Playing a MP3 file in a WinForm application

Question

I am developing a WinForm application. I want to play a MP3 file when the user clicks a button.

The MP3 file is located in the file system of the computer where the application is executed.
I have Googled for a while and I have found information about the System.Media.SoundPlayer class. But I have read that the SoundPlayer class can only be used to play files in .wav format.

What classes can be used to play files in .mp3 format ?

Any help will be greatly appreciated.

Answer 1

The link below, gives a very good tutorial, about playing mp3 files from a windows form with c#:

http://www.daniweb.com/software-development/csharp/threads/292695/playing-mp3-in-c

This link will lead you to a topic, which contains a lot information about how to play an mp3 song, using Windows forms. It also contains a lot of other projects, trying to achieve the same thing:

http://social.msdn.microsoft.com/forums/en-US/csharpgeneral/thread/3dbfb9a3-4e14-41d1-afbb-1790420706fe

For example use this code for .mp3:

WMPLib.WindowsMediaPlayer wplayer = new WMPLib.WindowsMediaPlayer();  wplayer.URL = "My MP3 file.mp3"; wplayer.Controls.Play(); 

Then only put the wplayer.Controls.Play(); in the Button_Click event.

For example use this code for .wav:

System.Media.SoundPlayer player = new System.Media.SoundPlayer();  player.SoundLocation = "Sound.wav"; player.Play(); 

Put the player.Play(); in the Button_Click event, and it will work.

Answer 2

1) The most simple way would be using WMPLib

WMPLib.WindowsMediaPlayer Player;  private void PlayFile(String url) {     Player = new WMPLib.WindowsMediaPlayer();     Player.PlayStateChange += Player_PlayStateChange;     Player.URL = url;     Player.controls.play(); }  private void Player_PlayStateChange(int NewState) {     if ((WMPLib.WMPPlayState)NewState == WMPLib.WMPPlayState.wmppsStopped)     {         //Actions on stop     } } 

2) Alternatively you can use the open source library NAudio. It can play mp3 files using different methods and actually offers much more than just playing a file.

This is as simple as

using NAudio; using NAudio.Wave;  IWavePlayer waveOutDevice = new WaveOut(); AudioFileReader audioFileReader = new AudioFileReader("Hadouken! - Ugly.mp3");  waveOutDevice.Init(audioFileReader); waveOutDevice.Play(); 

Don't forget to dispose after the stop

waveOutDevice.Stop(); audioFileReader.Dispose(); waveOutDevice.Dispose();