Windows comes with several built-in media player applications that are usually “good enough”. However, for one reason or another, I'm not a fan of either of them. If you're looking for a different media player, one that's more powerful or just not from Microsoft, here are 5 great alternatives for you.
MPC-BE
MPC-BE is a lightweight, minimalist media player available for Windows 10 and Windows 11, and will likely work on older versions of Windows.
The user interface is what really stands out about MPC-BE. MPC-BE is based on the original Media Player Classic project, and much of its user interface is directly inspired by the media player you might expect to see in Windows XP.
Despite the return to a user interface, it doesn't make any practical sacrifices. As long as you have what you need codecit can play any of the latest video file formats without any problem.
I have found that MPC-BE is very lightweight, so it often works on low-power or slightly older computers.
MPC-BE is available on the website Microsoft Store And SourceForge.
PotPlayer
PotPlayer is another lightweight media player available for Windows.
The user interface is fairly standard, but that belies the incredibly flexible program.
Once you click “PotPlayer” in the top left corner, you'll see a drop-down menu nested in at least four layers. You can customize just about anything you want in the program, from cosmetic things like the colors of the titles in your playlist to the tiniest detail of audio playback settings.
If you like to tinker or just want to pretend you want to fine-tune something, PotPlayer is a great option.
One of the features I like most about PotPlayer is its ability to automatically find and display subtitles for the media you play. It's okay if they're already in everything you watch or listen to, but if you need them for your daily media viewing or even sometimes have trouble distinguishing a mumbled line of dialogue, this is a fantastic feature.
PotPlayer is available on its website or Microsoft Store.
MusicBee
MusicBee is a media player designed specifically for local music. If you're like me and you're slow transforming your CD collection so it doesn't get lost over timethis kind of application is invaluable.
At first glance, MusicBee is fairly no-frills. The user interface that greets you is minimalistic and easy to use. However, unlike many modern apps that strive to have a clean user interface, it doesn't sacrifice usability.
The tabs at the top let you browse and manage your music using several different layouts, and you can create new ones to suit your needs by clicking the plus button at the top.
The real advantage of MusicBee is its built-in CD ripper. Whenever I buy an old CD to store on my music drive, I use MusicBee to grab the music and then automatically integrate it into my library. This makes what was once a slightly tedious process completely painless.
MusicBee is available on MusicBee website.
minivan
minivan This is the perfect minimalist media player. In fact, when you first launch it, there are no buttons visible. at all. You don't need to install it – you run it directly from the executable file. It doesn't get more minimalistic than this.
Once you drag a media file, a fairly standard set of tools will appear at the bottom, allowing you to select the time, change audio, video and subtitle settings, and other important media player functions.
MPV is available for Windows, Linux, macOS and OpenBSDamong others. The source code is also available on GitHub, so if you're particularly motivated, you can compile it for another operating system if you really want to.
Screenbox
ScreenBox is another minimalistic media player, although not as severe as MPV. The whole thing is designed to fit perfectly with Windows 11's Fluent design aesthetic, and it does it quite well. If I didn't know it was developed by a third party, it could definitely pass for a native Windows 11 app.
You can add both your video library and music library to the app so that you don't have to manually open the files one by one.
Although this Maybe play both music and videos, I was under the impression that it is a better video player than music player.
Screenbox's settings aren't as granular as some of the other options on this list, but I had no problems running several different types of media with it. If you're looking for something that “just works” and doesn't have options you probably won't use, Screenbox is a good choice.
This available in the Microsoft Store.
Always be careful when downloading applications from the Internet, but I would recommend taking extra care when searching for media players. While researching and testing applications, I came across three separate free media players that were malware.
Try to use apps that have a good number of reviews, are created by reputable developers, or are hosted on reputable websites.
