diff --git a/dlls/winmm/mciavi/mciavi.c b/dlls/winmm/mciavi/mciavi.c
index cff2650d1d2..e3336f287fc 100644
--- a/dlls/winmm/mciavi/mciavi.c
+++ b/dlls/winmm/mciavi/mciavi.c
@@ -109,6 +109,7 @@ static	DWORD MCI_SendCommandAsync(UINT wDevID, UINT wMsg, DWORD dwParam1,
 	WARN("Couldn't allocate thread for async command handling, sending synchronously\n");
 	return MCI_SCAStarter(&sca);
     }
+    SetThreadPriority(handle, THREAD_PRIORITY_TIME_CRITICAL);
     CloseHandle(handle);
     return 0;
 }
diff --git a/dlls/winmm/mciseq/mcimidi.c b/dlls/winmm/mciseq/mcimidi.c
index b00e9afba17..644bc27a2ef 100644
--- a/dlls/winmm/mciseq/mcimidi.c
+++ b/dlls/winmm/mciseq/mcimidi.c
@@ -159,6 +159,7 @@ static	DWORD MCI_SendCommandAsync(UINT wDevID, UINT wMsg, DWORD dwParam1,
 	WARN("Couldn't allocate thread for async command handling, sending synchonously\n");
 	return MCI_SCAStarter(&sca);
     }
+    SetThreadPriority(handle, THREAD_PRIORITY_TIME_CRITICAL);
     CloseHandle(handle);
     return 0;
 }
diff --git a/dlls/winmm/mciwave/mciwave.c b/dlls/winmm/mciwave/mciwave.c
index 25492f91f55..d6eb2eab253 100644
--- a/dlls/winmm/mciwave/mciwave.c
+++ b/dlls/winmm/mciwave/mciwave.c
@@ -122,6 +122,7 @@ static	DWORD MCI_SendCommandAsync(UINT wDevID, UINT wMsg, DWORD dwParam1,
 	WARN("Couldn't allocate thread for async command handling, sending synchonously\n");
 	return MCI_SCAStarter(&sca);
     }
+    SetThreadPriority(handle, THREAD_PRIORITY_TIME_CRITICAL);
     CloseHandle(handle);
     return 0;
 }
diff --git a/dlls/winmm/mmsystem.c b/dlls/winmm/mmsystem.c
index 1b6acaf5072..beba03fa067 100644
--- a/dlls/winmm/mmsystem.c
+++ b/dlls/winmm/mmsystem.c
@@ -1946,6 +1946,7 @@ LRESULT	WINAPI mmThreadCreate16(FARPROC16 fpThreadAddr, LPHANDLE16 lpHndl, DWORD
 		    CloseHandle(lpMMThd->hEvent);
 		ret = 2;
 	    } else {
+                SetThreadPriority(lpMMThd->hThread, THREAD_PRIORITY_TIME_CRITICAL);
 		TRACE("Got a nice thread hndl=%p id=0x%08lx\n", lpMMThd->hThread, lpMMThd->dwThreadID);
 		ret = 0;
 	    }
diff --git a/dlls/winmm/playsound.c b/dlls/winmm/playsound.c
index 1a68f3ca74a..a97e9967feb 100644
--- a/dlls/winmm/playsound.c
+++ b/dlls/winmm/playsound.c
@@ -471,6 +471,7 @@ static BOOL MULTIMEDIA_PlaySound(const void* pszSound, HMODULE hmod, DWORD fdwSo
         wps->bLoop = (fdwSound & SND_LOOP) ? TRUE : FALSE;
         if ((handle = CreateThread(NULL, 0, proc_PlaySound, wps, 0, &id)) != 0) {
             wps->hThread = handle;
+            SetThreadPriority(handle, THREAD_PRIORITY_TIME_CRITICAL);
             return TRUE;
         }
     }
diff --git a/dlls/winmm/winealsa/audio.c b/dlls/winmm/winealsa/audio.c
index eb4852a8d58..b2cea26199c 100644
