How To Use New The Groove Music App In Windows 11

The Groove Music app in Windows 11 has evolved over the years, offering a simple and streamlined experience for users who enjoy managing and playing their music collections. While Microsoft discontinued its Groove Music Pass streaming service in 2017, the app itself remains a useful tool for organizing your local and OneDrive-based music files. This guide will walk you through how to use the new Groove Music app in Windows 11, covering its features, customization options, and how to integrate it with your existing music library.

Introduction to the Groove Music App

Groove Music is a lightweight, user-friendly app built into Windows 11, designed to help you manage and play your music library. While it no longer supports music streaming, Groove Music remains a solid option for playing locally stored files and music uploaded to your OneDrive account.

What the Groove Music App Can Do:

1.Play and manage music stored locally or on OneDrive.

2.Create, edit, and manage playlists.

3.Offer simple and clean music playback controls.

4.Integrate with the Windows 11 Action Center for playback management.

5.Support a wide range of audio file formats, including MP3, WMA, and FLAC.

2. Getting Started with Groove Music

How to Access the Groove Music App:

1.Via Start Menu: You can open Groove Music by searching for it in the Start Menu or typing Groove Music in the search bar.

2.Pin to Taskbar: If you frequently use Groove Music, you can pin it to the taskbar by right-clicking the app icon once it is open and selecting Pin to Taskbar.

Once you open the app, you’ll be greeted with a clean and minimalistic interface, featuring your music library, playlists, and simple playback controls.

Adding Music to Groove Music

The first step in using Groove Music is to add your music collection to the app. You can either add music stored on your local hard drive or music that is synced to OneDrive.

Add Music from Your Computer:

1. Open Groove Music.

2. Click on the Settings gear icon located at the bottom-left corner.

3. Scroll down to the Music on this PC section and select Choose where we look for music.

4. Add the folders where your music is stored by clicking Add a folder.

5. Select the appropriate folder(s) and click Done.

Groove Music will automatically scan these folders for music files and add them to your library.

Add Music from OneDrive:

OneDrive integration allows you to access your music files stored in the cloud directly from Groove Music.

1. Ensure that your music files are uploaded to OneDrive. You can do this by dragging and dropping files into the Music folder within OneDrive.

2. Open Groove Music and sign in with your Microsoft account.

3. The app will automatically sync with your OneDrive account and display any music stored in the Music folder.

With music added to Groove Music, you’re now ready to organize and play your tracks.

3. Navigating the Groove Music Interface

The Groove Music app’s interface is simple and intuitive, making it easy to navigate and find your music.

Main Sections:

1.My Music: This section displays all the music in your collection, including songs, albums, and artists. You can filter the view by choosing between Albums, Artists, or Songs.

2.Playlists: In this section, you can create and manage custom playlists. Playlists can include music from your local collection and OneDrive.

3.Now Playing: The Now Playing section shows the currently playing track and offers playback controls such as pause/play, skip forward/backward, and shuffle.

Playback Controls:

The playback controls in Groove Music are straightforward:

1.Play/Pause: Start or pause the music.

2.Next/Previous Track: Skip to the next or previous song.

3.Shuffle: Play songs in a random order.

4.Repeat: Loop a specific song or album.

5Volume Slider: Adjust the volume.

6.Seek Bar: Jump to a specific part of the song.

You can control playback from the Action Center in Windows 11 as well. To do this, click on the volume or Wi-Fi icon in the taskbar to access quick settings. You’ll see media controls that allow you to play/pause, skip, or adjust the volume directly from the Action Center.

Creating and Managing Playlists

One of Groove Music’s most helpful features is its ability to create and manage playlists, which allow you to organize your favorite tracks and group them into thematic collections.

How to Create a Playlist:

1. Go to the Playlists section from the left-hand navigation menu.

2. Click on New Playlist.

3. Name your playlist and click Save.

4. To add songs, browse your music library, right-click on a song or album, and choose Add to Playlist. Select the playlist you want to add the song to.

Editing Playlists:

1.To rearrange songs in a playlist, simply drag and drop the songs into your preferred order.

2.You can remove songs from a playlist by right-clicking on the song and selecting Remove from Playlist.

3.Rename a playlist by selecting it and clicking the Rename button.

Playlists in Groove Music are a great way to create custom mixes for different occasions, moods, or activities.

Using Groove Music with OneDrive

OneDrive integration in Groove Music allows you to store your music collection in the cloud, freeing up local storage space and enabling you to access your music from any device that supports Groove Music. 

Uploading Music to OneDrive:

To take full advantage of OneDrive integration, upload your music files to OneDrive using these steps:

1. Open File Explorer and navigate to the OneDrive folder.

2. Find the Music folder within OneDrive. If it doesn’t exist, you can create one.

3. Drag and drop the music files from your local computer to the Music folder in OneDrive.   

Once uploaded, your music will be available across all devices where Groove Music is installed and linked to the same Microsoft account.

Accessing OneDrive Music in Groove Music:

After you’ve uploaded your music to OneDrive, it will automatically appear in your Groove Music library. You can play these tracks as you would any other song in the app, and they’ll stream from the cloud without taking up space on your local storage.

Customizing Groove Music Settings

Groove Music allows some level of customization to suit your preferences and provide the best listening experience.

Customizing Playback Settings:

1. Open the Settings menu by clicking the gear icon in the bottom-left corner of the app.

2. In the Playback section, you can enable options like Automatically download album art and metadata, which enhances the visual experience while listening to music.

Equalizer:

Although Groove Music itself does not feature an integrated equalizer, you can use the Sound Settings of your Windows 11 system to adjust the audio output. To access the equalizer:

1. Right-click the speaker icon in the taskbar.

2. Select Sound Settings.

3. Choose your output device (speakers or headphones), and click Device properties.

4. Click on Additional device properties, and go to the Enhancements tab to enable and configure the equalizer.

 Groove Music Alternatives in Windows 11

While Groove Music is a solid app for playing local music files, some users may want more features, like music streaming, advanced equalizers, or enhanced library management. If Groove Music doesn’t meet all your needs, here are a few alternatives you can consider:

1.Spotify: Offers streaming services along with a desktop app, including the ability to play local files.

2.VLC Media Player: A powerful media player that supports a wide variety of formats and has advanced customization options.

3.Windows Media Player: Still available in Windows 11, Windows Media Player remains a reliable choice for managing and playing local music files.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Here are a few common problems you might encounter with Groove Music and how to resolve them:

1.Music Not Appearing in Library: Ensure that the folder containing your music is added to Groove Music’s library by checking Settings > Music on this PC.

2.Playback Issues: If songs are not playing, try restarting the app or updating your audio drivers through Device Manager.

3.Syncing Issues with OneDrive: If music from OneDrive isn’t appearing, ensure you’re signed in with the correct Microsoft account and that your music files are in the Music folder on OneDrive.

Conclusion

The Groove Music app in Windows 11 remains a handy tool for users who want a simple and efficient way to manage and listen to their local and cloud-based music collections. While it no longer supports streaming, its clean interface, integration with OneDrive, and straightforward playlist management make it a solid choice for those who prefer managing their music locally. By following the steps in this guide, you’ll be able to fully enjoy all the features Groove Music has to offer. Whether you’re organizing your library, creating playlists, or listening to music offline, Groove Music provides a seamless experience.