Windows Media Player - visualization stops after the first track in the playlist

Josef Danksagmüller 56

When a playlist is played back or when "Play all music", the set visualization stops after the 1st track. If you play the titles individually or switch on with a click of the mouse, the visualization works normally. This is only for mp3 tracks, the visualization works with CD playback.I have 3 PCs running Windows 10 Pro - the same everywhere. I already reported the problem via "Send feedback" - unfortunately no response so far. I am a little surprised that there are no more primitive genes. But apparently not very many have the visualizations in use.

DaisyTian-1203 11,616 Reputation points

2021-01-25T06:40:44.66+00:00

@Josef Danksagmüller
Did you use Windows Media Player in a wpf project cause the problems mentioned? If it is a wpf project, what does your visualization mean? And show me more info about code snippet to reproduce your error.
Josef Danksagmüller 56 Reputation points

2021-01-25T17:57:20.997+00:00

If you select a visualization when playing a playlist or with the command Play all music, then this starts to run normally with the music, but stops when you switch to the next track. This happens with every mp3 playlist, but not when you listen to a CD.
DaisyTian-1203 11,616 Reputation points

2021-01-26T06:28:10.833+00:00

@Josef Danksagmüller
If you use Windows Media Player in a WPF project, could you give me some code snippet to analyze? If it is possible, please give the detailed steps to reproduce error for the project.
Aaron Cruz 6 Reputation points

2021-03-18T04:54:21.253+00:00

I am having that issue.. it

Is it only with WAV files? The Music I want to watch with Visualization is my own compositions... the visual player stops after every track. It is frustrating.
Tim Jarrett 16 Reputation points

2021-07-11T22:59:08.4+00:00

I have been experiencing the same problem for some time now. Although I haven't found a solution, I have, I think, found the cause - it appears that when the first track finishes, Media player doesn't switch the audio feed to the visualisation to the next track, but seems to leave it 'connected' to the previous track still. I know this sounds odd, but you can see this happening if you load the G-Force visualisation, it keeps displaying when the next track begins to play, but there is no audio modulation on the visualisation after the first track ends. Clicking 'previous track' and then 'next track' re-starts the track, this time with the audio modulation visible. No idea if this is fixable, but Microsoft must be able to trace the problem as it must be a result of a recent change or update.
Coolman96 1 Reputation point

2021-09-24T04:33:57.673+00:00

I have had the same issue with the visualizations stopping after single song play instead of continuing
on like it did in the past for quite a while also and figured it was just due to updates after originally have windows 8 originally on my computer and then it updated so many times after it went to windows 10 and
iis so frustrating but figured it was just a glitch and work it self out but still persists. It still puzzles me.
I just purchased a new computer with windows 10 built in and got done putting my music set up and it
wasn't the old computer after all. I love the computer so I will just have to not use the fun visualizations
I used to like about windows media player.

If there is any tips or pointers on how to fix the Windows Media Player Visualizations Single Song Play Issue please let me know on how I could fix it also, Thanks' !
James Morris 1 Reputation point

2021-10-25T16:22:26.403+00:00

This is what I have discovered about Windows Media player Visualizations freezing after song is played in play list. Windows Media player is currently unstable in 20H2 I reverted back to 1909 and it works fine.
mark cray 1 Reputation point

2022-01-01T03:10:57.957+00:00

Hi,
The standard media player visualizations are probably outdated.
If you go to the visualization tab in the media player and select "download visualizations" and from the list select "get" a visualization (there are free trial versions).
I have tested three of the visualizations and they all work. I am not sure how long the trial versions last, but if the trial period ends you may have to spend some money. Goodluck.
B M 1 Reputation point

2022-03-04T23:20:03.97+00:00

Yep still broken
John Oden 1 Reputation point

2022-03-17T00:24:11.077+00:00

Kinda wish Microsoft would look into something that seems easy to fix!
CyCast 0 Reputation points

2023-01-12T14:29:08.0533333+00:00

Find a motherboard where everything CPU, PSU, GPU etc., is accepted by Windows XP Professional. Get a 64x version as it will accommodate much more RAM. Get the best GPU you can to help with rendering the visualizations. A dedicated music/visualizations computer? Sure, why not?
Henry 0 Reputation points

