Microsoft upgraded Windows Media Player—but you might still prefer one of these apps

While Microsoft has never completely abandoned the classic Windows Media Player, it has not invested much attention in it in recent years. Now, this audio and video tool returns with a new version of Windows 11, and while it doesn't have all the features of its predecessor, it's already a good start.

However, there are still many high-quality alternatives on Windows that may be better for you. In fact, if you need to play music or movies, you will have a wide range of options when choosing software.

Windows Media Player

You can download the new Windows Media Player for Windows 11 by starting the Microsoft Store browser from the Start menu and searching for Media Player in the box at the top. If you don't see it, it might be that the update is not yet available in your region, but there is a way to manually download the app.

After the program is running, you can click

to open the file

to do this, or use the

music library and video library on the left. >Link to browse what Media Player finds on your computer (If you have stored files outside the Windows standard Music and Video folders, click to add folder ) . [Related: How to convert any file to any format] The

Play queue link will display the audio and video files to be played next, while you can create a custom file playlist using the playlist

tab. At least for the time being, Windows 11 Media Player does not integrate any streaming services—all content you play must be stored locally on your computer.

Click on the three dots in the lower right corner and you can call up the audio equalizer or change the playback speed of the content. Finally, select Set

to adjust the color scheme of Media Player, or specify the location of all audio and video files.

Windows Media Player and Windows systems come with

VLC Media Player

VLC Media Player has accumulated a large number of loyal users over the years, which is not difficult to understand. The program is feature-rich, supports a variety of popular audio and video formats, and has a simple interface that allows you to focus on what is being played.

The app comes with a lot of audio and video effects you can use as you like, for example, you can make the movie brighter or enhance the bass of the music. In fact, there are so many features here that it may take you several hours to fully explore them.

However, VLC Media Player is not complicated or difficult to use – it is not. You can simply drag and drop files onto the app to open them, and you will support building playlists, streaming media on your local network, and even loading audio and video streams hosted online.

To learn about the comprehensiveness of VLC Media Player, select the Tool and then select the Preferences. The subsequent dialog allows you to adjust everything from the keyboard shortcuts used to control playback to the appearance of the video subtitles on the screen.

VLC Media Player is available for free to download

iTunes

Apple still hasn't turned its Windows version of iTunes into Apple Music, just like it does on Mac, but there is no big difference between the two. If you are looking for a local media player for Windows 11, iTunes is still one of the best choices, whether you have any Apple device or Apple Music subscription.

iTunes has always been best at music library management. If you have a huge collection of digital music, this app is perfect and few other programs can match when it comes to organizing your albums, artists, and tracks.

Here you can also find support for videos, and you can buy digital content directly from Apple if you prefer. You can also sign up for Apple Music subscriptions for $10 per month, which won't affect your on-premises library, as the program seamlessly integrates tracks on your computer with tracks in the cloud.

Importing audio and video files from a hard drive couldn't be easier, and iTunes will automatically organize files into folders if you like. We also like smart playlist support, so you can queue up to play music based on specific criteria such as the number of plays or last listen time.

Overall, iTunes for Windows is still a fairly complete package even though it is slightly outdated compared to the Mac version.

iTunes is available for free download

MediaMonkey

If you don't like iTunes, but still want an app with a lot of content management capabilities and the ability to play audio and video, MediaMonkey is just what you want.

The app makes it easy to organize music and movies scattered on your hard drive and can import missing metadata from files (such as artist name or song release year) from the internet. MediaMonkey also provides you with direct links to its Wikipedia pages if you want to learn more about the artists you are listening to. The software also supports podcasts and can even stream media to your home compatible devices (such as other computers) on your local Wi-Fi network.

All of these are bonuses to the main feature, which is playing your local audio and video files – and MediaMonkey does a really good job. As you use the software longer and longer, you will notice many clever things, including audio equalizers and sleep timers that you can use to fall asleep with your music.

MediaMonkey is mostly free, but if you upgrade to Gold membership, you get extra features such as automatic file sorting on your hard drive and support for smart playlists that match specific criteria. Paying a one-time fee of $25 will give you all these features and a year of future updates, but if you want to invest fully, you can get a $50 lifetime update.

MediaMonkey is available for free to download. Extra features and updates start at $25

Potplayer

Potplayer is a simple, direct, and pragmatic media player, which is why we love it. The app focuses on the task of displaying your videos and playing your music, and you don't have to browse through a lot of menus and settings first.

When you import or drag and drop music and videos into a program, Potplayer will ask you if you want to add them to the playlist or play them immediately, which is a useful feature. The application supports a variety of popular file formats and rarely crashes, so it is very stable in terms of reliability.

[Related: How to Stream Your Video Collection to Any Device]

If you're looking around, there are some advanced features, including an audio and video effects panel that allows you to adjust brightness, contrast, saturation, color, and audio frequency. You can also find the option to set your own bookmark in your videos, which you may want to use to review your favorite content.

By focusing on core functionality, the software developers behind the program have developed a lightweight and fast tool. The interface of other media players is more impressive and has more utilitarian features, but Potplayer sticks to the basics and does a great job.

Potplayer is available for free download

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