--- a/dlls/winmm/winealsa/audio.c
+++ b/dlls/winmm/winealsa/audio.c
@@ -2007,6 +2007,8 @@ static DWORD wodOpen(WORD wDevID, LPWAVEOPENDESC lpDesc, DWORD dwFlags)
     if (!(dwFlags & WAVE_DIRECTSOUND)) {
 	wwo->hStartUpEvent = CreateEventW(NULL, FALSE, FALSE, NULL);
 	wwo->hThread = CreateThread(NULL, 0, wodPlayer, (LPVOID)(DWORD)wDevID, 0, &(wwo->dwThreadID));
+        if (wwo->hThread)
+            SetThreadPriority(wwo->hThread, THREAD_PRIORITY_TIME_CRITICAL);
 	WaitForSingleObject(wwo->hStartUpEvent, INFINITE);
 	CloseHandle(wwo->hStartUpEvent);
     } else {
@@ -3474,6 +3476,8 @@ static DWORD widOpen(WORD wDevID, LPWAVEOPENDESC lpDesc, DWORD dwFlags)
     if (!(dwFlags & WAVE_DIRECTSOUND)) {
 	wwi->hStartUpEvent = CreateEventW(NULL, FALSE, FALSE, NULL);
 	wwi->hThread = CreateThread(NULL, 0, widRecorder, (LPVOID)(DWORD)wDevID, 0, &(wwi->dwThreadID));
+        if (wwi->hThread)
+            SetThreadPriority(wwi->hThread, THREAD_PRIORITY_TIME_CRITICAL);
 	WaitForSingleObject(wwi->hStartUpEvent, INFINITE);
 	CloseHandle(wwi->hStartUpEvent);
     } else {
diff --git a/dlls/winmm/winealsa/midi.c b/dlls/winmm/winealsa/midi.c
index 23a41c299c0..b689bd985e1 100644
--- a/dlls/winmm/winealsa/midi.c
+++ b/dlls/winmm/winealsa/midi.c
@@ -462,6 +462,7 @@ static DWORD midOpen(WORD wDevID, LPMIDIOPENDESC lpDesc, DWORD dwFlags)
 	    midiCloseSeq();
 	    return MMSYSERR_ERROR;
 	}
+        SetThreadPriority(hThread, THREAD_PRIORITY_TIME_CRITICAL);
 	TRACE("Created thread for midi-in\n");
     }
 
diff --git a/dlls/winmm/winearts/audio.c b/dlls/winmm/winearts/audio.c
index 85725ceab09..486642f7995 100644
--- a/dlls/winmm/winearts/audio.c
+++ b/dlls/winmm/winearts/audio.c
@@ -1208,6 +1208,8 @@ static DWORD wodOpen(WORD wDevID, LPWAVEOPENDESC lpDesc, DWORD dwFlags)
     if (!(dwFlags & WAVE_DIRECTSOUND)) {
 	wwo->hStartUpEvent = CreateEventW(NULL, FALSE, FALSE, NULL);
 	wwo->hThread = CreateThread(NULL, 0, wodPlayer, (LPVOID)(DWORD)wDevID, 0, &(wwo->dwThreadID));
+        if (wwo->hThread)
+            SetThreadPriority(wwo->hThread, THREAD_PRIORITY_TIME_CRITICAL);
 	WaitForSingleObject(wwo->hStartUpEvent, INFINITE);
 	CloseHandle(wwo->hStartUpEvent);
     } else {
@@ -1860,6 +1862,8 @@ static DWORD widOpen(WORD wDevID, LPWAVEOPENDESC lpDesc, DWORD dwFlags)
     if (!(dwFlags & WAVE_DIRECTSOUND)) {
 	wwi->hStartUpEvent = CreateEventW(NULL, FALSE, FALSE, NULL);
 	wwi->hThread = CreateThread(NULL, 0, widRecorder, (LPVOID)(DWORD)wDevID, 0, &(wwi->dwThreadID));
+        if (wwi->hThread)
+            SetThreadPriority(wwi->hThread, THREAD_PRIORITY_TIME_CRITICAL);
 	WaitForSingleObject(wwi->hStartUpEvent, INFINITE);
