How to play a WMA file on Android

Windows Media Audio music — WMA, WMA Pro and WMA Lossless

WMA is the Windows music format: old collections, CD rips, downloaded albums and voice recorder files often use it. Many Android phones cannot play it. The free XanderFiles app plays WMA in its own audio player — with a playlist, an equalizer and background playback.

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Free · no ads · no sign-up · offline

What is this file

WMA (Windows Media Audio) was made by Microsoft and used by Windows Media Player, early-2000s CD rips and voice recorders. It comes in several versions: standard WMA, WMA Pro (multichannel) and WMA Lossless.

Android has no built-in WMA decoder, so the stock player says the format is not supported. XanderFiles decodes WMA itself, with the built-in FFmpeg library, right on the phone.

How to open it

Install XanderFiles from Google Play. It is free, with no ads and no sign-up.
Tap the .wma file wherever you have it: in Downloads, on a memory card, in Telegram or in an email attachment.
When Android asks which app to use, choose XanderFiles. Or the other way round: open XanderFiles, tap “Open file” and pick the file in Downloads or Google Drive.
The audio player opens and the track starts playing, with the title, artist and cover art from the tags. Music keeps playing in the background, with controls in the notification and on the lock screen.

What you can do

Play WMA, WMA Pro and WMA Lossless
Build a playlist from files or a whole music folder
Equalizer with presets, volume leveling between tracks, sleep timer
Background playback: controls in the notification, on the lock screen and on headphones
Also APE, FLAC, ALAC, DSD, MP3, OGG, OPUS and more

Good to know

WMA files with DRM protection (bought from old online music stores) do not play: only licensed software can play them.
The app does not open WMV video — only WMA audio.

Questions

Why can’t my phone open WMA?

Android has no built-in decoder for this Microsoft format. XanderFiles brings its own decoder — after installing it, choose it in the “Open with” dialog.

Can I listen to WMA with the screen off?

Yes. Music plays in the background, with controls in the notification, on the lock screen and on your headphones.

Is it free?

Yes. No ads, no sign-up, and it works offline.

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Other formats

Get it on Google Play

Free · no ads · no sign-up · offline