Windows comes with its very own media player, the Windows Media Player (WMP). WMP is used by a lot of us Windows users because it is right there, no extra installation is required, and setting up the player is quite easy. But as we proceed to use Windows we discover a lot of better freeware alternatives to Windows’ built-in programs (for example the native Paint can be replaced by a popular program known as PAINT.NET which offers us photo editing in addition to simple drawing). The same is the case when it comes to media players. WMP can be easily replaced by a number of other media players which are freeware and play a wider range of media formats without requiring the additional installation of any codecs.
One of the most popular WMP alternatives is Winamp. Winamp provides its users with the ability to play many media formats. Its simple look and design make working on Winamp a real treat for the Windows user.
Another great feature about Winamp is that it supports external plugins. If a developer finds that the functionality of Winamp lacks in certain areas and can be improved, he/she can develop a plugin to resolve the issue.
Taking advantage of the plugin functionality, BM-Productions have launched a plugin which helps us import the Windows Media Player library into Winamp, including all metadata that is only stored in the library, such as ratings and play counts. Winamp already has built-in functionality for importing the iTunes library, but provides nothing similar for WMP. The purpose of this plug-in is to fill that gap.
The plugin is appropriately titled Windows Media Player Import for Winamp. Being only about 150KB in size, the plugin can be downloaded and installed instantly. Its requirements are Windows 2000 or higher, Winamp 5 or higher, and Windows Media Player 9 or higher.
After installing the plugin, we enter the FILE menu in Winamp and choose the IMPORT FROM WINDOWS MEDIA PLAYER option:
In the resultant window we choose the type of information we want imported:
After choosing our options, we simply click the IMPORT button and the process begins.
With the introduction of this plugin, Winamp users have been further facilitated whereas WMP users have found another reason to migrate over to Winamp.