2023-02-12T13:24:26.3466667+00:00

Using Windows Media Player 12.0.19041.2486. It's been a few years since I first noticed this issue with the visualizations in wmp. I'm not a tech person but I wholeheartedly agree with the concerns expressed here. Specifically, with me, it seems to depend on which visualization is being used. The most attractive on my wmp is the Alchemy > random selection. It will only play for maybe 30 minutes. Then, it's like "it has to cool off" for at least 3 hours!

The best performance yet is with the Ribbons > Ribbons selection. I've noticed the visualization's still playing after +/- 3 hours.

Still, from what I understand, they shouldn't be shutting off in the first place. Yes?

Thank you for your input.

13 answers

Chillin Dylan Johnson 6 Reputation points

2021-05-13T02:37:25.517+00:00

Having the same problem myself. Must be a compatibility issue with one of the Windows updates, as it used to work.

I've tried both WMP troubleshooters, as well as uninstalling and reinstalling WMP itself, and even deleting and re-installing all of the Microsoft C++ redistributables, but with no luck. :(

Unfortunate... I love the visualizations. Too bad they won't quit stopping with every song. Skipping a song (either forward or backward) re-sets it temporarily, but then it breaks on the next song. :(
Please sign in to rate this answer.

1 person found this answer helpful.

0 comments No comments
Sign in to comment
vladim1r 21 Reputation points

2021-06-01T19:17:18.603+00:00

I gave up on WMP. Microsoft has essentially ditched the WMP platform for their new Groove player. My suggestion is to uninstall WMP, completely remove it. Get rid of Groove player while you're at it. It's trash.

Now instead use Foobar2000. For even better visualization than WMP, install the "Shpeck" component to allow MilkDrop visualizations.

NOTE: Foobar2000 is highly customizable, which means it will take some time to learn it and get it set up. I highly recommend investing the time to learn it, because it is honestly the best music player ever. I've been using it for a few months now. I will never go back to WMP.

Here is their website:
https://www.foobar2000.org/

Help Wiki:
https://wiki.hydrogenaud.io/index.php?title=Foobar2000:Foobar2000

Forums:
https://hydrogenaud.io/index.php?board=28.0

Shpeck component for MilkDrop visualizations:
https://www.foobar2000.org/components/view/foo_vis_shpeck

Enjoy. I hope this helps anyone!
Please sign in to rate this answer.

1 person found this answer helpful.

0 comments No comments
Sign in to comment
JohnD 6 Reputation points

2021-06-28T09:55:37.113+00:00

I've had the same issue for a long while now. Done a lot of searching on the matter, only to find many people complaining of the same issue but still no resolution, sadly.

Come on Microsoft! With the brain power you have, it surely cant take much to fix this and make a lot of your customers happy!
Please sign in to rate this answer.

1 person found this answer helpful.

0 comments No comments
Sign in to comment
Resu 5 Reputation points

2023-03-26T21:53:38.32+00:00

This is just one of the numerous issues with Windows that remain forever ignored by Microsoft. When it comes to this company you just have to give up and deal with their broken poorly designed code they're either unwilling to fix or even worse, by the time it gets fixed they're already forcing you into upgrading to newer but buggier software.
Please sign in to rate this answer.

1 person found this answer helpful.

0 comments No comments
Sign in to comment
Robo 5 Reputation points

2023-08-04T16:05:42.8233333+00:00

I signed in for the first time to make a post here because i also love the visualization feature and find it really annoying to have a blank screen instead, even when just repeating a single track... microsoft please fix !!!
Please sign in to rate this answer.

1 person found this answer helpful.
Richard N Enright 0 Reputation points

2023-09-02T01:20:54.41+00:00

I believe Microsoft simply doesn't want users to continue using a program that doesn't have any built in advertising capabilities and therefore doesn't produce new revenue
Sign in to comment

Share via

Windows Media Player - visualization stops after the first track in the playlist

13 answers