The Microsoft Windows Media Player , also known as WMP or Wmplayer is a fully functional media player, developed by Microsoft at no extra cost with every Windows installation. It enables users to view images, play music from a CD or music file, and watch video content. Additionally, Windows Media Player enables users to extract audio CDs and organize their music collections. It should be noted, however, that Windows Media Player does not support DVD playback due to copyright limitations.
What is Windows Media Player?
The Microsoft Windows Media Player (WMP), is a multimedia software application that is used for playing audio, video, and viewing images on personal computers running the Windows operating system. Windows Media Player also allows users to organize their media files through a library, create playlists, and access media in a visually appealing environment. It supports a wide range of audio and video formats with features like ripping music from CDs, burning music to discs, syncing content with portable devices, and purchasing or renting music from several online music stores. Movie creation is also possible using Windows Media Player, a capability not available in other famous media players. One drawback is its inability to stream videos properly; it should improve it as Microsoft continues to improve its software. Also, Windows Media Player allows users to rip audio CDs and organize their music collections.
How To Open Windows Media Player?
To open Windows Media Player on a Windows computer, try one of these methods:
1. Search Method
Step 1: Click the search icon or box next to the Start menu on the taskbar.
Step 2: Type “Windows Media Player” into the search bar.
Step 3: Select Windows Media Player from the search results to open it.
2. Start Menu
Step 1: Click the Start menu.
Step 2: Scroll through your list of applications until you find Windows Media Player.
Step 3: Click on it to launch the program.
3. Run Command
Step 1: Press the
Windows key + Rto bring up the Run dialog.Step 2: Type
wmplayerand either press Enter or click OK.
These steps should open Windows Media Player so you can start using it to play your media files. If you can’t find Windows Media Player, it may not be installed or enabled on your system, especially if you’re using a newer version of Windows. In that case, you might need to enable it through the Windows Features settings.
How Can I Update Windows Media Player?
To update Windows Media Player, you can follow these steps, depending on the version of Windows you are using:
For Windows 10 and Windows 11
Step 1: Check for Windows Updates:
Step 2: Open Settings (you can press Windows key + I).
Step 3: Click on Update & Security (or just Windows Update in Windows 11).
Step 4: Click Check for updates.
If there are updates available, they will include updates for Windows Media Player as part of the overall Windows update.
For Older Versions of Windows (Windows 7 or Windows 8)
Windows Update:
Step 1: Open the Control Panel and go to System and Security > Windows Update.
Step 2: Click on Check for updates.
Step 3: Install any available updates, which will also update Windows Media Player if available.
Microsoft Download Center:
If you’re looking for a specific update or version, you can visit the Microsoft Download Center, search for “Windows Media Player,” and download the appropriate version for your system.
Windows Media Player (Supported File Formats)
Windows Media Player supports a variety of file formats for playing audio, video, and displaying images. Here are some of the common file types that you can use with Windows Media Player:
1. Audio Formats
- MP3: A popular audio file format used widely across different media players.
- WMA: Microsoft’s audio format that comes in lossy and lossless versions.
- WAV: Commonly used for high-quality audio.
- MIDI: Used for synthesizer music and ringtones.
- AIFF: Typically used by Apple.
- AAC: Often used in Apple’s iTunes and iPods.
2. Video Formats
3. Playlist Formats
- WPL: Windows Media Player’s own playlist format.
- M3U: A widely supported playlist format.
- PLS: Used for streaming media playlists.
4. Image Formats
Windows Media Player isn’t mainly for viewing images, but it can display graphics such as album art in these formats:
How do I play a music CD in Windows Media Player?
Step 1: Open Windows Media Player.
Step 2: Open the computer’s CD drive, insert the music CD, and then close the disc tray.
Step 3: If the CD does not start playing automatically, check for it in Windows Media Player’s left navigation window. The music CD should be sorted by album title.
Step 4: Click the music CD, then select the song you wish to play.
Step 5: To start listening to the music CD, click the play button.
What is windows media player used for? (Feartures of Windows Media Player)
- Audio and Video Playback: Windows Media Player allows users to play a variety of audio and video file formats, including MP3, WMA, WAV, AAC, MPEG, AVI, WMV etc.
- Media Library: Users can organize and manage their multimedia files using the Media Library feature. This includes adding music, videos, and images to the library, creating playlists, and sorting content based on metadata such as artist, album and rating.
- Rip and Burn CDs: WMP enables users to rip audio CDs to digital audio files, such as MP3 or WMA format. Users can also create audio CDs by burning music files from their library onto a writable CD or DVD.
- Sync with Portable Devices: Users can synchronize their media library with portable devices like smartphones, MP3 players, and tablets. This allows for seamless transfer of music, videos, and other media content between the computer and portable devices.
- Visualizations: Windows Media Player offers visualizations that allow music playback, providing users with dynamic and visual graphics. Users can choose from a variety of visualization options to enhance their listening experience.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Windows Media Player (WMP) is a multifunctional multimedia tool from Microsoft that plays a wide variety of audio and video files. It’s a go-to software for playing media, burning and ripping CDs, and organizing digital media. Included with different versions of Windows, it provides a straightforward and dependable way to manage and enjoy your media files. Windows Media Player delivers a complete solution that fits smoothly into the Windows ecosystem.
What is Windows Media Player?- FAQs
What is the Windows Media Player?
Windows Media Player (WMP) is a multimedia software developed by Microsoft used for playing audio, video, and viewing images on Windows operating systems. It supports a variety of media formats and offers features like ripping music from CDs, burning music to discs, creating playlists, and syncing with portable devices.
Where is media player in Windows?
In some editions of Windows 10, it’s included as an optional feature that you can enable. To do that, select the Start button, then select Settings > Apps > Apps & features > Manage optional features > Add a feature > Windows Media Player, and select Install.
Is Windows Media Player a software?
Yes, Windows Media Player is a software application developed by Microsoft for playing, organizing, and managing multimedia content on Windows operating systems. Well known examples of media player software include Windows Media Player, VLC media player, iTunes, Winamp, Media Player Classic, MediaMonkey, foobar2000, AIMP, MusicBee and JRiver Media Center. Most of these also include music library managers.’
How to use Microsoft Media Player?
- Click Start.
- Type Media Player in the seach box.
- Click Windows Media Player in the Programs list.
- Windows Media Player is started. …
- Click Manage Video library.
- In the right pane, click Add, specify the location where you put your videos, and then click Include folder.
- Click OK.
What is windows media player used for?
Windows Media Player (WMP) is a multimedia application from Microsoft that plays audio, video, and images on Windows operating system.