PLAYER COMPATIBILITY

Supported players.

Find your player and the controls it can share with Command Palette. Playback buttons, track details, and artwork depend on the app and what's playing.

The tables cover Windows media (GSMTC). Desktop iTunes and VLC 3 also have optional direct sources.

UsuallyUsually provided by the player.

VariesDepends on settings or content.

Not usuallyUsually not exposed to Windows.

A practical guide from the project documentation. Player versions, settings, browser behavior, and content can change the result.

Music players

Music apps, from everyday favorites to players with community integrations.

Scroll the table for all features

Music players: Windows media integration and usual feature availability.
Player	Windows media	Play / pause	Previous / next	Track info	Artwork	Track length	Shuffle / repeat
Spotify for Windows Notes and setup Availability can still vary by account, device, and current content.	Built in	Usually	Usually	Usually	Usually	Usually	Usually
Apple Music for Windows Notes and setup If the session does not appear, start playback once and check that Windows background/media-key integration is allowed for the app.	Built in	Usually	Usually	Usually	Usually	Varies	Varies
Media Player Notes and setup Previous/next and playlist modes depend on the active queue and content type.	Built in	Usually	Varies	Usually	Varies	Usually	Varies
foobar2000 1.5.1 or later Notes and setup Windows media-control integration was re-enabled by default in foobar2000 1.5.1.	Built in	Usually	Usually	Usually	Usually	Not usually	Not usually
Dopamine Notes and setup Support can vary between major Dopamine versions.	Built in	Usually	Usually	Usually	Usually	Usually	Usually
MediaMonkey Notes and setup App identity is generally available even when richer media properties are not.	Built in	Usually	Usually	Usually	Not usually	Not usually	Not usually
MusicBee Notes and setup Requires the third-party mb_MediaControl plugin.	Plugin	Usually	Usually	Usually	Usually	Varies	Usually
AIMP Notes and setup Requires the third-party Windows 10 Media Control plugin.	Plugin	Usually	Usually	Usually	Usually	Not usually	Not usually
iTunesDirect source available Notes and setup Enable the direct iTunes media source in Media sources to use it without a third-party SMTC plugin.	Plugin	Usually	Usually	Usually	Usually	Not usually	Not usually

Video and media players

Desktop video players and the separate Microsoft Store edition of VLC.

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Video and media players: Windows media integration and usual feature availability.
Player	Windows media	Play / pause	Previous / next	Track info	Artwork	Track length	Shuffle / repeat
Movies & TV Notes and setup Previous/next depends on the active playlist.	Built in	Usually	Varies	Usually	Varies	Usually	Not usually
VLC UWP Notes and setup This is the Microsoft Store/UWP edition, not the classic desktop application.	Built in	Usually	Usually	Usually	Usually	Not usually	Not usually
MPC-HC Notes and setup Feature availability depends on the media and playlist.	Built in	Usually	Usually	Usually	Varies	Not usually	Not usually
MPC-BE Notes and setup Feature availability depends on the media and playlist.	Built in	Usually	Usually	Usually	Varies	Not usually	Not usually
Rise Media Player Notes and setup Some transport actions may be reported as unavailable for particular content.	Built in	Usually	Usually	Usually	Usually	Usually	Varies
VLC desktop 3.xDirect source available Notes and setup Requires the third-party VLC Windows 10 SMTC plugin, which targets VLC 3.0.x.	Plugin	Usually	Usually	Usually	Varies	Not usually	Not usually
Winamp Notes and setup Requires the third-party gen_smtc plugin.	Plugin	Usually	Usually	Usually	Varies	Not usually	Not usually
mpv Notes and setup Requires MPV-SMTC or MPVMediaControl; previous/next and artwork support differ between them.	Plugin	Usually	Varies	Usually	Varies	Not usually	Not usually

Browsers and web players

The browser connects media to Windows; the website provides the controls and track details.

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Browsers and web players: Windows media integration and usual feature availability.
Player	Windows media	Play / pause	Previous / next	Track info	Artwork	Track length	Shuffle / repeat
Microsoft Edge Notes and setup Capabilities come from the active website.	Built in	Usually	Varies	Varies	Varies	Varies	Not usually
Google Chrome Notes and setup Capabilities come from the active website.	Built in	Usually	Varies	Varies	Varies	Varies	Not usually
Other Chromium-based browsers Notes and setup Includes browsers such as Brave, Opera, and Vivaldi; individual builds can differ.	Built in	Usually	Varies	Varies	Varies	Varies	Not usually
Firefox Notes and setup Browser settings and website implementation can affect media-control integration.	Built in	Usually	Varies	Varies	Varies	Varies	Not usually
YouTube and YouTube Music Notes and setup Appears through the browser; controls differ by site mode, queue, and account.	Site-dependent	Usually	Varies	Usually	Usually	Varies	Varies
SoundCloud web player Notes and setup Appears through the browser.	Site-dependent	Usually	Varies	Usually	Usually	Varies	Not usually
Netflix, Disney+, HBO Max, Prime Video, and similar services Notes and setup Appears through the browser or installed web app. Metadata and artwork can vary by service.	Site-dependent	Usually	Not usually	Varies	Varies	Varies	Not usually

Browser support has two parts.

The browser connects media to Windows. The website provides metadata and actions through its Media Session API. Two websites can expose different controls in the same browser, and one site can behave differently across browsers.

The optional browser companions add individual media tabs, exact tab switching, and controls in a browser popup. They are currently in developer preview.

Meet the browser companions

OPTIONAL DIRECT SOURCES

Desktop iTunes and VLC 3.

Enable these sources from Media sources in the Media Controls command menu. Both support playback controls, track details, artwork, track length, shuffle, and repeat without a third-party media-control plugin.

Classic desktop iTunes

Open iTunes, choose Media sources > iTunes > Enable, and start playback or select a track. The source connects to iTunes on this computer and is off by default.

The newer Apple Music app uses Windows media controls.

iTunes setup guide

VLC 3, local or remote

Enable VLC's Web interface and set its HTTP password. In Media sources > VLC media player, configure the server URL and password, then choose Save and enable.

Connect to one VLC 3 player on this PC or another computer on your network.

VLC setup guide

While enabled, direct iTunes and local loopback VLC sources replace duplicate Windows media sessions for those players.

Missing a player or control?

Start playback in the app or browser tab at least once. Some players don't publish a session while idle.
Check the player's settings for media keys, system media controls, background activity, or operating-system integration.
For a website, try the same content in Edge, Chrome, or Firefox. Both browser and website support matter.
Check whether Windows can see the media session. A player without one needs a separate source or a compatible plugin.
Update the player, browser, and extension. For a community plugin, check its supported player version and architecture.

System volume works separately from player compatibility. Volume and mute commands control the default Windows playback device, even when no media session is available.

For a compatibility report, include the player and version, your Windows version, whether playback is native or browser-based, and which controls or metadata are missing.

Report a compatibility issue Media sources setup

Based on the project's player compatibility guide. Community plugins are maintained separately; follow their linked setup and compatibility instructions.