VLC on windows 8.1 can't open files on iMac

I have an iMac running Mavericks. My music files (mp3) are stored on this machine. I also have a windows 8.1 laptop running VLC media player. I can access files on the iMac from the windows machine over my local home network using windows explorer with no problem. However VLC running on my windows 8.1 machine cannot access the files on my imac: I get an error saying "VLC cannot access the MRL."

Using VLC I can access and play music files stored on any of my windows machines, so it is not a problem with vlc getting through the firewall on my windows 8.1 machine. It seems the iMac is refusing access to VLC, though it allows access to windows explorer, ping etc.

How can I open these files?

Update: I tried different music apps running on my windows 8.1 machine besides VLC. Boom.exe and MPC-HC were not able to play the files stored on the imac (though they could both see and select them) but windows media player could see and successfully play the files.