Direct-WinMM is a DirectSound/WASAPI-based wrapper for winmm.dll, used by many older games and programs to play CD-DA audio tracks.
This program emulates CD-DA playback by playing supported audio files (.wav, .mp3, .ogg, .flac) instead of actual audio tracks from a CD-ROM.
It fixes the common audio looping bug present in modern Windows (Vista and newer) and provides advanced configuration options for maximum compatibility and performance.
-
Copy
winmm.dllandWinmmVol.exeinto the folder where the game's or program's executable is located. -
Rip your audio tracks as
.wav,.mp3,.ogg, or.flacfiles. -
The program searches for audio files in a subfolder using the format:
[Subfolder]/[Prefix]NN.[wav|mp3|ogg|flac].NNrepresents the two-digit track number (e.g., 02, 03, 04...).- Track 1 is typically data, so audio playback usually starts from Track 02.
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Recommended Setup: The program gives highest priority to the following path:
[GameFolder]/Music/TrackNN.[wav|mp3|ogg|flac]- Example:
C:/Games/MyGame/Music/Track02.mp3
- Example:
-
If audio is not playing, ensure your files are named and placed according to this priority structure (
Music/TrackNN...). -
Enjoy your game!
winmm.dll: The core wrapper file. It intercepts CD-DA commands and emulates them by playing audio files.WinmmVol.exe: The configuration and volume control utility.
The core CD audio emulation will function correctly with only winmm.dll. However, WinmmVol.exe is required to access any volume control or advanced configuration.
WinmmVol.exe provides all configuration for the wrapper. It runs automatically when a game uses winmm.dll and registers itself as a dynamic tray icon (the icon's appearance changes with the volume level).
Clicking the tray icon opens the main control window. If you launch WinmmVol.exe again while it's running, the window will appear at your mouse cursor (this is useful for environments like Winlator where the tray is inaccessible).
- Per-Application Settings: The UI defaults to "Global Settings." You can use the App Selection dropdown to choose a specific game's .exe and create an override profile.
- Multiplicative Volume: The final volume is
(Global Volume * App Volume). - Integrated Settings: The Audio Engine and Buffer Mode settings are now managed directly within this window.
- Localization: The UI supports 22 languages and will attempt to auto-detect your OS language.
- Window Management:
- The window can be moved by dragging the top bar.
- A Minimize button is included.
- Controls:
- Use the mouse wheel or keyboard arrow keys to adjust the volume.
- Click the speaker icon inside the window to toggle Mute.
The App Selection dropdown contains a special utility: ".exe Patch (for Wine)".
This is for environments like Wine/Proton that may fail to load the custom winmm.dll. This tool patches the game's .exe file to load _inmm.dll instead (and copies winmm.dll to _inmm.dll). It also provides an option to unpatch (restore) the executable.
- Minimum OS: Windows XP or later
- DirectX End-User Runtime
On Windows 10 and newer, using Locale Emulator with a specific combination of settings can cause problems.
- Trigger: Enabling both "Fake language-related keys in Registry" AND "Fake system UI language" at the same time.
- Problem: This configuration prevents the wrapper from correctly forwarding calls to the original system
winmm.dll(likely due to aucrtlibrary conflict). - Symptom: Only the CD Audio emulation will function. Other
winmmfeatures (like standard wave audio or MIDI playback) will fail. - Solution: To fix this, only enable one of those two options, not both.
- Note: This is a known issue that affects all
winmmwrappers.
Wine's default configuration will often load its own built-in winmm.dll, bypassing Direct-WinMM.
You have two options to fix this:
-
Solution 1 (Configuration):
- Open
winecfgfor your game prefix. - Go to the Libraries tab.
- Type in
winmmand click Add. - Select
winmmin the list and set its override to "Native, builtin".
- Open
-
Solution 2 (Patcher):
- Use the ".exe Patch (for Wine)" utility.
- This tool is located in the app selection dropdown menu in the
WinmmVol.execontrol window.
These settings are available in the WinmmVol.exe control window and can be set globally or per-application.
Controls the audio backend used for playback.
- Auto (Default): The best choice. Uses
DirectSoundon Windows XP andWASAPIon Windows Vista and newer. - DirectSound: An older audio system.
- WASAPI: The modern audio system for Windows.
- WaveOut: A legacy fallback engine. Use this only if DirectSound is being used exclusively by the game itself.
Controls how audio files are read from disk.
- Streaming (Default): Recommended for 99% of users. Uses a large staging buffer to provide low-memory, glitch-free playback.
- Full (No Resampling): Loads the entire audio file into RAM before playing. Uses more memory but can be an alternative for troubleshooting.
- Full (Resampling): Loads the entire file into RAM and resamples it to 48kHz using libsamplerate. This bypasses the low-quality
kmixerin XP, fixing distortion.
Windows prioritizes loading DLL files located in the same folder as the executable. The target program loads our custom winmm.dll instead of the system's.
Direct-WinMM forwards all non-CD-DA commands to the system's original winmm.dll.
When a CD-DA command is detected, Direct-WinMM handles it internally using WASAPI, DirectSound, or WaveOut.
Unlike many existing wrappers, Direct-WinMM correctly implements Notify and Wait semantics and returns accurate status information (like playback position) consistent with the original winmm.dll, ensuring high compatibility.
- Build using Visual Studio 2022 on Windows
- Navigate to:
Menu > Tools (T) > Get Tools and Features (T)Go to the Individual components tab, search for v141, and update x86-related tools - Install Windows SDK 7.1A (for XP/legacy headers & libs if needed)
- Install DirectX SDK (for legacy DirectSound headers & libs)