The Best Windows Media Player AlternativesTop Audio & Media Players like Windows Media Player

Windows Media Player is described as 'Video and audio player developed by Microsoft for Windows 11 and Windows 10. It the successor to Groove Music (previously Xbox Music), Microsoft Movies & TV and the original Windows Media' and is a very popular Audio Player in the cd/dvd tools category. There are more than 100 alternatives to Windows Media Player for a variety of platforms, including Windows, Linux, Mac, Android and iPhone apps. The best Windows Media Player alternative is VLC Media Player, which is both free and Open Source. Other great apps like Windows Media Player are MPC-HC, foobar2000, MPV and AIMP.

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Windows Media Player alternatives are mainly Media Players, but if you're looking for Audio Players or Internet Radio Services you can filter on that. Other popular filters include CD Ripper, Linux, Android Tablet, iPhone, Kindle Fire, Android and Windows. You can also filter by region, for example EU-based alternatives if you prefer software developed in the European Union. These are just examples - use the filter bar below to find more specific alternatives to Windows Media Player.
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Alternatives list

  1. VLC Media Player icon

    VLC Media Player

     7715 likes

    Enjoy seamless media experiences with this cross-platform, ad-free player supporting multimedia files, DVDs, streaming, Chromecast, 4K, and no tracking. Customize with themes, play offline, and get privacy-focused service without registration. Fully extensible by plugins.

    168 VLC Media Player alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • BSD
    • HUAWEI AppGallery
    • iPad
    • AppImageHub
    • Apple Watch
    • Snapcraft
    • Google Chrome
    • Apple TV
    • Flathub
    • PortableApps.com
    • F-Droid
    • Kindle Fire
    • Haiku
    • Android TV
    • Homebrew
    • Chocolatey
    VLC Media Player screenshot 1
     
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    9
    VLC Media Player vs Windows Media Player Comments
    Top Positive Comment
    Rasheed AZ
    5

    Can actually play most media files and actually fulfil its purpose unlike wmp

    Top Negative Comment
    Guest
    20

    VLC, while an awesome media player, lacks WMP's library features. Thus, it is not an all-in-one system like WMP is.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    tpc1095
    Positive
    1

    Not an alternative to Windows Media Player at all because the main function of WMP is to organize song tracks into albums by artist. Just playing a file isn't a big deal.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    3 of 9 comments
    • VLC Media Player is Free and Open SourceWindows Media Player is Free and Proprietary
    • VLC Media Player is Customizable and Privacy focusedWindows Media Player is not according to our users
  2. MPC-HC icon

    MPC-HC

     1312 likes

    A lightweight open-source media player for Windows, giving support for all video/audio formats. It boasts no ads, dark themes, codec support, and seamless YouTube playback. Developed by longtime contributors, it's mature software with community improvements and crash fixes.

    141 MPC-HC alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • PortableApps.com
    MPC-HC screenshot 1
     
  4. foobar2000 icon

    foobar2000

     1542 likes

    Audio player offering MP3, FLAC support, gapless playback, customizable interfaces, CD ripping, advanced tagging, ReplayGain, plugins, and is known for its freeware model, running on various Windows versions with high audio fidelity.

    204 foobar2000 alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free Personal
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    Foobar custom.
     
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    3
    foobar2000 vs Windows Media Player Comments
    tvgoing1
    Negative
    1

    foobar is not windows media player, it does not play videos

    GGhz
    Positive
    0

    Light weight MUSIC player, has everything you need. about 4MB installer and 15MB on ram ,light on CPU

    Guest
    Negative
    0

    Difficult to use, I couldn't work out how to rip CDs with it.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    • foobar2000 is Free Personal and ProprietaryWindows Media Player is Free and Proprietary
    • foobar2000 is Customizable, Privacy focused and MinimalisticWindows Media Player is not according to our users
  5. Ad
  6. MPV icon

    MPV

     556 likes

    Versatile audio and video player featuring support for a wide range of formats, audio and video codecs, subtitle types, hardware acceleration via GPU, OpenGL output with high-quality scaling, on-screen controls, and embeddable C API for integration into applications.

    115 MPV alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Android
    • BSD
    • Snapcraft
    • Flathub
    • F-Droid
    • Haiku
    • Xfce
    • Chocolatey
    MPV screenshot 1
     
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    1
    MPV vs Windows Media Player Comments
    Guest
    Positive
    5

    MPV is an open source and professional project

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    • MPV is Free and Open SourceWindows Media Player is Free and Proprietary
    • MPV is Minimalistic and Privacy focusedWindows Media Player is not according to our users
  7. AIMP icon

    AIMP

     879 likes

    Feature-rich audio player for Windows and Android supporting diverse codecs and interfaces. Includes conversion tools, skins, plugins, and custom equalizer for enhanced audio streaming and podcast playback.

