Groove Music App Is Now Totally Useless! What Other Free PC Based Music Apps Are There For Windows 10? (1 Viewer)

[Tony Bensley]

Today, I just noticed that my mp3 music files will no longer play on the Groove Music app I've been using for the last several years.

I actually did uninstall the above app earlier this afternoon. However, when I entered the Microsoft store to install a standard Windows Media Player app, it simply went ahead and installed Groove Music, which I was fine with until I realized that the app won't play ANY of the song files it is actually searching and finding within the files I have preinstructed for it to look. Yet, these same files play perfectly fine on such apps as VLC Media Player! (Head scratch!)

This is so damn infuriating. All I want is to be able to play my existing music library and this Groove Music app has become a total brick overnight, and won't play ANYTHING AT ALL!

Any ideas? Solutions? I'm only interested in free music apps that will play mp3 files. I'm not looking to stream anything. I just need a media platform that will play my mp3 files like Groove Music did up until and including last night! My PC is set up with Windows 10 with zero capability for Windows 11 upgrade.

CHEERS!

EDIT: OK, so I just had to start the existing Windows Media Player. I'll see how that works, but I really loved my Groove Music setup, and would like to know why this is no longer working for me. From googling, I do understand this software has basically been discontinued, but I'd like to know why it no longer plays mp3 files?

 

[Malcolm R]

Can't be much help, but I have Win10 and Groove and it seems to work OK for me for playing mp3's. I don't use Groove much, I usually just use iTunes.

Have any of your settings changed regarding where Groove looks for music files?

 

[Tony Bensley]

Can't be much help, but I have Win10 and Groove and it seems to work OK for me for playing mp3's. I don't use Groove much, I usually just use iTunes.

Have any of your settings changed regarding where Groove looks for music files?

Looking for music files isn't the issue. It's strictly the fact that for some unknown reason Groove Music won't play my files anymore. These are the exact same music files I've been playing on Groove Music for years and they still work with other software. So damn frustrating!

I do have Windows Media Player as an option, but I've grown to strongly dislike that platform as it tends to bog down pretty severely, whereas Groove Play doesn't. I've even tried resetting but that didn't help, either. Now, any song I try to play on my Groove Play gets stuck in loading mode! These are very basic mp3 files. Nothing with any weird proprietary guards, or anything like that.

 

[Tony Bensley]

Looking for music files isn't the issue. It's strictly the fact that for some unknown reason Groove Music won't play my files anymore. These are the exact same music files I've been playing on Groove Music for years and they still work with other software. So damn frustrating!

I do have Windows Media Player as an option, but I've grown to strongly dislike that platform as it tends to bog down pretty severely, whereas Groove Play doesn't. I've even tried resetting but that didn't help, either. Now, any song I try to play on my Groove Play gets stuck in loading mode! These are very basic mp3 files. Nothing with any weird proprietary guards, or anything like that.

Could this be the issue? Perhaps something in the settings for Groove Music changed so that it will no longer play unprotected music files by default? I'm just trying to make some sense of this.

 

[Malcolm R]

Seems possible if Groove was updated with some new DMR (digital media rights) protections/restrictions.

I found this article that says Groove is being replaced by Media Player during updates on some Win10 systems. Maybe yours has been updated/replaced? If so, it's likely Groove will no longer work and you'll have to use MP.

https://www.techradar.com/news/the-...in-windows-10-as-its-replaced-by-media-player

 

[Tony Bensley]

Seems possible if Groove was updated with some new DMR (digital media rights) protections/restrictions.

I found this article that says Groove is being replaced by Media Player during updates on some Win10 systems. Maybe yours has been updated/replaced? If so, it's likely Groove will no longer work and you'll have to use MP.

https://www.techradar.com/news/the-...in-windows-10-as-its-replaced-by-media-player

UGH, that really sucks! Media Player is so damn inferior and with tinier fonts!! Why does Windows keep pulling this stupid petty crap?

