×125 ad management for WordPress styles included, show your last tweet (on the front page - can be removed and replaced by any plugin of your choice), Social share media, “Give it a Tweet” call to action, Feedburner Rss and Email, styles for threaded comments, styled admin comments, separated comments and trackbacks and more.

Smashing Multimedia Features

Some of the Smashing Multimedia Wordpress theme features - for a more complete list directly from the developer you can go HERE (pdf).

• WP 2.8 compatibility
• 8 Independent widget areas
• Feature any post - any category
• Choose the type of post teaser - customize it through theme options.
• Easy media embed method
• Choose the type of splash image - sliding or static splash image
• Security - hidden login page error feedback and hidden WordPress version number
• Spam prevention - deny Comment Posting to No Referrer Requests

The theme is released under GPL. It can be used for all your projects for free and without any restrictions and you may modify the theme as you wish.

Note: the installation guide and documentation are included already in the theme download and it’s not necessary to download them separately.

Smashing Multimedia - Download & Demo Links

• Smashing Multimedia Demo
• Theme Options Preview
• Smashing Multimedia Features (pdf)
• Download Smashing Multimedia Theme