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 formatsFile 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, .mpeNote 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 ResourceFile name extensions: .aif, .aifc, .aiff

  • Intel Video FileFile name extensions: .ivf

  • UNIXFile 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 formatsFile name extensions: .asf, .asx, .avi, .wav, .wax, .wma, .wm

  • Audio Visual InterleaveFile name extension: .avi

  • Moving Pictures Experts Group (MPEG)File name extensions: m3u, mp2v, .mpg, .mpeg, .m1v, .mp2, .mp3, .m3u, .mpa, .mpe, mpv2Note MPEG 2 requires third-party software or hardware decoders.

  • DVD VideoFile name extension: .vobNote 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 ResourceFile name extensions: .aif, .aifc, .aiff

  • Sun Microsystems and NeXTFile name extensions: .au, .snd

  • Intel Video FileFile name extensions: .ivfNote Intel Video File support requires the Intel Video 5.x codec.

  • Windows Media Player SkinsFile name extensions: .wmz, .wms

  • QuickTime ContentFile name extensions: .avi, .mov, .qtNote 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

  • UNIXFile name extensions: .au, .snd

  • Macromedia FlashFile name extension: .swfNote 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://ask.support.microsoft.com/kb/316992For 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 5.2For additional information about how to show file name extensions, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

865219 How to show or hide file name extensions in Windows Explorer

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