How to Vary Windows Media Player 12 Playback Speed

Changing the playback speed of a song or video can be useful. For instance, if you are learning to play a musical instrument, using Windows Media Player (WMP) to slow down music without changing the pitch is an effective educational aid. WMP can vary the playback speed visually, too, which can be useful for following educational videos—for example, when slow motion can help you better understand a concept.

The process is easy and typically takes only a few minutes.

How to Speed Up or Slow Down WMP 12 Media

If you are viewing WMP 12 in Library, Skin Mode, etc., switch to the Now Playing mode by clicking the View menu tab and selecting the Now Playing option. If you can't see the menu bar at the top of WMP 12's screen because it has been turned off, then hold the CTRL key and press M to turn it on again.
Alternatively, if you want to use a keyboard shortcut for this task, hold down CTRL and press 3.
Right-click the main part of the screen and choose Enhancements > Play Speed Settings.
On the playback speed pop-up window that appears, use the slider bar to vary the speed that the audio or video is played. A value of 1 is for normal playback speed; a lower or higher figure either slows or speeds up the playback. Also, you can use presets by clicking on the Slow, Normal or Fast links near the top of the pop-up window.

For more granular control, clear the check box next to the Snap Slider to Common Speeds option. This will enable you to fine-tune the speed of the song or video being played back.

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