Microsoft Terminates Windows Media Player CD Metadata Service

Microsoft has permanently discontinued the CD metadata service in Windows Media Player, ending decades of automatic album and track information retrieval. Confirmed through testing across Windows 10 and 11 systems, the musicmatch-ssl.xboxlive.com servers ceased functioning before December 2025, leaving physical media inserted into optical drives unrecognized.

Compliance Requirements

1. Manual Metadata Entry: Users must now manually input track titles, artist names, album art, and other metadata - a process unchanged since the 1990s
2. Third-Party Alternatives: Microsoft's support channels recommend adopting external applications for metadata retrieval
3. Legacy System Adaptation: Organizations using Windows Media Player for media cataloging must update internal documentation and workflows

Implementation Timeline

• December 2025: Metadata servers taken offline without public announcement
• January 2026: Full discontinuation confirmed through user reports and Microsoft support channels
• Ongoing: No restoration planned, requiring permanent workflow changes

The shutdown occurs amid renewed consumer interest in physical media, with CD sales increasing 10% year-over-year according to RIAA data. This creates operational challenges for:

• Archives digitizing physical media collections
• Radio stations using CD libraries
• Businesses maintaining legacy media catalogs

Windows Media Player retains ripping and playback capabilities, but its metadata functionality now operates as a manual-entry system. While Microsoft hasn't disclosed telemetry data, internal metrics likely showed declining CD usage sufficient to justify termination.

For compliance officers managing media assets, this requires:

• Auditing existing metadata-dependent workflows
• Documenting new manual entry procedures
• Evaluating third-party alternatives like MusicBrainz or Discogs

Microsoft maintains the modern Media Player application as its primary media solution, though it lacks CD metadata integration. Organizations relying on automated CD cataloging must now implement compliance measures for metadata management, treating physical media with the same manual documentation requirements as other legacy formats.