Windows Media Player Alternatives

Windows Media Player is described as 'The media player provided pre-installed with all modern Windows versions (7 and higher): Windows Media Player 12 plays more music and video than ever, including Flip Video and unprotected songs from your iTunes library!' and is a very popular Audio Player in the audio & music category. There are more than 100 alternatives to Windows Media Player for a variety of platforms, including Windows, Linux, Mac, BSD and Android. The best 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.

Windows Media Player alternatives are mainly Audio Players but may also be Media Players or Internet Radio Services. Filter by these if you want a narrower list of alternatives or looking for a specific functionality of Windows Media Player.

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Windows Media Player

254

Free • Proprietary
Audio Player
Windows

The media player provided pre-installed with all modern Windows versions (7 and higher): Windows Media Player 12 plays more...

Learn more about Windows Media Player

VLC Media Player
Is this a good alternative?
Yes
No
Free • Open Source
Media Player
Audio Player
Mac
Windows
Linux
Android
iPhone
Android Tablet
BSD
iPad
AppImageHub
Apple Watch
Snapcraft
Google Chrome
Apple TV
Flathub
PortableApps.com
F-Droid
Kindle Fire
Haiku
Homebrew
Chocolatey
277 alternatives to VLC Media Player
VLC is a free and open source cross-platform multimedia player and framework that plays most multimedia files as well as DVDs, Audio CDs, VCDs, and various streaming protocols.
Suggest and vote on features
VLC Media Player Features
1. LightweightVLC Media Player consumes less device resources compared to similar apps.
2. Ad-freeVLC Media Player doesn't contain any form of external advertising.
3. Support for ThemesYou can use themes and templates to change the look and feel of VLC Media Player.
4. Extensible by Plugins/ExtensionsVLC Media Player can be extended with add-ons, plugins and extensions.
5. Chromecast SupportCast your content to a Chromecast connected device with VLC Media Player.
6. No registration requiredYou can use most of the features in VLC Media Player without registration.
7. Support for 4KVLC Media Player supports watching, rendering or exporting 4K content (also know as UHD or Ultra HD).
8. PortableVLC Media Player can be used from a USB stick or similar with no prior installation.
9. File TaggingVLC Media Player can organize and highlight your files with tags and labels.
Video playback
Built-in Media converter
Support for subtitles
Integrated Codecs
Customizable
Cross-Platform
Replay Gain
Playlists management
Playback speed control
Media Streaming
VLC Media Player vs Windows Media Player
Most users think VLC Media Player is a great alternative to Windows Media Player.
all • positive • negative relevance • date
Guest
It's efficient and the music is clear to listen to!
Top positive comment• ago

1

Guest
VLC media player is an excellent alternative to Windows Media Player. Although, its UI isn't appealing, neither is Windows Media Player's.
Top positive comment• ago

-2

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

20

Guest
The library features of WMP is far more intuitive.
Negative comment• ago

4

RasheedAZ
Can actually play most media files and actually fulfil its purpose unlike wmp
Positive comment• ago

5

Guest
VLC can play just about every video and audio file in existence.
Positive comment• ago

-1

Guest
This media player has so many features I don't know where to start. Half of the features I didn't even know existed before I started using it. Everything you will ever need in a media player, and more are packed into this gem. I can't believe its free, its unreal.
Positive comment• ago

