Where Does Windows Media Player Store Its Library?
Where Windows Media Player keeps its library databases, ratings and settings on Windows for backup.
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Windows Media Player centers on a set of database files under LocalAppData: track metadata, ratings, play counts and playlist contents in WMDB files. Settings live beside them in the same parent folder.
Monitored folders only point at music; the database is the library. Copy the whole parent with the player closed for migration. Corrupt libraries rebuild from files, but database only ratings need the backup.
Where Windows Media Player stores this, by platform
%LOCALAPPDATA%\Microsoft\Media Player
Library databases plus settings in one LocalAppData folder. Database only ratings die with these files, tag ratings survive. Close the player before copying.
Frequently asked questions
How do I back up my Media Player library?
Close the player and copy the whole Media Player folder elsewhere. Databases, ratings and playlists travel together. Restoring means dropping it back before launch, then letting the player recheck monitored folders.
My library is corrupt. How do I rebuild it?
Delete the database files inside the Media Player folder while the player is closed, then relaunch and re-add folders. Ratings stored in file tags survive, database only ratings do not. Keep a copy before wiping.
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