In November last year, Microsoft announced it’d replace the Groove Music with something called Media Player for Windows 11. The change was first made available for Windows 11 Dev Channel Insiders, but now the company is expanding its availability to include Beta Channel Insiders.
Microsoft made a minor update to its post about the Media Player for Windows 11 on February 3, 2021, stating that the new Media Player app is now rolling out to Windows 11 Beta Channel Insiders. However, it’s worth noting that it’s not a replacement for the existing Films & TV app. In other words, the Films & TV app will still be able to stream content that you purchased through the Microsoft Store.
The new Media Player app, meanwhile, will include a full-featured music library that allows you to quickly browse and play music, as well as create and manage playlists. It also features a dedicated playback view with album art and rich artist imagery, full screen and mini player options, and a graphics equalizer. Further, the Media Player includes full support for browsing, managing, and watching your local video collections.
If you’re an active user of the Groove Music app, you don’t have to worry about this change, as your music collection in the app will automatically be migrated to this new Media Player app. The design of the new app is also consistent with that of Windows 11.
If you’re a Beta Channel insider, you can go to the Microsoft Store and check for updates to get the new Windows 11 Media Player app. It’ll replace the Groove Music app once you install the new one.