A player missing from the Dock can still be installed. Start with Finder and Spotlight rather than assuming the application was deleted.
Mac applications can exist in more than one supported location. A downloaded installer, mounted image and installed app can also share similar names, so inspect the result before opening it.
Search for the exact app
Use Spotlight to search the genuine player name and inspect the result. Apple’s deletion guidance describes revealing an app in Finder from Spotlight; that location is useful even when you are only trying to identify the installed copy.
Check Applications and, where relevant, the user’s own Applications folder. Do not search another person’s private folders or open an unfamiliar copy just to see what credentials it contains. Keep the task limited to the application you are authorized to manage.
Distinguish app and installer
Read the result’s kind and location. A .dmg disk image is not the same as the .app installed from it, and a package file is an installer rather than the player’s ordinary launch target. If several copies exist, compare versions and the developer’s intended location.
Open the genuine installed copy and check its About information. If it works, restore a convenient supported Dock or launcher entry without reinstalling. A missing Dock icon is a navigation issue, not necessarily an installation fault.
If no app remains, use the genuine developer or App Store route to restore the correct edition. Avoid downloading a second unrelated player because its icon resembles an old screenshot.
Keep the record useful
Save the application version and installation route for future support. If an old Dock icon opens a different copy, correct that pointer deliberately and tell other household users where the working app is.
If the located player requests login, use its actual supported account method privately. Check the genuine app version and source before restoring a backup or entering credentials, especially when several copies were found. Keep any missing-account question separate from the now-resolved application-location question.
Useful answers
Does removing an app from the Dock delete it?
No. The Dock entry and the application’s installed location are separate.
Why does Spotlight show a .dmg and an app?
One can be the installer image and the other an installed copy. Inspect their kinds and locations.