Can you put Windows Media Player on Android phone?

What is Windows Media Player?

Windows Media Player is a media player application developed by Microsoft that allows users to play audio, video and view images on Windows PCs. It was first released in 1991 as an audio CD player app called Media Player. Over the years it gained support for additional media formats and extended functionality https://www.top-windows-tutorials.com/windows-media-player-tutorial/.

Some of the key features and capabilities of Windows Media Player include:

• Playback of audio files like MP3, WAV, WMA
• Playback of video files like AVI, MPG, WMV, MOV
• Support for CDs, DVDs, and other optical media
• Media library for organizing songs, albums, artists
• Album art, lyrics and metadata support
• Online media streaming
• Media conversion and syncing capabilities
• Playslists, visualization modes, and skins

Over the years, Windows Media Player has been a built-in component of Windows, providing basic media playback capabilities. While its usage has declined with newer apps and streaming services, it still offers a free and simple option for managing media libraries.

Android Phones and their Default Media Apps

Most Android phones come pre-installed with several media apps such as Google Play Music, YouTube, Google Photos, and the native Android Gallery app. These allow you to play locally stored music and video files as well as stream content from online sources. Some key features offered by the default Android media apps include:

• Google Play Music – Play music stored locally or access millions of songs available to stream through a Google Play Music subscription.
• YouTube – Watch videos and stream content from YouTube’s massive online video library.
• Google Photos – View, edit and organize photos and videos stored on your device.
• Gallery – Navigate and play media files like music, videos and photos stored locally on your Android device.

Compared to Windows Media Player, the native Android media apps have more limited functionality when it comes to playing and managing locally stored media libraries. They lack advanced features like media library management, metadata editing, rip/burn CDs, sync with external devices, skins and visualizations. However, their integration with online streaming sources is more robust.

Challenges of Porting Windows Media Player to Android

Porting Windows Media Player to Android presents several challenges due to the architectural differences between the two platforms. Windows Media Player is designed for the Windows environment and makes use of Windows-specific APIs and code, which are not compatible with Android’s Java-based framework.

Some of the key challenges include:

• Architectural differences between Windows and Android – Windows Media Player is built using Win32 APIs and runs on Windows NT kernel, while Android uses a Linux kernel and its own Java APIs. This requires substantial rewriting of code to work on Android.
• Code incompatibility issues – The codebase of Windows Media Player contains a lot of C/C++ code that is not compatible with Java on Android. This would require porting large amounts of complex code to Java.
• UI and UX differences – The user interface of Windows Media Player is designed for mouse/keyboard interaction on desktop OS, which would need to be reimagined for touchscreens on mobile.
• Hardware optimization – Windows Media Player is optimized for PC hardware like x86 processors and GPUs, which is very different from Android device hardware.
• Media format support – Support for proprietary media formats like WMA would need to be re-implemented on Android.

According to a report on Android migration challenges (https://developer.android.com/about/versions/13/migration), porting desktop apps to mobile platforms can take months to years of effort by large engineering teams. For a complex media app like Windows Media Player, architectural differences pose a formidable obstacle.

Methods to Get Windows Media Player Functionality on Android

Although Windows Media Player is not directly available on Android, there are several methods to get similar media playback functionality on Android devices:

One option is to stream media files from a Windows PC to your Android device using DLNA. By enabling media streaming in Windows Media Player and installing a DLNA client app on your Android, you can access and play files directly from your PC library. Popular DLNA apps include BubbleUPnP and MX Player.

Another good option is using the VLC media player on your Android device. VLC is available for free on Android and can play most common media formats, including Windows Media videos and music. The VLC Android app provides a robust set of playback and library management features similar to Windows Media Player.

You can also sync your media files from your Windows computer to cloud storage services like Google Drive or Dropbox, and then access those files directly from the cloud storage apps on your Android device. This allows you to keep your media library in sync between devices.

Evaluating Third-Party Android Media Players

While Android phones come with built-in media apps, many users prefer to use third-party media players that offer advanced functionality and support a wider range of media formats. Some of the most popular Android media players include:

VLC Media Player

VLC Media Player is one of the most versatile and robust media players available for Android. Key features include:

• Supports a wide variety of video and audio formats including MKV, MP4, AVI, MOV, FLV, etc. (source)
• Can play network streams and 360-degree videos
• Offers advanced controls like aspect-ratio adjustment, audio sync, and equalizer
• Completely free and open source

However, VLC does not natively support playback of Windows Media Audio (WMA) and Windows Media Video (WMV) files.

Kodi

Kodi is an open-source media center app that provides features like:

• Playback of local and networked media
• Support for a wide variety of audio, video, and image formats
• Extensive customization through add-ons and skins
• Availability on multiple platforms like Android, Windows, macOS, Linux, etc.

Kodi has native support for WMA and WMV playback through the ffmpeg audio and video decoder add-ons (source). However, Kodi’s interface and functionality can be complex for casual media playback.

Overall, while most third-party Android media players do not have native support for Windows Media formats, their plugin architectures allow adding this capability through additional software components.

Using Emulators to Run Windows Media Player

One way to get Windows Media Player functionality on an Android device is by using a Windows emulator app. Emulators allow you to run Windows and Windows programs on Android. The most popular Windows emulator for Android is Bluestacks.