    347 AIMP alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Android
    • PortableApps.com
    AIMP screenshot 1
     
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    1
    AIMP vs Windows Media Player Comments
    Gustavo D
    Negative
    0

    AIMP is awesome, no question about it, but it's not a all media player. It explicitly doesn't play video. With plug-ins it can pull video content from say, YouTube, but it won't show the video, the reason is stated as something about focusing on being a audio player. I'm paraphrasing. If you are replacing WMP as audio player though, maybe first try iTunes. AIMP may be a little much for you.

    • AIMP is Free and ProprietaryWindows Media Player is also Free and Proprietary
    • AIMP is Customizable and Privacy focusedWindows Media Player is not according to our users
  8. Clementine icon

    Clementine

     755 likes

    Clementine is a cross-platform free and open source music player and library organizer. It is a port of Amarok 1.4 to the Qt 4 framework and the GStreamer multimedia framework, focusing on a fast and easy-to-use interface for searching and...

    255 Clementine alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • BSD
    • Haiku
    Clementine with lyrics pane
     
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    1
    Clementine vs Windows Media Player Comments
    154pinkchairs
    Positive
    0

    one of the greatest FOSS players, but tbh I prefer quodLibet since it's more lightweight

    • Clementine is Free and Open SourceWindows Media Player is Free and Proprietary
    • Clementine is Privacy focusedWindows Media Player is not according to our users
  10. PotPlayer icon

    PotPlayer

     692 likes

    Extensive Windows media player with wide format compatibility, robust customization, ad-free interface, hardware acceleration, advanced and animated subtitle support, smooth seamless playback, 3D output modes, scene preview, bookmarks, OpenCodec, and device support.

    132 PotPlayer alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free Personal
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Windows
    PotPlayer screenshot 1
     
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    3
    PotPlayer vs Windows Media Player Comments
    Guest
    Positive
    0

    Video, audio and image capture from any devices in various format.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    Guest
    Positive
    0

    Built in image, video and audio capture any sources.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    Guest
    Positive
    0

    very customisable, allows the user to search and download subtitles through the program itself, without having to go to the browser to search. It also allows the user to synchronize the subtitles/audio via shortcuts and change the filters over the video.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    • PotPlayer is Free Personal and ProprietaryWindows Media Player is Free and Proprietary
    • PotPlayer is Customizable and MinimalisticWindows Media Player is not according to our users
  11. Winamp icon

    Winamp

     896 likes

    Media player for Windows offering ease of use, skinnable design, advanced audio visualizers, and support for plug-ins, playlists, music library, and various audio formats. Known for extensibility, music visualization, and online community support.

    265 Winamp alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    Media Library
     
  12. Strawberry icon

    Strawberry

     249 likes

    Strawberry is a music player and music collection organizer. It is a fork of Clementine released in 2018 aimed at music collectors and audiophiles. The name is inspired by the band Strawbs. It's written in C++ using the Qt framework.

    245 Strawberry alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application types

    Alerts

    • Warning

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Linux
    • BSD
    • Haiku
    Strawberry screenshot 1
     
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    2
    Strawberry vs Windows Media Player Comments
    zokris
    Positive
    1

    Unlike VLC, Strawberry is not a "file player" but a complete management software for your music collection. Very convenient UI, can rip CDs, gives you the choice of encoders/decoders, ...

    Guest
    Positive
    0

    Strawberry is very good option to play CDs extract them, organize and many more

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    • Strawberry is Free and Open SourceWindows Media Player is Free and Proprietary
    • Strawberry is Customizable and Privacy focusedWindows Media Player is not according to our users
  13. SMPlayer icon

    SMPlayer

     459 likes

    SMPlayer intends to be a complete front-end for MPlayer, from basic features like playing videos, DVDs, and VCDs to more advanced features like support for MPlayer filters and more. SMPlayer remembers the settings of all files you play.

    131 SMPlayer alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • BSD
    • mpv
    • Snapcraft
    • PortableApps.com
    • Haiku
    • MPlayer
    • Flathub
    • Homebrew
    Playing video - Default Skin
     
  14. Audacious icon

    Audacious

     301 likes

    Lightweight open-source audio player for Unix-like platforms focused on high sound quality, extensive codec support, playlist handling, Internet radio, plugins, Winamp-style skins, cue sheets, metadata display, effects, equalizer, and efficient resource usage.

    136 Audacious alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • BSD
    • Haiku
    • Xfce
    Audacious screenshot 1
     
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    1
    Audacious vs Windows Media Player Comments
    Guest
    Negative
    -3

    Windows Media Player is not Light Weight and audacious is light weight and only an Audio player. Win Media Player is Multimedia Player/RIpper with library functions.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    • Audacious is Free and Open SourceWindows Media Player is Free and Proprietary
  15. Media Player Classic icon

    Media Player Classic

     762 likes

    Media Player Classic was designed to look just like Windows Media Player 6.4, but with many additional new features. It has a built in DVD player with real-time zoom, support for AVI subtitles, QuickTime and RealVideo support and built-in...

    134 Media Player Classic alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Alerts

    • Discontinued

    Platforms

    • Windows
    Media Player Classic screenshot 1
     
12 of 222 Windows Media Player alternatives