Tired of using Microsoft’s aging media manager?
Windows Media Player is a free app in Windows.
However, you may want something more from a media program.
Hinrik / Creative Commons / Wikimedia Commons
Below are several free programs that could be your perfect Windows Media Player replacement.
Supports video/audio formats without plug-ins.
Cross platform: Windows, Mac, Linux, and Mobile.
Great, responsive community of developers.
Has some difficulty playing DVDs smoothly or at all.
Not made to play or catalog a music library.
Often a victim of hackers.
The number of formats that it supports is impressive.
VLC Media Player is available for Windows, Linux, Mac OS X, and other operating systems.
Steven Mayall
Best Audio-Only Player: Foobar2000
Simple, lightweight interface.
Lots of plug-ins to customize and add advanced functions.
Easy to customize the theme.
Kodi
Default theme looks outdated.
Many plug-ins are outdated or not frequently patched.
Some customizations require advanced computer skills.
If you’re looking for anaudio-only player, take a look at Foobar2000.
It’s regarded as one of the best.
The program has a simplistic look on the surface, but hidden under this interface is a capable player.
Audio format support is excellent, and it can convert between formats using optional plug-ins.
Foobar2000 comes withadvanced music tagging, which uses the Freedb service to add metadata automatically.
The program has abuilt-in CD ripperfor transferring your originals to digital music files.
Manage Enormous Media Libraries: MediaMonkey Free
Free to download and use (with limited features).
Powerful music collection organizer.
Powerful audio format converter.
Syncs with most mobile devices.
May be too complicated for novice users.
Attempts to be PC’s default audio player.
Advanced features aren’t free.
MediaMonkey is a flexible free music manager that is a strong replacement candidate for Windows Media Player.
This program can manage small or large media libraries with more than 100,000 files.
The free version has a robust set of built-in tools for playing and managing audio and video.
Format support is exceptional, too, providing you have the correct codecs installed on your system.
Automatically imports song information, including lyrics.
Can sync with iOS devices with a plug-in.
Only available for Windows and Android.
Not suitable for large music collections.
The interface is user-friendly and, in some ways, it feels similar to Windows Media Player.
The left pane gives you a quick way to choose music,podcasts,audiobooks, and radio.
Another nice feature about the MusicBee GUI is that you could have multiple screens via menu tabs.
It’s almost like using a web web client.
With the Auto-DJ function, it’s possible to discover and create playlists based on your listening preferences.
Overall, MusicBee is an excellent alternative to Microsoft’s WMP.
It has more features and is user-friendly.
MusicBee is available for Windows 10, 8, 7, and Android devices.
Supports most media file formats.
Various add-ons available to stream media.
Cross-platform compatible, including mobile devices.
Lacks the security features of other media players.
No technical support is available.
Interface can feel confusing for beginners.
Has been a victim of hackers in the past.
Anyone with massive music, movie, and photo libraries can benefit from using Kodi.
The open-source software media center is designed to be hooked up to a TV or a large monitor.
However, you’re able to run it about anywhere.
It can be used as a DVR if your PC has a TV card.
Kodi excels when combined with some of the vast collection of compatible add-ons.
These extensions add support for extra services such as games, lyrics, subtitles, and streaming sites.
Kodi is compatible with most virtual private networks that secure devices and prevent hacking.
360-Degree VR Video Player: GOM Player
Very user-friendly interface.
Supports most common media formats.
Capable of playing partially downloaded media files.
Connects to the internet on startup by default.
Lacks some features found in most other media players.
Has difficulty playing DVDs.
GOM Player’s unique claim to fame is its support for 360-degree VR videos.
Other advanced features include screen capture, playback speed control, and video effects.
The player can be customized with skins and advanced filter controls.
There’s also a beta version for macOS.
