How to Change the Default Media Player on a Mac

PDF download Download Article
PDF download Download Article

QuickTime Player is the default media player on Mac computers, but what if you want to switch things up and use a different media player? We'll show you how to set a media player software as the default player option for a media format on your Mac.

Steps

PDF download Download Article
  1. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/2\/26\/Change-the-Default-Media-Player-on-a-Mac-Step-2-Version-2.jpg\/v4-460px-Change-the-Default-Media-Player-on-a-Mac-Step-2-Version-2.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/2\/26\/Change-the-Default-Media-Player-on-a-Mac-Step-2-Version-2.jpg\/aid8852296-v4-728px-Change-the-Default-Media-Player-on-a-Mac-Step-2-Version-2.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"<div class=\"mw-parser-output\"><p>License: <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer noopener\" class=\"external text\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Fair_use\">Fair Use<\/a> (screenshot)<br>\n<\/p><\/div>"}
    You can change the default media player for any audio or video file on your Mac. Use your mouse or touchpad to move your cursor on the file, and right-click on it to expand a drop-down menu of options.
  2. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/a\/ac\/Change-the-Default-Media-Player-on-a-Mac-Step-3-Version-2.jpg\/v4-460px-Change-the-Default-Media-Player-on-a-Mac-Step-3-Version-2.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/a\/ac\/Change-the-Default-Media-Player-on-a-Mac-Step-3-Version-2.jpg\/aid8852296-v4-728px-Change-the-Default-Media-Player-on-a-Mac-Step-3-Version-2.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"<div class=\"mw-parser-output\"><p>License: <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer noopener\" class=\"external text\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Fair_use\">Fair Use<\/a> (screenshot)<br>\n<\/p><\/div>"}
    This option should be at the top of the third section on the right-click menu. It will open a new window with the file and format details of this video.
    Advertisement
  3. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/5\/53\/Change-the-Default-Media-Player-on-a-Mac-Step-4-Version-2.jpg\/v4-460px-Change-the-Default-Media-Player-on-a-Mac-Step-4-Version-2.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/5\/53\/Change-the-Default-Media-Player-on-a-Mac-Step-4-Version-2.jpg\/aid8852296-v4-728px-Change-the-Default-Media-Player-on-a-Mac-Step-4-Version-2.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"<div class=\"mw-parser-output\"><p>License: <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer noopener\" class=\"external text\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Fair_use\">Fair Use<\/a> (screenshot)<br>\n<\/p><\/div>"}
    The default media player for this file type will display. If the "Open with" panel is already open, you can skip this step to expand the menu since clicking this arrow will only close the panel if it's open.
  4. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/2\/2e\/Change-the-Default-Media-Player-on-a-Mac-Step-5-Version-2.jpg\/v4-460px-Change-the-Default-Media-Player-on-a-Mac-Step-5-Version-2.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/2\/2e\/Change-the-Default-Media-Player-on-a-Mac-Step-5-Version-2.jpg\/aid8852296-v4-728px-Change-the-Default-Media-Player-on-a-Mac-Step-5-Version-2.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"<div class=\"mw-parser-output\"><p>License: <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer noopener\" class=\"external text\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Fair_use\">Fair Use<\/a> (screenshot)<br>\n<\/p><\/div>"}
    This will prompt a list of apps compatible with your file type to drop-down. [1]
    • Click Other if you don't see your favorite media player displayed in the list.
    • Alternatively, click App Store at the bottom of the menu to see a list of available software for download. It will open the Mac App Store, and list all media players that will play, edit, or convert this file format.
  5. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/a\/a0\/Change-the-Default-Media-Player-on-a-Mac-Step-6-Version-2.jpg\/v4-460px-Change-the-Default-Media-Player-on-a-Mac-Step-6-Version-2.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/a\/a0\/Change-the-Default-Media-Player-on-a-Mac-Step-6-Version-2.jpg\/aid8852296-v4-728px-Change-the-Default-Media-Player-on-a-Mac-Step-6-Version-2.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"<div class=\"mw-parser-output\"><p>License: <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer noopener\" class=\"external text\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Fair_use\">Fair Use<\/a> (screenshot)<br>\n<\/p><\/div>"}
    Click on the media software you want to set as your new default player for this file format.
  6. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/f\/f6\/Change-the-Default-Media-Player-on-a-Mac-Step-7-Version-2.jpg\/v4-460px-Change-the-Default-Media-Player-on-a-Mac-Step-7-Version-2.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/f\/f6\/Change-the-Default-Media-Player-on-a-Mac-Step-7-Version-2.jpg\/aid8852296-v4-728px-Change-the-Default-Media-Player-on-a-Mac-Step-7-Version-2.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"<div class=\"mw-parser-output\"><p>License: <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer noopener\" class=\"external text\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Fair_use\">Fair Use<\/a> (screenshot)<br>\n<\/p><\/div>"}
    This will change your default media player selection for all files with the same file format extension. You will have to confirm your action in a pop-up box by clicking Continue .
    • Changing the default player for an audio or video format will not apply your changes to all file formats. For example, if you change the default video player for MOV files, you will still have to change it for AVI files manually.
    7. Advertisement

Expert Q&A

Ask a Question
200 characters left
Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered.
Submit
      Advertisement

      Tips

      Submit a Tip
      All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published
      Submit
      Thanks for submitting a tip for review!

      You Might Also Like

      How to Force Shut Down or Restart a Frozen Mac
      Can You Change Your Apple ID Without Losing Everything? Learn How to Keep What You Need
      How to Install MacOS on a Virtual Machine Using VirtualBox
      How to
      Automatically Shut Down Your Computer at a Specified Time
      How to
      Tell if Your Mac Is Too Old to Update
      Your Guide to Apple’s True Tone Display Technology & How to Use It
      How to Open Executable Files on Mac: Wine, Parallels, and Boot Camp
      How to
      Create a TXT File on Mac
      How to Change the Scroll Direction on a Mac
      How to
      Turn On a Mac Computer
      4 Ways to Change Screen Resolution on a Mac
      How to Find Your Internal & External IP Address on a Mac
      How to
      Quickly Open the Launchpad on a Mac
      How to
      Invert Scrolling on a Mac
      Advertisement

      References

      1. ↑ https://youtu.be/7s_dldePTUQ?t=42

      About This Article

      Article Summary X

      1. Find an audio or video file on your Mac.
      2. Right-click the file.
      3. Click Get Info .
      4. Click the arrow next to Open with .
      5. Select a media player.
      6. Click Change All .

      Did this summary help you?
      In other languages
      Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 131,708 times.

      Is this article up to date?

      Advertisement