 

[DaveF]

iTunes

 

[Scott Merryfield]

iTunes

I use iTunes for Windows to organize my music, but Apple is phasing out the app. Just this morning, I starting looking at alternatives. Media Monkey gets lots of recommendations. I may give it a try.

 

[Tony Bensley]

I use iTunes for Windows to organize my music, but Apple is phasing out the app. Just this morning, I starting looking at alternatives. Media Monkey gets lots of recommendations. I may give it a try.

I actually did use iTunes for a minute about a decade ago, but I guess it was never quite my cup of tea. Too bad Apple's apparently phasing out the app for those who do love it. What a shame.

CHEERS!

 

[BobO'Link]

Even if Apple wasn't phasing out iTunes it came with baggage you really didn't want or need on a Windows system. By default it would install Bonjour, Quicktime (neither of which are needed on Windows), and phone/iPad integrated support (also not needed as Windows can pull photos/videos out fairly easily). While it is possible to strip these out of the installer it's not that easy unless you really know what you're doing.

For the few times I play music on my computer I just use Media Player or VLC (and VLC is my default A/V player) - just depends on my mood. I looked at Groove Music once and immediately uninstalled it.

 

[Scott Merryfield]

Even if Apple wasn't phasing out iTunes it came with baggage you really didn't want or need on a Windows system. By default it would install Bonjour, Quicktime (neither of which are needed on Windows), and phone/iPad integrated support (also not needed as Windows can pull photos/videos out fairly easily). While it is possible to strip these out of the installer it's not that easy unless you really know what you're doing.

For the few times I play music on my computer I just use Media Player or VLC (and VLC is my default A/V player) - just depends on my mood. I looked at Groove Music once and immediately uninstalled it.

I have kept iTunes as much out of laziness as anything. I installed it many years ago after buying my first ipod - - a 40GB model sold through HP. I rarely sync music to an Apple device anymore (my wife's iPod Nano is our last remaining Apple music device). There is a bug with the app currently where the media library keeps getting reset to the default location on the C: drive. Mine is located on an external drive, so I have to remember to reset it before adding any new music. It's time to find something else.

My primary use of iTunes on Windows now is buying digital films and TV series. Hopefully the Apple TV app for Windows will work for this. I have not installed it yet, as it disables iTunes. Need to replace that first for my personal music library organizer, and I haven't had the time to do this yet.

 

[Sam Posten]

iTunes

 

[DaveF]

I use iTunes for Windows to organize my music, but Apple is phasing out the app. Just this morning, I starting looking at alternatives. Media Monkey gets lots of recommendations. I may give it a try.

It’s not as if Apple is going to show up at your house and force you to uninstall iTunes. It will keep running for a good while after it’s discontinued.

I actually did use iTunes for a minute about a decade ago, but I guess it was never quite my cup of tea. Too bad Apple's apparently phasing out the app for those who do love it. What a shame.

CHEERS!

Well, no one loves iTunes anymore. It’s a really mediocre and bloated app. But it’s a free and solid music playback app.

 

[Scott Merryfield]

It’s not as if Apple is going to show up at your house and force you to uninstall iTunes. It will keep running for a good while after it’s discontinued.

True, but Apple is not fixing bugs in the app, like the one I mentioned above that's been in place for over a year. That bug has screwed me up more than once.

I also ran into an issue on my new Windows 11 PC where iTunes wanted me to confirm my payment method when I was buying a movie. However, the payment update screen was blank. I had an extremely difficult time updating the info.

 

[ManW_TheUncool]

I just checked and didn't have any trouble w/ Groove on my Win10 PC -- it's my go-to for playing ripped music on there. IF something's changed/broken w/ a very recent update, I haven't (allowed my machine to be) updated in over a month.

