Compact WP Audio Player
by mra13 / Team Tips and Tricks HQ · Media
Also makes 14 other plugins · 207.3K+ installs across the portfolio →
A Compact WP Audio Player Plugin that is compatible with all major browsers and devices (Android, iPhone, iPad)
Try it live opens a temporary test site in your browser, which can take about 20 seconds to load. Plugins that rely on outside services or a full server may not work completely there.
Health
A 85/100
no flags
Active installs
20K+
≈26K estimated
Momentum
+25%
downloads vs prior 30d
Biggest opportunity: Swap “embed” and “media” for “ipad” and “iphone”. “embed” isn't earning its slot: you're not in the first 24 results for its own search. “ipad” sits at #7 untagged, close enough for a declared tag to move it up. “media” isn't earning its slot: you're not in the first 24 results for its own search. “iphone” sits at #8 untagged, close enough for a declared tag to move it up. All five slots are taken, so one has to go.
85 health vs 62 average across 3,287 Media plugins
Install conversion
How it's measured →3.0%
of downloads still active
At least 20K of 671.8K lifetime downloads are still running, above its category: the median Media plugin keeps 0.8%, across 2,321 plugins.
Downloads count every update, not just first installs, so older and more frequently released plugins read lower. Compare against other Media plugins, not across the directory. wp.org reports active installs as the bottom of a band, so the real rate is this or higher.
This plugin shipped 1 release in the last 12 months, and every existing install that updated counted as another download. wp.org publishes no split between first installs and updates, so we show the raw rate rather than guess at one.
Details
Directory ranking optimization
How it's scored →How well this listing is tuned to rank in WordPress.org search, on the factors an owner controls. Not popularity, optimization.
Excellent listing optimization
Well tuned across the board
Updated 76 days ago
Tested up to WordPress 7.1.4, the current branch or newer
4.1★ over 69 reviews, smoothed to 4.10★
5 of 5 tags set · short description in place
Search visibility
How it's tracked →Directory searches this plugin turns up in, and which way each one is moving. WordPress.org publishes no history of search positions, so this starts the day we first tracked a keyword and never backfills.
38
Momentum
Losing ground
-0.1
Velocity
places per keyword, 28d
17%
Breadth
of keywords climbing, 28d
-0.2
Acceleration
recent half vs earlier
wp.org is where the directory puts the plugin for that search. On merit is where it would sit if results were ranked on rating, support and updates, without the install boost. The last column is how far the wp.org position moved, from our first reading in the last 90 days to the latest.
| Keyword | wp.org | On merit | wp.org move, 90 days |
|---|---|---|---|
| compact | #1 | #1 | 0 |
| audio your tag | #2 | #2 | 0 |
| audio player your tag | #2 | #3 | 0 |
| flash player | #2 | #2 | 0 |
| media player your tag | #4 | #5 | up 1 |
| mp3 | #3 | #4 | 0 |
| embed audio | #2 | #2 | down 1 |
| wp player | #2 | #2 | up 1 |
| player | #8 | #8 | 0 |
| ipad | #7 | #6 | down 1 |
| audio player block | #3 | #4 | up 1 |
| iphone | #8 | #7 | 0 |
| player plugin | #9 | #9 | 0 |
| html5 audio player | #4 | #4 | up 1 |
| html5 player | #9 | #11 | 0 |
| play | #10 | #10 | down 3 |
| podcasting | #9 | #7 | down 1 |
| android | #22 | #20 | down 2 |
| flash | #16 | #15 | 0 |
| music | #18 | #16 | up 4 |
| embed your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
| media your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
56 searches this plugin appeared in over the last 90 days, 20 listed. 34 left out as unrelated or noise (years, numbers, stray words). 2 of its tags aren't in the top 24 for their own search.
What to do about it
- Swap “embed” and “media” for “ipad” and “iphone”. “embed” isn't earning its slot: you're not in the first 24 results for its own search. “ipad” sits at #7 untagged, close enough for a declared tag to move it up. “media” isn't earning its slot: you're not in the first 24 results for its own search. “iphone” sits at #8 untagged, close enough for a declared tag to move it up. All five slots are taken, so one has to go.
