diff --git src/wp-includes/js/mediaelement/wp-mediaelement.js src/wp-includes/js/mediaelement/wp-mediaelement.js
index 17f80519a2..fd964d96cf 100644
--- src/wp-includes/js/mediaelement/wp-mediaelement.js
+++ src/wp-includes/js/mediaelement/wp-mediaelement.js
@@ -19,6 +19,8 @@
 		 * @since 4.4.0
 		 */
 		function initialize() {
+			var selectors = [];
+
 			if ( typeof _wpmejsSettings !== 'undefined' ) {
 				settings = $.extend( true, {}, _wpmejsSettings );
 			}
@@ -40,8 +42,18 @@
 				}
 			};
 
+			if ( 'undefined' === typeof settings.videoShortcodeLibrary || 'mediaelement' === settings.videoShortcodeLibrary ) {
+				selectors.push( '.wp-video-shortcode' );
+			}
+			if ( 'undefined' === typeof settings.audioShortcodeLibrary || 'mediaelement' === settings.audioShortcodeLibrary ) {
+				selectors.push( '.wp-audio-shortcode' );
+			}
+			if ( ! selectors.length ) {
+				return;
+			}
+
 			// Only initialize new media elements.
-			$( '.wp-audio-shortcode, .wp-video-shortcode' )
+			$( selectors.join( ', ' ) )
 				.not( '.mejs-container' )
 				.filter(function () {
 					return ! $( this ).parent().hasClass( '.mejs-mediaelement' );
diff --git src/wp-includes/script-loader.php src/wp-includes/script-loader.php
index b2e24d6fed..d2ec07d0c1 100644
--- src/wp-includes/script-loader.php
+++ src/wp-includes/script-loader.php
@@ -372,10 +372,15 @@ function wp_default_scripts( &$scripts ) {
 		),
 	) );
 
-
 	$scripts->add( 'wp-mediaelement', "/wp-includes/js/mediaelement/wp-mediaelement$suffix.js", array('mediaelement'), false, 1 );
 	$mejs_settings = array(
 		'pluginPath' => includes_url( 'js/mediaelement/', 'relative' ),
+
+		/** This filter is documented in wp-includes/media.php */
+		'audioShortcodeLibrary' => apply_filters( 'wp_audio_shortcode_library', 'mediaelement' ),
+
+		/** This filter is documented in wp-includes/media.php */
+		'videoShortcodeLibrary' => apply_filters( 'wp_video_shortcode_library', 'mediaelement' ),
 	);
 	did_action( 'init' ) && $scripts->localize( 'mediaelement', '_wpmejsSettings',
 		/**