How to Use a Direct Video or Audio URL
A direct URL source in WP Media Player lets you point the player at any publicly accessible video or audio file without uploading it to the WordPress Media Library. Paste the file URL, set a title, pick a preset, and generate the shortcode.
Use an Audio File
From WP Media Player > Media > Add New, select the Audio card in the source picker. The media library opens filtered to audio files — pick an existing one or upload a new MP3, WAV, OGG, AAC, M4A, FLAC, or WMA file.
Once loaded, the media editor shows a Description field below the title — this text appears with the audio player on the frontend. The aspect ratio and video-end options are hidden because they do not apply to audio. Everything else — preset, load strategy, autoplay mode, layers — works the same as for video.
Use a Direct Video URL
In the source picker, choose Paste a media URL. Paste any direct link to an MP4, WebM, or other video file. If the URL matches a YouTube or Vimeo pattern, the source is detected automatically and handled as that provider instead. For a raw file URL, the player loads the file directly from your server or CDN.
The title and thumbnail are not auto-filled for raw URLs — fill in the Video Title manually and upload a Thumbnail if you want a poster image.
Choose a Preset and Save
Pick a Preset for the audio or video. Audio files support all six free skins, each with a dedicated audio layout that shows the poster or album art on the left and the title and description above the controls.
Set the Load Strategy — Visible is the default. For audio podcasts or episodes, Play or Poster often make sense since the listener initiates playback intentionally.
Click Save Changes and copy the shortcode:
[wp-media-player id="123"]
Paste it into any post, page, or widget area.
What to Check
- For audio: the description text appears below the title in the player
- For video: the poster image or thumbnail appears before playback starts
- The correct skin layout renders — audio players use a dedicated audio control bar, not the video control bar
- Playback starts and the file streams from the direct URL without a Media Library dependency
Next Steps
Direct URLs work for files hosted anywhere with a public link. For video files hosted on a CDN or cloud storage provider with API integration, see how to connect Bunny, Mux, Gumlet, or Cloudflare Stream.