File Formats Supported by Windows Media Player Versions 6.0 and Later (245608)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Windows Media Player 6.0
  • Microsoft Windows Media Player 7
  • Microsoft Windows Media Player 7.1
  • Microsoft Windows Media Player 6.1
  • Microsoft Windows Media Player 6.2
  • Microsoft Windows Media Player 6.4
  • Microsoft Windows Media Player 9 Series for Windows XP
  • Microsoft Windows Media Player for Windows XP Home Edition
  • Microsoft Windows Media Player for Windows XP Professional
  • Microsoft Windows Media Player 9 Series for Windows 98 Second Edition
  • Microsoft Windows Media Player 9 Series for Windows Millennium Edition
  • Microsoft Windows Media Player 9 Series for Windows 2000
This article was previously published under Q245608

SUMMARY

This article describes the file formats that Microsoft Windows Media Player supports.

MORE INFORMATION

Windows Media Player supports the following file formats:

Windows Media Player 6.0

  • Windows Media formats
    File name extensions: .asf, .asx, .avi, .wav, .wma, .wax, .wm, .wmv, .wvx
  • RealAudio and RealVideo (version 4.0 or earlier)
    File name extensions: .ra, .ram, .rm, .rmm
  • Moving Pictures Experts Group (MPEG)
    File name extensions: .mpg, .mpeg, .m1v, .mp2, .mpa, .mpe

    Note MPEG 2 requires third-party software or hardware decoders.
  • Musical Instrument Digital Interface (MIDI)
    File name extensions: .mid, .rmi
  • Apple QuickTime (version 2.0 or earlier)
    File name extensions: .mov
  • Macintosh AIFF Resource
    File name extensions: .aif, .aifc, .aiff
  • Intel Video File
    File name extensions: .ivf
  • UNIX
    File name extensions: .au, .snd

Windows Media Player 6.1, 6.2, 6.4, 7, 7.1, Windows Media Player for Windows XP, and Windows Media Player 9 Series

  • Windows Media formats
    File name extensions: .asf, .asx, .avi, .wav, .wax, .wma, .wm
  • Audio Visual Interleave
    File name extension: .avi
  • Moving Pictures Experts Group (MPEG)
    File name extensions: m3u, mp2v, .mpg, .mpeg, .m1v, .mp2, .mp3, .m3u, .mpa, .mpe, mpv2

    Note MPEG 2 requires third-party software or hardware decoders.
  • DVD Video
    File name extension: .vob

    Note DVD playback requires third-party software or hardware decoders and is supported only in Windows XP.
  • Musical Instrument Digital Interface (MIDI)
    File name extensions: .mid, midi, .rmi
  • Apple Macintosh AIFF Resource
    File name extensions: .aif, .aifc, .aiff
  • Sun Microsystems and NeXT
    File name extensions: .au, .snd
  • Intel Video File
    File name extensions: .ivf

    Note Intel Video File support requires the Intel Video 5.x codec.
  • Windows Media Player Skins
    File name extensions: .wmz, .wms
  • QuickTime Content
    File name extensions: .avi, .mov, .qt

    Note Windows Media Player can play back older forms of the QuickTime format only. For additional information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

    316992 Windows Media Player Multimedia File Formats

  • Algebraic-Code-Excited Linear Prediction
  • UNIX
    File name extensions: .au, .snd
  • Macromedia Flash
    File name extension: .swf

    Note Playback of Shockwave Flash files requires the Macromedia Flash plug-in.
For more information about these file formats and to test your Windows Media Player client using sample files, visit the following Microsoft Windows Media Player Web page:

http://support.microsoft.com/support/mediaplayer/wmptest/wmptest.asp

For additional information about file formats supported on older versions of Windows Media Player, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

191346 File Formats Supported by Windows Media Player 5.2

Modification Type:MajorLast Reviewed:9/15/2003
Keywords:kbinfo kbsound KB245608
©2003 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.