Recipe 11.2. Creating a Playlist

Problem

You want to create a playlist in Windows Media Player so that you can listen to a set of songs.

Solution

Using a graphical user interface

1. Click the Library button at the top of the screen so that you are in your library area.

2. Tell Windows Media Player to display the Playlist pane by choosing View Now Playing Options Show Playlist. On the right side of the screen a pane will appear, with Now Playing List at the top.

3. Choose Now Playing List New List Playlist.

4. 
   

5. Select New Playlist Save Playlist As, name it and click Save.

6. To play a different playlist, scroll to the My Playlists area of the Contents pane on the far right side of Windows Media Player, and double-click the list you want to play. Its contents will appear in the library area and in the Playlist pane, and the list will begin playing.

Discussion

Playlists are at the core of using Windows Media Player. In addition to using them to create songs that play automatically, one after another, you create playlists when you want to burn CDs.

By default, when you save a playlist, it is saved with a .wpl extension in the My Playlists folder, which is usually located in the My Music folder. You can also save playlists with the other extensions: .m3u, .asx, .wax, or .wvx. And you can save them in any folder that you like.

See Also

You can create a playlist in Windows Media Player, and then use that playlist to play in the background during a Microsoft PowerPoint presentation. For details, see http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;555066.