If you’re like most people, you probably have a Windows Media Player playlist on your computer. But if you want to move it to a new computer, there are a few things you need to know. First, make sure that Windows Media Player is installed on the new computer. If it isn’t, you can install it by going to the Start screen and typing “wmp” into the search bar. Once Windows Media Player is installed, open it and click on the “Player” icon in the top left corner of the screen. Next, create a new playlist for your new computer by clicking on the “New Playlist” button in the top right corner of the window. In this window, you’ll be able to choose which media player to use for your playlist. You can choose either Microsoft’s Windows Media Player or Apple’s iTunes Radio. Once you’ve chosen a media player, click on the “Create Playlist” button in the top left corner of the window and enter some information about your playlist. For example, you might name your playlist something like “My New Music.” Once you’ve entered all of your information, click on the “Create Playlist” button again and wait until Windows Media Player creates your list automatically. Now that your new media player list is created, go back to your old computer and play one of your favorite music files from that list!
Great music playlists take a long time to curate, and when you change computers, you don’t want your playlists getting left behind (or maybe you just want to share your work with a friend). If you’ve got playlists in Windows Media Player, here’s how to transfer them to a different computer.
RELATED: Create Custom Playlists in Windows Media Player 12
Note: Transferring a playlist does not copy the files associated with it, just the link to where those files are stored. To play a playlist on a different computer, you’ll need to have the same music files stored in the same path.
Because a playlist is an XML file that contains the locations of all the songs in it, exporting one to another computer is easy. You can copy them to an external drive or even zip them up and email them. The trick is knowing where to find them.
Open up Windows Media Player and click on “Playlists” to display all your playlists.
Next, right-click on the playlist you want to transfer and then click the “Open File Location” command.
If you prefer to navigate there in File Explorer, the files are stored in the following location (replacing Your_Username with the name of your user account):
From that folder, you can transfer playlists however you want. Copy and paste (or drag and drop) them to an external drive, zip them up and send them via email, or upload them to cloud storage.
However you get them to the other computer, you’ll then need to copy the files into the same folder (C:\Users\Your_Username\Music Playlists there.
The next time you open Windows Media Player, the playlist will be there with a list of all the song contained in it.
RELATED: How to Create Auto Playlists in Windows Media Player 12
