In a new update for Windows 10 users, Groove Music will be replaced by the new Windows Media Player, keeping all your music files and playlists intact.
According to Windows Latest (Opens in a new tab)If you go to the Microsoft Store in Windows 10, you’ll see Groove Music in the Updates section. Once you hit update, the application will be automatically replaced with the newer Windows Media Player.
Although the name ‘Groove’ has been around since 2015, it’s actually been around since 2006 when Windows Vista debuted, like Zune Music to help manage content on your Zune device that was supposed to rival iPods and iPhone from Apple.
However, the application hasn’t had any major updates in recent years, and the name eventually became meaningless to anyone who found the application on their computers, which is why it’s good that Windows Media Player replaces it.
Not only does Windows Media Player play your music — it can play video files, from files captured on your iPhone to any DRM-free files of movies and TV shows you’ve stored on your computer. In this sense, it is now more like the excellent VLC Media Player.
You can also burn your CDs like it’s 2001 again if you want to finally digitize your old music collection.
There are also some good accessibility options (Opens in a new tab) In Media Player, such as keyboard shortcuts so you can play, skip, and pause content that best suits your needs.
Overall, it’s great to see Windows Media Player almost back to its former glory. It’s still baffling why Groove Music has lasted so long, especially with iTunes replacing Apple Music for example.
However, Windows 10 and 11 finally have a dedicated media app that makes sense, both in terms of its features and its name. Now let’s start seeing some visualizers (Opens in a new tab) Make Microsoft’s next comeback.