How to Hide a Music Player & Still Have the Music Play

Listening to your favorite tracks with the music player hidden is simple.

Having your music player visible all the time can make your desktop feel cluttered, especially when you've got a good playlist going and just want to listen to the music without seeing the music player. Thankfully, hiding, or minimizing your music player is easy and your music will still play just the same. You can hide your music player and still have the music play whether you are using Windows Media Player or iTunes.

Instructions

Windows Media Player

1. Open Windows Media Player on your computer---usually located as a shortcut on the desktop, taskbar or in the Start menu. Select the playlist you want to listen to, then click 'Play' to start listening to the tracks.

2. Click on the furthest left button in the upper right corner, which has a '---' like symbol on it. If unsure, hover your mouse over the buttons until one comes up which says 'Minimize' then click on that button. This will send the music player to the taskbar. Alternatively, you can right-click on top of the program window of the music player and select 'Minimize' from the options that pop up.

3. Click on the 'Windows Media Player' icon that is now on the taskbar to maximize the program again.

iTunes

1. Open your iTunes music player, select the 'Music' tab and double click on the tracks or playlists you want to listen to---this will start the music playing.

2. Right-click on the top of the iTunes program window and select the option that says 'Minimize' from the menu that pops up. This sends your music player to the taskbar of the desktop. Alternatively click on the 'View' menu option on the top of the program window and select 'Switch To Mini Player' or simply hold down the 'Control' button and press 'M' to switch to mini player mode from the keyboard. You can also click on the 'Minimize' button in the top right hand corner for iTunes for Windows, or the top left hand corner for iTunes for Mac.

3. Click on the 'iTunes' icon on the taskbar to maximize the program again.

References

• Microsoft: Use Mini Player Mode
• Apple: iTunes Keyboard Shortcuts