Bluestacks creates a virtual Windows computer within your Android operating system. Once installed, you can download Windows Media Player directly from the Microsoft Store and use it just like on a regular Windows PC. Other emulators like NoxPlayer or MEmu also give you access to Windows and Windows Media Player.

However, running intensive programs like Windows Media Player through an emulator has performance and compatibility limitations. The emulator is translating Windows code to work on Android, which can result in lag, glitches, and crashes depending on your device hardware. Complex 3D visualizations and advanced Media Player features may not work properly.

Additionally, the emulator itself takes up a lot of space on your Android phone and requires decent processing power. This can slow down your device and quickly drain battery life. Frequent compatibility issues can also arise after Android or emulator app updates.

While emulators can allow you to run the desktop version of Windows Media Player, the experience is not likely to be as seamless as using a native Android media player optimized specifically for Android devices.

Converting Files to Android-Friendly Formats

One of the biggest challenges in getting Windows Media Player files to work on Android is that Windows Media Player uses file formats like WMA, WMV, and ASF which are not natively supported on Android devices. The most compatible media format on Android is MP3 for audio and MP4 for video. Therefore, to play WMA or other Windows Media files on an Android device, you need to convert the files to MP3 or MP4 first.

There are several tools available to convert Windows Media files to Android-friendly formats:

• Online converters like https://www.freeconvert.com/wma-to-android-audio allow you to upload WMA files and convert them to MP3.
• Apps like Wma To Mp3 Converter can be installed on your Android device to convert files locally.
• Desktop programs like dBpoweramp Music Converter (Windows) or XLD (Mac) can batch convert WMA to MP3.

When converting files, it’s important to use a high-quality encoder to retain as much audio quality as possible. You’ll also want to make sure metadata like ID3 tags, album art, etc. are preserved in the new MP3s. Some conversion tools do this better than others.

The converted MP3s can then be transferred to your Android device via cable or cloud storage, and you’ll be able to play them in any Android music app. This gives you the ability to play your Windows Media library on an Android phone.

Accessing Files Stored on Windows from Android

If you have media files stored on a Windows computer that you want to access from your Android device, there are a couple options to enable this file sharing between operating systems.

One method is to set up shared network folders on your Windows PC that can then be accessed by your Android device. You can create a folder in File Explorer on your Windows computer, right click on it, select “Properties”, go to the “Sharing” tab, and enable network sharing. This will allow you to access it from other devices on your network, including your Android phone.

There are also apps you can install on your Android device that facilitate remote access to your Windows computer. Apps like Airdroid, Aircast, and Pushbullet allow you to access files and folders on a remote Windows machine and transfer files between devices. With these apps you can browse Windows folders, open media files, and even stream videos stored on your Windows PC to your Android device.

For example, this article explores some methods for accessing Windows files from Android: https://phpwebquest.org/how-to-run-windows-apps-on-android/

By setting up network sharing and using remote access apps, you can gain the ability to open and play media files from your Windows computer directly on your Android smartphone or tablet.

Streaming Media from Windows Media Player to Android

One way to get Windows Media Player functionality on an Android device is by streaming media files from a Windows PC running Media Player to the Android device over a local network connection.

To enable streaming, you need to set up media server software on the Windows PC, such as the DLNA media server built into Windows Media Player. This allows the PC to share its media files and playlists so they can be accessed from other devices on the network.[1]

On the Android side, you need a media player app that supports DLNA playback. There are many options available, including apps like BubbleUPnP, 8player, AllCast, Kodi, and more. These apps allow browsing and streaming content from DLNA servers like Windows Media Player.[2]

Another option is using a service like Plex. Plex media server can run on a Windows PC, while the Plex app on Android provides a nice interface for browsing and playing that content.[3]

For TVs and other display devices, Chromecast is a popular solution. You can cast or mirror content from the Android device screen to a TV with Chromecast plugged in. Some apps like Plex allow directly casting their media library too.

With a proper media server setup on Windows and a good DLNA client on Android, you can get much of the Windows Media Player experience on an Android device over local streaming.

Conclusion

After reviewing the various options for getting Windows Media Player functionality on an Android phone, the best approaches depend on your specific needs and setup. For most straightforward media playback on Android, using the built-in players like Google Play Music or VLC is recommended. These provide robust formats support and music management without extra steps. For those with media libraries in Windows Media Player, streaming from a Windows PC to Android over the network may be preferred. This lets you continue accessing your collections while benefiting from Android’s mobility.

However, Windows Media Player remains best suited to the Windows environment it was designed for. It integrates tightly with Windows OS features to organize media libraries, sync with devices, and stream content between PCs. Alternative Android apps can mimic parts of the experience, but lack full parity and native optimization. While users have found workarounds like emulators, file conversion, and third-party apps, a true native port of Windows Media Player to Android does not exist. The app’s development and focus remain squarely on Windows PCs.

In summary, while Android does not have direct access to Windows Media Player, users can still get much of its core media functionality through both mobile-centric apps and connectivity back to Windows devices. But the iconic WMP experience still works best in its native Windows ecosystem.