-1

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7 of 8 comments
MPC-HC
Is this a good alternative?
Yes
No
Free • Open Source
Media Player
Audio Player
Windows
PortableApps.com
128 alternatives to MPC-HC
Media Player Classic Home Cinema (MPC-HC) is an extremely light-weight, open source media player for Windows®. Media Player Classic Home Cinema supports all common video and audio file formats available for playback.
Suggest and vote on features
MPC-HC Features
1. LightweightMPC-HC consumes less device resources compared to similar apps.
2. Support for ThemesYou can use themes and templates to change the look and feel of MPC-HC.
3. Support for 4KMPC-HC supports watching, rendering or exporting 4K content (also know as UHD or Ultra HD).
4. Works OfflineMPC-HC can be used without the need to connect to the internet.
5. No registration requiredYou can use most of the features in MPC-HC without registration.
6. Privacy focusedMPC-HC is considered a privacy friendly alternative.
7. PortableMPC-HC can be used from a USB stick or similar with no prior installation.
8. Dark ModeMPC-HC supports dark mode for comfortable usage in low light conditions.
9. Ad-freeMPC-HC doesn't contain any form of external advertising.
Stream audio
Webcam recording
MPC-HC vs Windows Media Player
Most users think MPC-HC is a great alternative to Windows Media Player.
foobar2000
Is this a good alternative?
Yes
No
Free • Proprietary
Audio Player
CD Ripper
Audio Converter
Mac
Windows
Android
iPhone
Android Tablet
iPad
172 alternatives to foobar2000
foobar2000 is an advanced multi-platform freeware audio player.
Suggest and vote on features
foobar2000 Features
1. Lightweightfoobar2000 consumes less device resources compared to similar apps.
2. Extensible by Plugins/Extensionsfoobar2000 can be extended with add-ons, plugins and extensions.
3. Dark Modefoobar2000 supports dark mode for comfortable usage in low light conditions.
4. Portablefoobar2000 can be used from a USB stick or similar with no prior installation.
5. Support for ThemesYou can use themes and templates to change the look and feel of foobar2000.
Customizable
Music Library
Replay Gain
Audio processing/resampling
Sorting by folder
Sample packs
Auto Update
Library Organization
Minimalistic
Better tags service
foobar2000 vs Windows Media Player
Most users think foobar2000 is a great alternative to Windows Media Player.
tvgoing1
foobar is not windows media player, it does not play videos
Negative comment• ago

1

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

0

Guest
Difficult to use, I couldn't work out how to rip CDs with it.
Negative comment• ago

0
MPV
Is this a good alternative?
Yes
No
Free • Open Source
Media Player
Audio Player
Mac
Windows
Linux
Android
BSD
Xfce
89 alternatives to MPV
MPV is an audio and movie player based on MPlayer and mplayer2. It supports a wide variety of video file formats, audio and video codecs, and subtitle types.
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MPV Features
1. LightweightMPV consumes less device resources compared to similar apps.
2. Extensible by Plugins/ExtensionsMPV can be extended with add-ons, plugins and extensions.
3. Command line interfaceMPV either have CLI support or is a CLI-only app.
4. Ad-freeMPV doesn't contain any form of external advertising.
Minimalistic
Integrated Codecs
Low resource footprint
FOSS
Drag and Drop
GNU/linux-libre
Lua scripting
HDR source support
Configurable
Video playback
MPV vs Windows Media Player
Most users think MPV is a great alternative to Windows Media Player.
Guest
MPV is an open source and professional project
Positive comment• ago

5
AIMP
Is this a good alternative?
Yes
No
Free • Proprietary
Audio Player
Media Player
Internet Radio Service
Windows
Android
PortableApps.com
288 alternatives to AIMP
AIMP is powerful free audio player for Windows OS that supports for local files, NAS, clouds, and podcasts. Additionally, it includes powerful tools to operate with audio files.
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AIMP Features
1. LightweightAIMP consumes less device resources compared to similar apps.
2. Support for ThemesYou can use themes and templates to change the look and feel of AIMP.
3. PortableAIMP can be used from a USB stick or similar with no prior installation.
4. Dark ModeAIMP supports dark mode for comfortable usage in low light conditions.
5. Extensible by Plugins/ExtensionsAIMP can be extended with add-ons, plugins and extensions.
6. Collaborative PlaylistsMake any playlist collaborative to let your friends add, remove, and reorder videos and tracks.
7. Batch EditingAIMP allows you to select multiple items (tasks, files, images etc) and edit their properties all at once.
8. Support for VST PluginsAIMP support third-party Virtual Studio Technology (VST) plugins.
Music Library
Playlists management
Skins
Crossfading
Hi-Fi Sound
Remembers position in file
Android Sync
Full keyboard shortcuts
Playback speed control
Customizable
AIMP vs Windows Media Player
Most users think AIMP is a great alternative to Windows Media Player.
Strawberry
Is this a good alternative?
Yes
No
Free • Open Source
Audio Player
Audio Converter
Mac
Windows
Linux
BSD
Haiku
221 alternatives to Strawberry
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.
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Strawberry Features
1. LightweightStrawberry consumes less device resources compared to similar apps.
2. Lossless AudioStrawberry has lossless audio support, basically studio quality sound.
3. Privacy focusedStrawberry is considered a privacy friendly alternative.
4. Works OfflineStrawberry can be used without the need to connect to the internet.
5. Goal Setting Strawberry can set individual or group goals to meet over a particular period.
Music Library
Music collection
Customizable
Automatic Lyrics Finder
Auto fetch album covers
Playlists management
Gapless Playback
Integrated Last.fm scrobbler
Automatic album art download
ListenBrainz scrobbling
Strawberry vs Windows Media Player
pros, cons and recent comments
zokris
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, ...
Positive comment• ago

