Freeware: Avisoft Audio Launcher provides the functionality that has been lost from recent versions of the Microsoft Windows Media Player that enabled users to simply specify a folder (directory) containing mp3 or other audio files and to play them.

So wherever you keep your music albums; local computer, USB disk or a network drive you can simply play them without needing to set up libraries or playlists first.

Instead of opening your media player, simply run Avisoft Audio Launcher and browse to the folder/album you want to play, or if you have previously played the album click it in the “recent albums” list. Your preferred media player will automatically be launched with a temporary playlist consisting of all the audio files in the folder.

Avisoft Audio Launcher is quick and simple to use. Just download it and use it straight away, no need to configure anything. Using the software is as simple as browsing to a folder and opening it! However, if you want to know the technicalities of this software then read on:

Media Players:

The first time the program is run it will automatically detect Microsoft Windows Media Player provided it is in the following typical location: C:\Program Files\Windows Media Player\wmplayer.exe If it is located elsewhere you will need to open the options screen and click the ‘Player’ button and navigate to the “exe” of the player.

You can use any media player program provided it can accept a playlist file path/name as a parameter when it is launched. Avisoft Audio Launcher works by creating a temporary playlist file in standard “m3u” file format. The path and file name of the temporary playlist file is then passed as a parameter to your chosen media player when it is launched.

General:

If your audio files are already organized by folder (directory), this utility makes finding and playing those audio files quick and easy without needing to create libraries or playlists. Simply click ‘Open’ and navigate to the folder containing your audio files and open it! This utility automatically creates a playlist for all the audio files in the specified folder and launches the media player passing it the playlist.

Order / Sequence:

The playlist order is the same as the alphabetic order of the files in the audio folder. Most mp3 ripper programs create files with prefix numbers to ensure the order of tracks is preserved. Preserving the order is especially important for audio courses or spoken tracks.

Media files supported:

The utility automatically picks up audio files with the following file extensions by default: mp3, wav, wma, mid. The list can be edited on the options window. Include whatever media files your media player is capable of playing provided it can also understand such files when they are included in an m3u playlist.

Audio File Organization:

Personally I organize my audio files in a tree structure of folders (directories) thus: Genre \ Artist \ Album Name; with one directory per album. For a double album I add sub folders 1 and 2. Using this directory structure makes finding and playing audio simple. If the audio files are stored on an external USB hard drive or a network drive they can be shared with other computers – and there is no need for every media player on every computer to create and maintain its own library or playlists!

Recent:

The most recently launched albums (folders) are listed. Simply click one to launch the audio files within it. The list is originally set to a maximum of 50 albums but this can be changed on the options screen. There is no upper limit.

Auto Close:

This utility automatically closes itself after successfully launching a media player with your playlist; so you have one less button to click.

Options:

Font Size:

Pick a font size that is comfortable for you. The chosen font size will be used on all forms within this utility. The sizes range from 8 through to 16. The largest font size is intended for people with impaired vision.

Window Size:

The main window can be resized to your preferred size, from a fairly compact size to full screen. The size and location of the window is automatically saved between sessions. Use a taller window if you want to show lots of recent albums (folders) in the recent list. Use a wider window if there is not enough room to display the album (folder) paths.

History:

I wrote this little utility for my own use initially but thought other people may find it useful too, so I made it user-friendly and customizable. I have lots of mp3 files on an external USB hard drive organized into directories by Genre < Artist < Album Name. With one directory (folder) per ablum. Sometimes the drive is plugged into a Vista laptop, other times into an XP computer. Other mp3 files are on my local area network.

I found it frustrating trying to use Microsoft Windows Media Player because I could not simply tell it to play the mp3’s in a particular drive/folder. Instead it means creating a library and playlists and manually entering information about each album. The automatic feature to import the mp3 files into a library made a complete mess of the order of the audio tracks mixing up different artists. The only practical way I found of using Windows Media Player was to navigate to the wanted mp3 files using Windows Explorer, select all the files, then right mouse click and select play - which is not very quick or user friendly!

Then I had the idea for this little utility program. Problem solved. I can now quickly and easily play the album of my choice with very few mouse clicks. It only takes two mouse clicks if the album is on the recent album list. One click to launch this utility from the quick taskbar and one click to launch the album! When browsing to a new album, navigation starts from the location of the last album played, so typically the required folder is not many mouse clicks away.

Donations:

If you like this software, why not help me to continue supporting and developing free software. Even a small donation helps. Programmers need to eat and pay bills too.

Pass the word:

The more you publicise and promote Avisoft Audio Launcher the more I will continue to support it and add new features. Feel free to link to it from your website, blog or social network page; preferably with some good comments.

System Requirements:

Avisoft Audio Launcher is designed for Windows Vista but it can also be installed and run on Windows XP provided it has Microsoft Network Framework 3.5 installed. (Vista comes with the Microsoft Network Framework 3.5 pre-installed. XP users can download it free of charge from the Microsoft website.)

Avisoft  Audio Launcher takes very little disk space, typically around 1 Mb. Minimum screen size 800 x 600 pixels.

Avisoft Audio Launcher does not contain any trojans, add-ware, spy-ware, viruses or any other malware. No other software is bundled with it. All the features are fully functional and it does not have a built in expiry date. It can be used free of charge by anyone.