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App to control my PC's Windows Media Player, including being able to see the library & playlists?

R

RazzMaTazz

Android Expert
For MANY years, I've been using Windows Media Player (WMP) to play & manage the music that is stored on my desktop PC. That desktop PC is wired into my home's whole-house-and-patio sound system. When WMP is running on that PC, I'd like to control WMP from my Android 5.0 Galaxy S5, including being able to see & play the library and playlists via WiFi (on the same LAN).

I've tried WMP-Lite but I couldn't get it to work right. I've tried Unified Remote, but it can't view the library. (It just lets you blindly play/pause, skip, etc.) I could use TeamViewer as a remote desktop, but it's torturous to surf a PC screen from my phone.

I can do this VERY nicely with MediaMonkey for Windows & MediaMonkey Remote for Android. I imagine I could also do it with VLC on my PC & a VLC remote for Android. But I'd really like a solution for Windows Media Player, rather than migrating to (and retraining my wife on) a different PC media player.
 
Thanks svim. I should have mentioned that I tried that one too and I couldn't get it to work. Banamalon's PC-side server is really an intrusive hassle too.
 
Bummer. I was hesitant to even refer to it, it's one thing to install some remote app on a phone but when it also involves installing third-party software on the computer side that does seem to be a bit much. Anyway, I don't think Windows Media Player has any kind of open API so finding some kind of Android remote control does seem challenging.
Have you given any thought to setting up a NAS? Then WMP and your phone can just access it via your local network.
http://www.howtogeek.com/208030/how-to-set-up-a-nas-network-attached-storage-drive/
 
Thanks again svim. There needs to be some kind of remote-control-enabling communication software on the PC side so I don't mind installing a lightweight, unobtrusive server on my PC (like that of MediaMonkey Remote) but the Banamalon server was pretty obtrusive (wanting to build and maintain a duplicate media database all the time)... and it didn't work.

I have a DLNA+SAMBA capable NAS (which is a USB-hard-drive on a DD-WRT router), but that doesn't help my particular use-case here...

My kitchen-PC's audio output is distributed (by wire) to stereo systems throughout my house and patio. (Nice for parties.) We usually use Windows Media Player on my kitchen-PC to play music (in the kitchen). Ideally, I'd like to control that music from my phone from anywhere on the premises via WiFi-- even if I'm playing croquet in the backyard. I can do that perfectly if I play music on my kitchen-PC using MediaMonkey's media player for Windows and MediaMonkey Remote for Android on my phone. I just wish that I could do the same for Windows Media Player. (Otherwise I have to hassle syncing my playlists to MediaMonkey or teach my wife to use MediaMonkey instead of Windows Media Player.)

I would imagine that the Windows Media Player is the most commonly used desktop/laptop media player (because it's been built-into Windows since 1991), so it's a bit surprising that there aren't several good remote-control apps for it on Android. But like you said, I guess WMP is just a difficult app for 3rd party apps to access.
 
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Yeh, can remotely access WMP controls from a Windows phone or an Xbox, but completely proprietary and there's no API for anything that isn't Microsoft. Think it's same thing with trying to remotely control Apple iTunes, you must use Apple.
 
Thanks Chanchan. Unified Remote, doesn't let you view the library or playlists or playlist song-list. It just lets you blindly play/pause, skip, etc.
 
I used to do this with iTunes iPhone and win 10.
I could see the libraries.
I would also like to do this using media player/android/win 10.
Thinking dumping media player and using VLC might be the go.
 
Best remote control app for controlling your PC and Windows Media player from any device is: R-HUB remote support servers. It is compatible with all platforms viz Windows, MAC, Android, iOS etc.
 
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