VLC media playerLinux
vs
Windows Media Player (wmp)Windows
VLC media player as a Linux alternative to Windows Media Player (wmp)
Updated
Our verdict
VLC is a solid replacement for Windows Media Player for most users. It plays the same core audio and video formats, manages playlists, shows album art, and supports subtitles without extra plugins. The UI is slightly different but functional. Users who need advanced library features or tight Windows integration may prefer the native player, but for everyday playback and basic organization VLC works well on Linux.
- License
- GPL-2.0+
- Price
- Free
- Latest version
- 3.0.23 (January 1, 2026)
- Rating
- —
What works the same
- Plays MP3, AAC, WAV, MP4, AVI, WMV
- Handles playlists and basic library organization
- Shows album art and metadata
- Supports subtitles
- No extra codecs required
What is different
- No built‑in Windows‑specific DRM or protected content support
- Lacks the Windows‑style library view with detailed sorting options
- No integration with Windows Media Center features
- No native support for Windows‑specific playlist file formats like .wpl
- Interface is more minimalistic and may feel unfamiliar to Windows users
Opening your Windows Media Player (wmp) files
VLC can open most media files that WMP plays, including .mp3, .aac, .wav, .mp4, .avi, .wmv, and DVD files. It can read Windows Media Player playlist files (.wpl) if you import them, but it does not export to .wpl. For WMP‑specific libraries or metadata stored in Windows Media Player’s database, VLC will not import those directly; you may need to export the library to a generic format first.
Switching from Windows Media Player (wmp) to VLC media player, step by step
- Install VLC from your distro’s package manager or Flathub (v3.0.23).
- Open Windows Media Player’s library or playlist files and export them to a common format (e.g., M3U).
- Import the exported playlist into VLC via File → Open Playlist.
- Use VLC’s library feature (View → Playlist) to organize media and add album art.
- Adjust subtitle settings in Tools → Preferences if needed.
- If you need Windows‑specific DRM content, you’ll need a separate solution; VLC cannot play protected files.
Key features of VLC media player
- Plays most audio and video formats out of the box
- Supports DVDs, Audio CDs, VCDs and network streams
- Built‑in subtitle support with synchronization
- Media conversion and basic editing
- Streaming server capabilities
- Extensible via plugins and skins
- Command‑line interface for scripting
How to install VLC media player on Linux
flatpak install flathub org.videolan.VLC4 other alternatives to Windows Media Player (wmp)
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