Daily downloads
Since 5 Oct 2022 · 1,489 days · wp.org + Plugin Pulse archive
30-day downloads
Rolling 30-day volume · peak 37.4K · peaks are release surges
Directory rank vs rivals
wp.org popularity rank over time · higher is better · when a rival's line climbs above yours, they've overtaken you
Rating trend
Star average over time · dips mark rough releases
Health trend
Composite health score, snapshotted daily
Update activity
How busy the existing users are, measured as downloads in the last 30 days for every 1,000 active sites. A spike means a new release everyone's pulling; a long, slow decline means an aging user base that updates less.
Release cadence
Occasionally updatedHow often this plugin actually ships. A steady rhythm is the maintenance signal a single "last updated" date can't show.
1
releases in the last 12 months
11mo ago
latest release · v1.9.15 · 2 Dec 2025
9
tagged releases on record
Recent releases
What its installed base runs
via wordpress.orgShare of active installs on each version of this plugin · 100% run the current release. Green is the current release; a big slice on older versions is a user base that has stopped updating.
Estimated active installs
The public count shows “20K+”. Our estimate pins where the real number sits.
Crossed into this band 15 months ago; the previous band took 3.4 years to cross, which places it about 62% of the way through.
Install history since 1 Mar 2021
Recent reviews
All reviews on wp.org ↗- ★★★★★ groggy724mo ago
Thank for making a great plugin. Really appreciate it.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ alanpaterson9971.5y ago
Really love this plug in! I wanted exactly this – just a single, simple button, alternating between play and pause, allowing people to play or not as they saw fit, linking to an audio file in the back bedroom. And suddenly, there it was! And even I, a floundering newbie, managed to get it into my (Astra) footer without too much stumbling around. Result! And then we reach the ‘but’… The music, der, cuts out the moment you leave a page. You can restart it when you get to the next page, but that’s really not ideal, plus you’ll be starting at the very beginning, which isn’t a very good place to start again, and again, and again, whatever warbling Julie Andrews says. Now, if anyone knows how this could be setup to play – or pause – site-wide and stay there site-wide regardless of navigation, or of any plug-in with this one’s simplicity & elegance that could, I’d love to hear about it. Meantime, like I say, love it! Clean, simple, elegant.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ Anonymous User3.3y ago
It does what it promises very well. I have replaced the controls images with custom ones. Is it possible to get a code snippet to be able to choose between different “play” images? This topic was modified 2 years, 4 months ago by Anonymous User.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ alexpcox3.5y ago
Ridiculously simple. Works well. I customised the play/pause images to fit the design of my website. It plays audio. Job done. Please keep supporting it, it’s great!
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ Senri Miura4.2y ago
The play button of this plug-in is pasted on the top page. It is better not to take up extra space with compacts. It’s been working fine so far. If it’s greedy, I think it would be even better if there were variations in icon design.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ nsim20214.5y ago
It’s a cute plugin. It’s been around a long time, nice to see the developer sticking with it. I installed it years ago in a draft web site I still am working on. I want a music file to play when someone loads the home page. Therefore, the autoplay option to play an audio/mp3 file as soon as the page loads is great. However, it never stops playing. I have the player in the sidebar so the visitor can see it to shut it off if they want. However, there is no way to tell the little player to ONLY PLAY ONCE. That’s all I need it for. When the visitor arrives at the web site. Unfortunately, is plays the music on every single page load. I would kindly suggest that you add a default feature to limit plays to once, on the first page load, regardless of how many different pages are loaded. Thanks for thinking about it.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ perrydc4.7y ago
I love the compactness, but it needs to kill all audio playing on the page when I hit the play button. Otherwise, we have multiple audio playing over each other.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ smc29355.6y ago
I’m using it to play a couple different songs on multiple pages. Exactly what I needed. Simple, easy to use and a clean look.
Read on wp.org ↗
Latest updates
via wp.org changelogRecent releases and news for this plugin
- — Version 1.9.15 Using the wp_safe_remote_get function instead of wp_remote_get to get the file headers. 1.9.15
- — Version 1.9.14 Added output escaping to the fileurl shortcode parameter. Refactored the autoplay JavaScript code so output escaping can be added easily. 1.9.14
- — Version 1.9.13 Added a settings option and a filter to disable the URL validation for the fileurl parameter. 1.9.13
- — Version 1.9.12 The fileurl field will also accept the relative URL value (example: /wp-content/uploades/audio.mp3) 1.9.12
- — Version 1.9.11 Added a fallback for the fileurl verification when the PHP URL validation fail for non-latin characters. 1.9.11
- — Version 1.9.10 Added a CSS wrapper class for the audio player to make it work better with block themes. Validate URL for the ‘fileurl’ parameter of the shortcode. 1.9.10
Security history
via Wordfence IntelligenceAll 6 disclosed vulnerabilities are patched in the current version (1.9.15). Sites still on an older version should update.
