Local Subtitles for WMP 1.6.1

Local Subtitles for WMP is a small plugin that makes the classic Windows Media Player show the subtitle files sitting next to your videos.

Its last release, version 1.6.1, came out in September 2015 and was built for Windows Media Player 12 on Windows 7, 8 and 10.

It can still help on the legacy player, but a modern player with subtitles built in is the easier fix for most people today.

What Local Subtitles for WMP Actually Does

Windows Media Player was built around Microsoft's own SAMI subtitle format (.smi), and almost nobody shares subtitles that way. This plugin adds the formats people actually download - SubRip (.srt), SubStation Alpha, MicroDVD and SubViewer - and it can show more than one subtitle file at the same time.

Give your .srt file the same name as the video and it loads on its own. Other files load through a subtitle button the plugin adds to the player.

It is a plugin, not a DirectShow filter, so it leaves the way Windows decodes video untouched. That is the main difference from DirectVobSub, which draws subtitles in many players but changes the video pipeline to do it.

What Still Applies on Windows 10 and 11

The plugin only works inside the classic player. On Windows 10 that is Windows Media Player 12, and on Windows 11 it is called Windows Media Player Legacy and sits under the optional features.

The new Media Player app from the Microsoft Store is a different program and does not load these plugins. Our Windows Media Player page explains how to tell the two apart.

Version 1.6.1 was rebuilt for the MKV and FLAC support Windows 10 added, so it is the right build for that system. The developer only ever listed Windows 7, 8 and 10, so treat Windows 11 as untested.

The download page offers two installers, WmpSub.msi for the 32-bit player and WmpSub_x64.msi for the 64-bit one. The developer's notes add three rules worth following:

• Open Windows Media Player once and finish its first-run setup before installing.
• Run the installer as administrator.
• Remove or disable DirectVobSub first, because the two clash.

Who Can Still Use It

It suits people who keep a large library in the classic player and just want their .srt files to show up there.

The tell that it is the wrong tool is simple. If your player has a dark, modern window with no classic menu bar, you are in the new Media Player app and this plugin will never appear in it.

What to Use Instead

Every player below reads .srt, .ass and similar files with no plugin, and picks up a subtitle file automatically when it shares the video's name.

• VLC Media Player plays nearly anything with its own built-in codecs. It is the safest single pick.
• MPC-HC is the lightweight choice if you like a plain, classic window.
• MPC-BE is a close cousin of MPC-HC with extra polish and more frequent builds.
• PotPlayer gives you the most subtitle controls, from fonts to timing.

If the subtitles show up but drift out of sync, Subtitle Edit fixes the timing in a few clicks. Subtitle Workshop Classic is a lighter Windows-only option.

If the video itself refuses to play, the Codec Finder tells you what it needs. You will find more players on our media players page.

For editors, timing fixers and converters, browse the full Subtitle Tools category.

Quick questions

Download Local Subtitles for WMP 1.6.1 if you still need it, or tell us what you used it for if you have history with it.