 	CloseHandle(wwi->hStartUpEvent);
     } else {
diff --git a/dlls/winmm/wineaudioio/audio.c b/dlls/winmm/wineaudioio/audio.c
index 3357f00ec77..4c420a7b22b 100644
--- a/dlls/winmm/wineaudioio/audio.c
+++ b/dlls/winmm/wineaudioio/audio.c
@@ -894,6 +894,8 @@ static DWORD wodOpen(WORD wDevID, LPWAVEOPENDESC lpDesc, DWORD dwFlags)
     if (!(dwFlags & WAVE_DIRECTSOUND)) {
 	wwo->hEvent = CreateEventW(NULL, FALSE, FALSE, NULL);
 	wwo->hThread = CreateThread(NULL, 0, wodPlayer, (LPVOID)(DWORD)wDevID, 0, &(wwo->dwThreadID));
+        if (wwo->hThread)
+            SetThreadPriority(wwo->hThread, THREAD_PRIORITY_TIME_CRITICAL);
 	WaitForSingleObject(wwo->hEvent, INFINITE);
     } else {
 	wwo->hEvent = INVALID_HANDLE_VALUE;
@@ -1979,6 +1981,8 @@ static DWORD widOpen(WORD wDevID, LPWAVEOPENDESC lpDesc, DWORD dwFlags)
 
     wwi->hEvent = CreateEventW(NULL, FALSE, FALSE, NULL);
     wwi->hThread = CreateThread(NULL, 0, widRecorder, (LPVOID)(DWORD)wDevID, 0, &(wwi->dwThreadID));
+    if (wwi->hThread)
+        SetThreadPriority(wwi->hThread, THREAD_PRIORITY_TIME_CRITICAL);
     WaitForSingleObject(wwi->hEvent, INFINITE);
 
    if (LIBAUDIOIO_NotifyClient(wDevID, WIM_OPEN, 0L, 0L) != MMSYSERR_NOERROR) {
diff --git a/dlls/winmm/winenas/audio.c b/dlls/winmm/winenas/audio.c
index 91ecb5388f9..6c2a9449b73 100644
--- a/dlls/winmm/winenas/audio.c
+++ b/dlls/winmm/winenas/audio.c
@@ -956,6 +956,8 @@ static DWORD wodOpen(WORD wDevID, LPWAVEOPENDESC lpDesc, DWORD dwFlags)
     if (!(dwFlags & WAVE_DIRECTSOUND)) {
 	wwo->hStartUpEvent = CreateEventW(NULL, FALSE, FALSE, NULL);
 	wwo->hThread = CreateThread(NULL, 0, wodPlayer, (LPVOID)(DWORD)wDevID, 0, &(wwo->dwThreadID));
+        if (wwo->hThread)
+            SetThreadPriority(wwo->hThread, THREAD_PRIORITY_TIME_CRITICAL);
 	WaitForSingleObject(wwo->hStartUpEvent, INFINITE);
 	CloseHandle(wwo->hStartUpEvent);
     } else {
diff --git a/dlls/winmm/winmm.c b/dlls/winmm/winmm.c
index 37344ae3f90..6bb2bd12451 100644
--- a/dlls/winmm/winmm.c
+++ b/dlls/winmm/winmm.c
@@ -1786,6 +1786,7 @@ MMRESULT MIDI_StreamOpen(HMIDISTRM* lphMidiStrm, LPUINT lpuDeviceID, DWORD cMidi
 	midiStreamClose((HMIDISTRM)hMidiOut);
 	return MMSYSERR_NOMEM;
     }
+    SetThreadPriority(lpMidiStrm->hThread, THREAD_PRIORITY_TIME_CRITICAL);
 
     /* wait for thread to have started, and for its queue to be created */
     {
@@ -2797,6 +2798,7 @@ MMRESULT WINAPI mmTaskCreate(LPTASKCALLBACK cb, HANDLE* ph, DWORD client)
         if (hEvent) CloseHandle(hEvent);
         return TASKERR_OUTOFMEMORY;
     }
+    SetThreadPriority(hThread, THREAD_PRIORITY_TIME_CRITICAL);
     if (ph) *ph = hEvent;
     CloseHandle(hThread);
     return 0;