VLC
Drop-in replacementFreePlays essentially every file format without extra downloads. The same app you probably already installed on Windows.
Your files: Plays .mp4, .mkv, .avi, .wmv, .mp3, .wma and .flac with nothing to install.
Does Windows Media Player run on Linux?
Verdict: No
No. Windows Media Player is part of Windows and has no Linux version, but VLC plays everything it played and more, and it is free.
Media Player ships with Windows and Microsoft has never released it for anything else. There is no installer to hunt for.
The straightforward replacement is VLC, which you may already have on the Windows machine. It is the same program, made by the same people, and it plays video and music files without you having to think about codecs. Most beginner Linux systems also come with a simple video player already installed, so a double-click on a video usually just works before you add anything.
Your media files transfer without conversion. MP4, MKV, AVI, MP3, FLAC and WMV all play. DVDs play too, though on some systems you have to tick a box in the app store to allow the commercial DVD decoding, and Blu-ray discs remain awkward on Linux in a way they are not on Windows.
The part that does not come across is the library. If you built playlists and ratings inside Media Player, those live in a Windows database and will not import. Export your playlists as .m3u files before you switch and a music app on the other side will read them.
What to use instead of Windows Media Player
mpv
Close matchFreeA plainer, faster player with almost no buttons. Good if you only ever want the video and no interface around it.
Your files: Same broad format support as VLC, with no library or playlist manager.
Rhythmbox
Different way of workingFreeFor the music side rather than video. Organises a music folder into albums and artists and reads .m3u playlists.
Your files: Reads .mp3, .flac, .m4a and .wma files and imports .m3u playlists exported from Media Player.
This doesn't have to stop you
One stubborn program doesn't have to decide the whole question. You can keep Windows on the same PC and restart into it only when you need Windows Media Player. Everything else you do can move.
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