1
PotPlayer
Is this a good alternative?
Yes
No
Free • Proprietary
Media Player
Audio Player
Windows
115 alternatives to PotPlayer
Potplayer is a minimalist media player that has an extensive range of configurable options to choose from and lots of functionality.
Suggest and vote on features
PotPlayer Features
1. LightweightPotPlayer consumes less device resources compared to similar apps.
2. Ad-freePotPlayer doesn't contain any form of external advertising.
3. Dark ModePotPlayer supports dark mode for comfortable usage in low light conditions.
4. PortablePotPlayer can be used from a USB stick or similar with no prior installation.
5. Support for 4KPotPlayer supports watching, rendering or exporting 4K content (also know as UHD or Ultra HD).
Customizable
Support for Keyboard Shortcuts
Graphical User Interface
Support for subtitles
Skinnable
Playback speed control
Integrated Codecs
Minimalistic
Thumbnail preview
Video playback
Bundleware
Several antivirus detect a potentially unwanted application (adware) PUA.FusionCore in the file F.dll dropped by the installer of PotPlayer in the Temp folder. Once that file is blocked by the antivirus, the program is installed with no problems and ads.

PotPlayer vs Windows Media Player
Most users think PotPlayer is a great alternative to Windows Media Player.
Guest
Built in image, video and audio capture any sources.
Positive comment• ago

0

Guest
Video, audio and image capture from any devices in various format.
Positive comment• ago

0

Guest
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.
Positive comment• ago

0
Clementine
Is this a good alternative?
Yes
No
Free • Open Source
Audio Player
Internet Radio Service
Podcast Player
Mac
Windows
Linux
BSD
234 alternatives to Clementine
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...
Suggest and vote on features
Clementine Features
1. LightweightClementine consumes less device resources compared to similar apps.
2. Lossless AudioClementine has lossless audio support, basically studio quality sound.
Smart playlists
Dynamic/Intelligent Playlists
Integrated Last.fm scrobbler
Playlists management
Ratings
Podcast Subscription
Audio Visualization
Music Library
Moodbar
Built-in Tag editor
Discontinued
No stable release since 2016. Newer release candidate seems to be available on Github.

Clementine vs Windows Media Player
Most users think Clementine is a great alternative to Windows Media Player.
154pinkchairs
one of the greatest FOSS players, but tbh I prefer quodLibet since it's more lightweight
Positive comment• ago

0
SMPlayer
Is this a good alternative?
Yes
No
Free • Open Source
Media Player
Audio Player
Windows
Linux
BSD
mpv
PortableApps.com
Haiku
MPlayer
Mac
113 alternatives to SMPlayer
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.
Suggest and vote on features
SMPlayer Features
1. LightweightSMPlayer consumes less device resources compared to similar apps.
2. Ad-freeSMPlayer doesn't contain any form of external advertising.
3. Works OfflineSMPlayer can be used without the need to connect to the internet.
4. PortableSMPlayer can be used from a USB stick or similar with no prior installation.
5. Chromecast SupportCast your content to a Chromecast connected device with SMPlayer.
Customizable
Support for subtitles
Multiplatform
Skin customization
Youtube support
Integrated Codecs
Multiple languages
Built-in subtitle search
Support for Keyboard Shortcuts
HDR source support
Audacious
Is this a good alternative?
Yes
No
Free • Open Source
Audio Player
Windows
Linux
BSD
Haiku
Xfce
121 alternatives to Audacious
Audacious is an advanced audio player. It is free, lightweight, based on GTK+, runs on Linux and many other *nix platforms and is focused on audio quality and supporting a wide range of audio codecs. There is also support for several visual styles from Winamp.
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Audacious Features
1. LightweightAudacious consumes less device resources compared to similar apps.
2. Extensible by Plugins/ExtensionsAudacious can be extended with add-ons, plugins and extensions.
3. PortableAudacious can be used from a USB stick or similar with no prior installation.
Windows Compatible
Create Playlist
Music Library
3D visualization
Supports audio media keys
Queued Operations
Playlists management
Global hotkey
Dynamic Range Compressor
Skinnable
Audacious vs Windows Media Player
pros, cons and recent comments
Guest
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.
Negative comment• ago

-4