How To Make Windows Media Player Begin Playing Songs At A Predefined Time

Automating Windows Media Player to start playing songs at a specific time can be a useful feature for setting up playlists for events, waking up to your favorite tunes, or scheduling music for work or relaxation. While Windows Media Player itself doesn’t have a built-in scheduler, you can achieve this functionality by combining Windows Task Scheduler with simple scripting. This guide walks you through the process step-by-step, ensuring you can set your media to start playing automatically at your desired time with minimal effort.

What You’ll Need

• A Windows PC with Windows Media Player installed (default on Windows 10 and earlier versions)
• Access to Windows Task Scheduler
• A playlist or song file you want to play
• Basic knowledge of creating simple scripts or commands (optional but helpful)

Step-by-Step

1. Locate the Media Player Executable Path: First, find where Windows Media Player is installed. Usually, it’s located at C:\Program Files\Windows Media Player\wmplayer.exe. You can verify this by right-clicking the shortcut and selecting ‘Open file location’.
2. Create a Shortcut to Play Your Song or Playlist: Right-click on your desktop or in a folder, select New > Shortcut. Enter the command to start playing your song or playlist. For example:

   "C:\Program Files\Windows Media Player\wmplayer.exe" "C:\Path\To\Your\SongOrPlaylist.wpl"

   > Replace the path with the actual location of your media file or playlist. Click Next and give your shortcut a name like “Play Music”.

3. Test Your Shortcut: Double-click the shortcut to ensure it opens Windows Media Player and starts playing your selected media. If it works, proceed to scheduling.
4. Open Windows Task Scheduler: Press Win + R, type taskschd.msc, and press Enter. This opens the Task Scheduler.
5. Create a New Basic Task: In the right panel, click Create Basic Task. Name it something like “Start Music at Scheduled Time” and click Next.
6. Set the Trigger: Choose when you want the music to start—daily, weekly, or one time. Set the specific date and time, then click Next.
7. Choose the Action: Select Start a program and click Next.
8. Configure the Program/Script: Click Browse and select the shortcut you created earlier. Alternatively, directly enter the path to wmplayer.exe and the media file in the Program/script box:

   "C:\Program Files\Windows Media Player\wmplayer.exe" "C:\Path\To\Your\SongOrPlaylist.wpl"

9. Finish and Save: Review the settings, then click Finish. Your task is now scheduled to run at the specified time.
10. Optional: Edit Advanced Settings: If you need the media to start even if you’re not logged in, go back to your task in Task Scheduler, right-click, select Properties, and under the General tab, check Run whether user is logged on or not.

Common Mistakes

• Using incorrect paths for wmplayer.exe or media files—double-check the locations.
• Forgetting to include quotation marks around paths with spaces.
• Scheduling the task without setting it to run with highest privileges if needed.
• Not testing the shortcut manually before scheduling to ensure it plays correctly.
• Not setting the task to run whether the user is logged in or not, which can prevent scheduled playback when logged out.

Tips

• Save your playlist or media file in a dedicated folder for easy access and management.
• Use a batch file (.bat) to run complex commands if needed, then schedule the batch file instead of directly scheduling wmplayer.exe.
• Make sure your PC is on and not in sleep mode at the scheduled time for playback to work.
• If you want to stop playback automatically, create another scheduled task to close Windows Media Player.
• Test your scheduled task multiple times before relying on it for important events.

Troubleshooting

If your scheduled playback does not work as expected, try these steps:

• Check the Task Scheduler history: Open Task Scheduler, locate your task, and review the history logs for errors.
• Verify paths and commands: Ensure the paths to wmplayer.exe and media files are correct and properly quoted.
• Run the task manually: Right-click your task in Task Scheduler and choose Run. Confirm if it plays the media as expected.
• Adjust permissions: Make sure the task runs with appropriate privileges and settings to execute even when you’re logged out.
• Test with a simple command: Create a basic batch script that opens a media file and see if that works when scheduled.
• Update Windows and Media Player: Ensure your system and media player are up to date to avoid compatibility issues.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I schedule multiple songs to play at different times?

Yes, create separate scheduled tasks for each song or playlist, setting different times for each.

Will this work if my computer is asleep?

No, the computer needs to be awake or in a compatible power state (like sleep with wake timers enabled) for scheduled tasks to run.

Can I automate playback with other media players?

Yes, similar steps apply, but you’ll need to use the executable path and commands specific to that media player.

Is there a way to automate playlist creation?

Automation of playlist creation involves scripting or third-party tools; this guide focuses on scheduling playback of existing media.

How can I stop Windows Media Player from closing after playback?

By default, Windows Media Player stays open. If it closes, check your task settings or consider creating a separate task to close it after a certain period.

Is this method safe for automation?

Yes, scheduling media playback with Windows Task Scheduler is safe, but ensure your scripts and paths are correct to avoid errors.

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