Editing Windows Media Player (section)

{{short description|Media player and media library application by Microsoft}}
{{about|the original version used prior to Windows 11|its successor|Windows Media Player (2022)}}
{{redirect|WMP}}
{{distinguish|Windows Media Center}}
{{Infobox software
| title = Windows Media Player Legacy
| logo = Windows Media Player 12 Logo.png
| logo_size = 64px
| screenshot = File:Windows Media Player 12, under Windows 11.png
| screenshot_size = 300px
| caption = Windows Media Player 12 running on [[Windows 11]], version 24H2
| developer = [[Microsoft]]
| replaces = [[ActiveMovie|ActiveMovie Control]], [[CD Player (Windows)|CD Player]], [[DVD Player (Windows)|DVD Player]], [[NetShow]]
| replaced_by = [[Groove Music]], [[Microsoft Movies & TV]], [[Windows Media Player (2022)]]
| included with = {{Plainlist|
* [[Windows 3.0#Windows 3.0 with Multimedia Extensions|Windows 3.0 MM]] and [[Windows 3.1]]
* [[Windows 9x]]
* [[Windows 2000]], [[Windows ME]], [[Windows XP]], [[Windows Vista]], [[Windows 7]], [[Windows 8]], [[Windows 8.1]], [[Windows 10]], [[Windows 11]]{{efn|Except for "N" and "KN" editions of Windows, as well as [[Windows RT]]}}
* [[Windows CE]] and [[Windows Mobile]]
* [[Mac OS 8]] and [[Mac OS 9|9]]
}}
| operating system = {{hlist|[[Windows NT 4.0]]|[[System 7|Mac OS 7]]|[[macOS|Mac OS X]]|[[Solaris (operating system)|Solaris]]}}
| genre = [[Media player (application software)|Media player]]
}}

'''Windows Media Player''' ('''WMP''', officially referred to as '''Windows Media Player Legacy''' to [[retronym|distinguish]] it from [[Windows Media Player (2022)|the new Windows Media Player]] introduced with [[Windows 11]]) is the first [[media player (application software)|media player]] and media library application that [[Microsoft]] developed to play [[sound reproduction|audio]] and video on personal computers. It has been a component of the [[Microsoft Windows]] [[operating system]], including [[Windows 9x]], [[Windows NT]], [[Pocket PC]], and [[Windows Mobile]]. Microsoft also released editions of Windows Media Player for [[classic Mac OS]], {{nowrap|[[macOS|Mac OS X]]}}, and [[Solaris (operating system)|Solaris]], but has since discontinued them.

In addition to being a media player, the app can [[Ripping|rip]] audio file from [[compact disc]]s, burn [[Red Book (audio CD standard)|Audio CDs]] or [[MP3 CD]]s, synchronize content with a [[digital audio player]] or mobile devices, and stream media over the local network. Originally, it could connect to a number of [[digital music store]]s, allowing its users to purchase digital music. The default file formats are [[Windows Media Video]] (WMV), [[Windows Media Audio]] (WMA), and [[Advanced Systems Format]] (ASF), and its own [[XML]] based playlist format called Windows Playlist (WPL). The player is also able to utilize a [[digital rights management]] service in the form of [[Windows Media DRM]].

Windows Media Player is a unique component, in that since 1999, each version of Windows came with two or more versions of it side-by-side. For example, Media Player versions 5.1, 6.4, and 8 were all included in [[Windows XP]]. Each versions of Windows may bundle several other media playback apps, namely [[ActiveMovie|ActiveMovie Control]], [[CD Player (Windows)|CD Player]], [[DVD Player (Windows)|DVD Player]], [[Windows Media Center]], and [[Microsoft Movies & TV]].<!--Groove Music is mentioned separately below because it evolved into the next version of  Media Player.-->

Windows Media Player 11 is the last out-of-band version of Media Player. It was made available for [[Windows XP]] and is included in [[Windows Vista]] and [[Windows Server 2008]]. Version 12 was released in 2009 along with [[Windows 7]]{{efn|[[Windows 7 editions#Special-purpose editions|N and KN versions]] of Windows 7 do not include Windows Media Player by default.<ref>{{Cite web|date=October 22, 2020|title=Microsoft Documentation Page|url=https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/troubleshoot/windows-client/shell-experience/windows-media-feature-pack-for-windows-7|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210209021156/https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/troubleshoot/windows-client/shell-experience/windows-media-feature-pack-for-windows-7|archive-date=February 9, 2021|website=Microsoft Docs}}</ref>}} and has not been made available for previous versions of Windows nor has it been updated ever since.<ref>{{cite web|last=LeBlanc|first=Brandon|title=Windows 7 Has Been Released to Manufacturing|url=https://blogs.windows.com/bloggingwindows/2009/07/22/windows-7-has-been-released-to-manufacturing/|website=Blogging Windows|publisher=[[Microsoft]]|date=July 22, 2009|access-date=December 21, 2020|archive-date=September 26, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150926033346/http://blogs.windows.com/bloggingwindows/2009/07/22/windows-7-has-been-released-to-manufacturing/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windows-7/features/windows-media-player-12.aspx |title=Windows Media Player 12 - Windows 7 features |work=Windows |publisher=[[Microsoft]] |access-date=June 15, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090922201144/http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windows-7/features/windows-media-player-12.aspx |archive-date=September 22, 2009 }}</ref> [[Windows 8]] bundled Windows Media Player 12 along two other media player apps, namely [[Xbox Video]] and [[Xbox Music]]. The latter was renamed [[Groove Music]] in [[Windows 10]], and then finally [[Windows Media Player (2022)|Media Player]] in [[Windows 11]]<ref name="msstore-wmp" /> which has also been backported to Windows 10.<ref name="neowin-wmp" />