Visualizations are colors, shapes, and patterns that move to the music in Windows Media Player Now Playing mode. The Player comes with a number of visualizations, and you can download more on this page. All Media Player is a free all-in-one multimedia player that plays most audio and video files as well as various network and streaming protocols. Enjoy playback of all your favorite music and videos without the need to install any extra plugins, codec, or software.
Support for Windows 7 ended on January 14, 2020
We recommend you move to a Windows 10 PC to continue to receive security updates from Microsoft.
Download Windows Media Player
Get Windows Media Player for your version of Windows, or learn how to play Windows Media files on your Mac. Get the details here.
Get help
Find help and how-to information for your version of Windows Media Player. Learn about the features and how to fix problems.
Windows Media Player 12
Play a CD or DVD in Windows Media Player
Burn and rip CDs
Codecs: frequently asked questions
If Windows Media Player stopped working correctly after the latest updates from Windows Update, you can verify that the updates are the problem by using System Restore. To do this:
Select the Start button, and then type system restore.
Select Create a restore point, and then in the System Properties pane, select System Restore.
Follow the prompts to select the restore point just before the round of updates that seemed to trigger the problem. Then run the system restore process. (This takes a while.)
After your system is restored to the earlier configuration, check to see whether Windows Media Player runs correctly again.
Windows Media Player Windows 8
For advanced video features like 4K, you might also want to try Microsoft Movies & TV. To download this for free from Microsoft Store, go to Movies & TV and select Get.
Make it yours
Windows Media Player 12 Free Download
Customize Windows Media Player with easily installed skins, visualizations, and plug-ins for a new look and extra features. Learn more.