- Patched Medium · 6.4 Compact WP Audio Player <= 1.9.13 - Authenticated (Contributor+) Stored Cross-Site Scripting via sc_embed_player Shortcode ↗2024-10-23 CVE-2024-10176 Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation Affects <= 1.9.13 Patched in 1.9.14
- Patched Medium · 6.4 Compact WP Audio Player <= 1.9.9 - Authenticated (Contributor+) Stored Cross-Site Scripting via fileurl ↗2024-03-25 CVE-2024-29917 Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation Affects <= 1.9.9 Patched in 1.9.10
- Patched Medium · 6.4 Compact WP Audio Player <= 1.9.7 - Authenticated (Contributor+) Stored Cross-Site Scripting ↗2022-12-27 CVE-2022-4542 Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation Affects <= 1.9.7 Patched in 1.9.8
- Patched Medium · 4.3 Compact WP Audio Player <= 1.9.6 - Setting Change via Cross-Site Request Forgery ↗
- 2021-09-15 CVE-2021-24734 Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation Affects <= 1.9.6 Patched in 1.9.7
Vulnerability records provided by Wordfence Intelligence. Copyright 2012-2026 Defiant Inc. License and terms.
CVE records: Copyright 1999-2026 The MITRE Corporation. CVE terms of use.
Languages
via translate.wordpress.orgTranslated into 5 languages, 4 at 90% or more
AI assistants
How it's measured →Whether ChatGPT and Claude name this plugin when asked the category question, and whether the readme gives them something to quote.
Not measured yet for this plugin’s topics. Its tracked searches are not among the measured topics. See the topics measured so far.
Readme readiness
5 of 8 pass · checked 26 Oct 2026Can an assistant quote this readme? Eight deterministic checks over the wp.org listing, no model involved.
- ! Says what it does Short description names no action; say what the plugin does for the site.
- ✓ Has a FAQ 3 questions in the FAQ.
- ✓ FAQ asks real questions 3 of 3 read like questions a user would type.
- ! Names who it is for One audience phrase ("use this"); say who the plugin is for and what they use it for.
- ! Names what it works with Names no plugin, service or platform it works with.
- ✓ Headings and lists 2 headings and 1 list.
- ✓ Enough to quote 1,472 characters of description.
- ✓ Tags match the text 3 of 5 tags appear in the text; "media", "media player" do not.
Growth timeline
Install-tier crossings we have observed, and how long each tier took to outgrow
- 2025-07-26 30K+ → 20K+ down after 1224 days in tier
- 2022-03-20 40K+ → 30K+ down after 2172 days in tier
- 2016-04-08 30K+ → 40K+ up
Competes with
The plugins that solve the same job, ranked by shared tags then reach, closest match first. The letter on the right is each plugin's health grade (A best, F worst).
-
AudioIgniter Music Player 10K+ installs · 4.5★ · 2 shared tags A -
HTML5 Audio Player – The Ultimate No-Code Podcast, MP3 & Audio Player 10K+ installs · 4.6★ · 2 shared tags B -
rtMedia for WordPress, BuddyPress and bbPress 7K+ installs · 3.7★ · 2 shared tags B -
Spreaker Shortcode 4K+ installs · 3.8★ · 2 shared tags D -
mb.miniAudioPlayer – an HTML5 audio player for your mp3 files 3K+ installs · 4.4★ · 2 shared tags D - T Themify Audio Dock 900+ installs · 3.8★ · 2 shared tags C
Embed this report card
Drop a live Pulse card for Compact WP Audio Player into a readme, a review or a deck. It updates itself.
<iframe src="https://plugins.wpmayor.com/embed/compact-wp-audio-player" width="480" height="300" style="border:0" loading="lazy" title="Compact WP Audio Player — Plugin Pulse"></iframe> Compact WP Audio Player: 20K+ active installs, 4.1★ (69 reviews). Plugin Pulse (WP Mayor), as of 2026-11-01. https://plugins.wpmayor.com/plugin/compact-wp-audio-player
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