diff --git a/homeassistant/components/media_player/browse_media.py b/homeassistant/components/media_player/browse_media.py
index d1328a851d2..2b046868f16 100644
--- a/homeassistant/components/media_player/browse_media.py
+++ b/homeassistant/components/media_player/browse_media.py
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ def async_process_play_media_url(
             return media_content_id
     else:
         if media_content_id[0] != "/":
-            raise ValueError("URL is relative, but does not start with a /")
+            return media_content_id
 
     if parsed.query:
         logging.getLogger(__name__).debug(
diff --git a/tests/components/media_player/test_browse_media.py b/tests/components/media_player/test_browse_media.py
index 014eeb7dc48..c7ce52eb12a 100644
--- a/tests/components/media_player/test_browse_media.py
+++ b/tests/components/media_player/test_browse_media.py
@@ -86,8 +86,8 @@ async def test_process_play_media_url(hass: HomeAssistant, mock_sign_path) -> No
         == "http://example.local:8123/api/tts_proxy/bla"
     )
 
-    with pytest.raises(ValueError):
-        async_process_play_media_url(hass, "hello")
+    # Not changing a URL which is not absolute and does not start with /
+    async_process_play_media_url(hass, "hello") == "hello"
 
 
 async def test_process_play_media_url_for_addon(