How do I make Groove Music app play when started

I have Groove Music start when the computer boots but it doesn't start playing music from the playlist until I press the play button. Is there a way to make it do this?

I'm trying to replace Pandora with Groove since I have a lot of ripped music on my hard drive that I would like Groove to start playing when I boot.

I don't have Groove Music but in the version of WinAmp that I use this works:

"C:\Program Files\Winamp\winamp.exe" "C:\Program Files\Winamp\winamp.m3u"

Where .m3u is the playlist that i want to play.

So in Groove Music check if playlists are stored in .zpl format. Try to locate a playlist file if you can.

Maybe look here: groove music

%userprofile%\Music\Playlists\ .zpl

Then something like this should work:

Code:

Run, cmd /c start "explorer.exe shell:C:\Program Files\WindowsApps\Microsoft.ZuneMusic_3.6.25021.0_x64__8wekyb3d8bbwe!Microsoft.ZuneMusic" "C:\path\to\my\playlist\file.zpl",,Hide

Where C:\path\to\my\playlist\file.zpl is the path to the playlist.

Maybe use a batch file in your startup folder.

I can't test it unless I install Groove and I don't really want to install it.

As far as I can see it's not possible to save Groove playlists as a file.

Further- note the UWP apps don't take parameters...

At this point I'd suggest Groove's not the one to use here..

There is this:
Set Now Playing Artist Art in Groove Music as Wallpaper in Windows 10

dalchina said:

At this point I'd suggest Groove's not the one to use here..

I have to agree.

Other suggestion. Install an app that can create a playlist in .m3u8 format.

Then open that playlist on boot using something like:

fmedia - Browse /v0.23.1 at SourceForge.net

If you create an elevated shortcut it will play on boot in the background.

Use:
"Path To \fmedia.exe" fmedia "Path to playlist" --background

Downside: To stop playback requires terminating fmedia via task manager.

I need a player that will handle mp3, m4a and wma at a minimum. Looks like windows Media Player will work. Now to see if it has an autoplay or a cmn line switch.

You can definitely create a shortcut to a WMP playlist and run that to get WMP to start playing straightaway.

Code:

"C:\Users\%UserName%\Music\Wherever\MyPlaylist.wpl"

The shortcut is just to the playlist if WMP is your default music player.
If it is not your default then just precede the shortcut target with "%ProgramFiles(x86)%\Windows Media Player\wmplayer.exe" so the whole thing becomes

Code:

"%ProgramFiles(x86)%\Windows Media Player\wmplayer.exe" "C:\Users\%UserName%\Music\Wherever\MyPlaylist.wpl"

By default, WMP creates playlists in a Playlists subfolder of your Music folder but you can actually store them wherever you want.


Denis

Thanks Denis. That works. One last stumbling block. I need it to randomize the playlist each time it starts, which is every morning.
I can randomize the playlist manually but that becomes a fixed list so I would have to do it each day. If I could get WMP to randomize the playlist when it starts that would be great.
My list has over 3500 songs in it so randomization is key.

Command line options:
Winamp Application Programming Interface - Winamp & Shoutcast Forums

- you can search that for shuffle..

Ztruker said:

I need it to randomize the playlist each time it starts, which is every morning.

This is the batch file I use for precisely the same job.
- It closes WMP before starting.
- It unmutes the computer if it had previously been muted.
- It sets WMP to random.
- It sets WMP to repeat play.
- It sets the volume I have decided upon using an additional utility, NirCmd.
- It re-opens WMP and plays the playlist. It keeps doing this until I force it to stop by closing WMP.
- It resets random, repeat & volume afterwards - when I close WMP to stop it.

The close, re-open, re-close WMP steps are necessary to allow the random & repeat settings to be set & cleared.
- WMP calls it "shuffle" rather than "random"

You will need to set these variables to match where you have stuck everything:-

ProgFilesFolder***
NirCmdFolder
ChosenSongs

You might want to un-remark out the Pause in the last line to help you see it in action.
*** I use the same batch file on both 32 & 64 bit computers and manipulating this variable makes it choose the correct values for them both.

AlarmDaily.bat

Code:

:: Make it easier to see what's going on
prompt $g

:: OS Type identification
:: This allows me to call NirCmd on all computers
If Defined ProgramFiles(x86) Set ProgFilesFolder=%SystemDrive%\Program Files (x86)
If Not Defined ProgramFiles(x86) Set ProgFilesFolder=%SystemDrive%\Program Files
If Defined ProgramFiles(x86) Set NirCmdFolder=C:\Tools\External\NirSoft\NirCmd\x64
If Not Defined ProgramFiles(x86) Set NirCmdFolder=C:\Tools\External\NirSoft\NirCmd\x86

::Unmute volume if muted
:: I might consider returning the original muted setting if I can find out how it can be done but it hardly seems worthwhile since it would only ever have been muted by accident
Call "%NirCmdFolder%\nircmd.exe" mutesysvolume 0

:: Get current volume
Set UseExpresssion=C:\Tools\External\GetAudioVolume\GetAudioVolume.exe
FOR /F %%i IN (' %UseExpresssion% ') Do Set /a AudioVolume=%%I

:: Set volume to 75 percent of 65535
%NirCmdFolder%\nircmd.exe setsysvolume 49151

:: Set WMP to repeat 
:: If WMP is open, close it first for the repeat setting to have any effect
Set TestAppl=wmplayer.exe
tasklist | find /i "%TestAppl%" >nul || GoTo NotRunning
taskkill /im wmplayer.exe
:: Wait so that WMP is fully closed before setting up repeating
:: Changed to 2 secs delay because of a couple of failures to re-start WMP
Timeout /t 2
:NotRunning

:: Turn on WMP repeat and shuffle
Reg Add HKCU\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\MediaPlayer\Preferences /v ModeLoop /t REG_DWORD /d 1 /f
Reg Add HKCU\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\MediaPlayer\Preferences /v ModeShuffle /t REG_DWORD /d 1 /f

:: Set the chosen playlist
Set ChosenSongs="F:\Music\Playlists\AlarmCall.wpl"

:PlayBack
"%ProgFilesFolder%\Windows Media Player\wmplayer.exe" %ChosenSongs%
:: I only gained control over waiting until WMP was closed when I set up the setting of ProgFilesFolder and ChosenSongs
:: I did not bother finding out which of these steps was the significant one

:: Reset volume to original level
:: Set volume to AudioVolume percent of 65535
Set /a AudioVolume=%AudioVolume%*65535/100
%NirCmdFolder%\nircmd.exe setsysvolume %AudioVolume%

:: Turn off WMP repeat and shuuffle
Reg Add HKCU\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\MediaPlayer\Preferences /v ModeLoop /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /f
Reg Add HKCU\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\MediaPlayer\Preferences /v ModeShuffle /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /f

:EndAlarm
::Pause at EndAlarm during testing

I imagine you'll have some questions,
Denis