Don't like using iTunes for music playback even though I do actually use it to rip/organize my (ripped) CDs (mostly because I don't know any meaningfully better program for that so far... especially since I also need to be able to synch to my iPhone anyway). iTunes is just too bloated/clunky/slow for regular playback usage... although it's the only option for (sporadically) streaming video content from my iTunes collection on my PC.

Of course, I've also been streaming from Apple Music more these days instead, so...

_Man_

 

[Tony Bensley]

This shit just gets weirder and weirder.

After updating my Windows 10 OS, I end up reinstalling Groove Music via the Windows Media Player on the Microsoft web page.

Now get this: I successfully play the first song ((Just Like) Starting Over - John Lennon) on the Groove Music list being created. After one other song by Cliff Richard plays, no more songs play, and when I go back to play the same John Lennon track, it's back to the songs won't play on the Groove Music app B.S.

WTF is going on?

 

[Tony Bensley]

I use iTunes for Windows to organize my music, but Apple is phasing out the app. Just this morning, I starting looking at alternatives. Media Monkey gets lots of recommendations. I may give it a try.

I've installed Media Monkey and am using it, right now. It definitely has it's similarities to Windows Media Player, but it's interface seems a bit more user friendly at the moment.

Note: I do like that Media Monkey includes the total number of files being searched, along with the running tally of the number of files found. Groove Music doesn't do the former.

CHEERS!

 

[ManW_TheUncool]

I have kept iTunes as much out of laziness as anything. I installed it many years ago after buying my first ipod - - a 40GB model sold through HP. I rarely sync music to an Apple device anymore (my wife's iPod Nano is our last remaining Apple music device). There is a bug with the app currently where the media library keeps getting reset to the default location on the C: drive. Mine is located on an external drive, so I have to remember to reset it before adding any new music. It's time to find something else.

Hmmm... Haven't seen this bug before, but I also manage my ripped music on a (networked) drive external to my PC.

I don't regularly synch music to my iOS devices, but do once on a blue moon -- in the past, usually whenever I upgrade devices... though the storage transfer process includes that nowadays...

Still, I may eventually need to do another synch (and maybe library reorg) as using their Apple Music service seems to have messed up my phone's synched library... plus I may want to rip some more music at some point for stuff not available thru Apple Music.

My primary use of iTunes on Windows now is buying digital films and TV series. Hopefully the Apple TV app for Windows will work for this. I have not installed it yet, as it disables iTunes. Need to replace that first for my personal music library organizer, and I haven't had the time to do this yet.

Huh? Was not aware they (finally) released an ATV app for Windoze. Had been checking for that once in a while. Musta been fairly recent.

Wonder what's our alternative for synching (ripped) music going forward if they're definitely killing the iTunes program?

_Man_

 

[ManW_TheUncool]

Wonder what's our alternative for synching (ripped) music going forward if they're definitely killing the iTunes program?

Ok, apparently, Apple also has a new Apple Music app plus an Apple Devices app for that... although not quite sure how they work together (or quite how well they replace iTunes)... and at least for now, they're only for Win11, which I haven't upgraded so far (partly because it's a bit of a hassle to make my machine upgradable).

Apple previews a trio of apps that will finally replace iTunes for Windows

The new apps are all roughly analogous to the versions that run on macOS.

arstechnica.com

I'm in no hurry to upgrade though. Would like to see whatever kinks fleshed and ironed out first, but guess I also won't bother to do much of anything w/ iTunes going forward (as that seems pretty pointless now)...

_Man_

 

[Scott Merryfield]

Huh? Was not aware they (finally) released an ATV app for Windoze. Had been checking for that once in a while. Musta been fairly recent.

Wonder what's our alternative for synching (ripped) music going forward if they're definitely killing the iTunes program?

_Man_

It's a fairly recent release, and I think it's only available for Windows 11 so far (I haven't verified this). There is supposed to be an additional app called Apple Devices for synching your local files to Apple devices. Here is an article about the new apps.