While many of united states of america share media content in friendly formats that play well with multiple operating systems, you lot may occasionally meet an particular you can't open. Such encounters tin can be super frustrating.

If you're a Mac user, attempting to open up a Windows Media Sound (WMA) or Windows Media Video (WMV) file with QuickTime or another incompatible player will present an mistake bulletin.

Simply yous don't demand to ditch those unfriendly formats but yet. When it comes to playing WMA and WMV files, you take several solid solutions. Let'due south hash out third-party apps, conversion software, and virtualization.

Installing a third-party app that can handle a wide range of formats—including the more obscure types—can save you a lot of frustration. Although multiple options exist, VLC is one of the most functional media players on the market—and information technology's free.

If you prefer another awarding, you're welcome to use that instead. All the same, VLC rarely fails to perform.

Here's how to play a WMA or WMV file on Mac using a third-party app:

  1. Download and install a compatible media player, such every bit VideoLAN'southward VLC.
  2. Control-click the file you desire to play and cull Open With.
  3. Select the appropriate player.
Mac Finder Open With menu with VLC showing

If your preferred role player isn't in the primary list, you can click Other to locate the app on your Mac. To set the awarding as the default for that file type, you can tick the Always Open With box before clicking Open.

If you don't want to install additional software on your Mac, opting for an online converter may be a amend solution. A quick search will reveal multiple worthy candidates. But, for the sake of brevity, we'll cover a single option that can handle both formats: CloudConvert.

Here's how to convert WMA and WMV files to Mac-friendly formats:

  1. Go to the CloudConvert website.
  2. Select the advisable file types. For example, WMA to MP3 or WMV to MP4.
  3. Click Select File and choose From my Figurer.
  4. Locate the file and click Open.
  5. Click Convert.
  6. Click Download when the procedure completes to salve the file to your Mac.
CloudConvert conversion screen with WMA to MP3 selected

If needed, y'all can also upload multiple files to CloudConvert and batch convert them.

Conversion software is handy to have when you regularly encounter incompatible file types. Realistically, however, installing a media role player that can open up most formats will salvage yous a lot of fourth dimension and effort.

You can use Windows Media Player on your Mac if y'all actually want to. However, you lot'll need to install Microsoft'southward entire operating arrangement, which is complicated. Thankfully, virtualization software makes the task simple.

Installing an entire operating organisation to play the occasional song or video may seem overkill. Only if you frequently need to use Windows apps on your Mac, virtualization makes sense. You'd not only exist gaining access to Windows Media Player but besides to everything else the Os has to offering.

If you lot're serious nigh virtualization, specialized software, such equally Parallels Desktop or VMWare Fusion, will aid get the job done. With that said, bottom-known alternatives do exist, so doing a little research to discover virtualization software that best suits your needs is worth the effort.

Alternatively, you could consider installing Windows via Apple's Kick Camp if you own an Intel-based Mac. Unfortunately, the tool doesn't work with Apple silicon models.

Easily Play WMA and WMV Files on a Mac

While macOS won't play Windows Media files without extra assistance, you can open up nigh any obscure item when you take the right tools. All you need to do is choose the solution that works for yous.

Installing a versatile third-party player is the simplest solution for near people. However, some may opt to catechumen files every bit they run into them rather than install boosted software. But if you lot feel a distinct lack of Windows in your life, you tin can always use virtualization software to install the OS on your Mac.