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videolan/vlc

A free, open source media player and multimedia engine that plays most video, audio, discs, streams and devices on nearly every platform.

Open-source alternative to:QuickTime PlayerWindows Media Player

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What is it?

VLC is a media player that aims to play nearly any multimedia file, disc, stream or device. It can also convert, encode, stream and manipulate media into many formats, so it covers both everyday playback and more involved media processing.

The playback engine, called libVLC, can be embedded into third-party applications. It is licensed under the LGPL, which allows it to be used in software under other licenses, while the VLC application itself is under the GPLv2 or later.

VLC runs on Windows, macOS, Linux, BSD, Android (including Android TV and Android Auto), iOS (including AppleTV and iPadOS), and a few other systems. The main codebase is written mostly in C, and libVLC has bindings for languages such as C++, Python and C#.

Key features

  • 01Plays most audio and video formats, discs, network streams and devices.
  • 02Converts, encodes and streams media into numerous formats.
  • 03Embeddable libVLC engine for third-party applications.
  • 04Runs on Windows, macOS, Linux, BSD, Android and iOS.
  • 05Provides bindings for C++, Python and C#.

Use cases

  • Playing local video or audio files and DVD or Blu-ray discs on a desktop.
  • Watching network streams or media from connected devices.
  • Converting or re-encoding media files into other formats.
  • Embedding a media playback engine into a custom application.

Quick start

  1. 1

    Download VLC from the official download page for your platform

  2. 2

    Build from source following the INSTALL instructions in the repository

Things to know

  • Some platforms receive less maintenance due to limited resources.
  • The Android and iOS apps live in separate repositories rather than this one.

In collections

Streaming toolsFrameworks for building apps and websites

Topics

#media-player#multimedia#streaming#video#audio#libvlc#framework#gplv2#lgpl#open-source

FAQ

What is vlc?
A free, open source media player and multimedia engine that plays most video, audio, discs, streams and devices on nearly every platform. VLC is a media player that aims to play nearly any multimedia file, disc, stream or device. It can also convert, encode, stream and manipulate media into many formats, so it covers both everyday playback and more involved media processing.
Is vlc free to use? What license does it have?
vlc is open source under the GPL-2.0 license. Check the license terms before using it in commercial products.
Is vlc still maintained?
Actively maintained. The last commit to vlc was on Nov 6, 2026.
What can I use vlc for?
Playing local video or audio files and DVD or Blu-ray discs on a desktop. Watching network streams or media from connected devices. Converting or re-encoding media files into other formats. Embedding a media playback engine into a custom application.
How do I install vlc?
Download VLC from the official download page for your platform Build from source following the INSTALL instructions in the repository
Where can I get vlc?
The source code and installation instructions are on GitHub: https://github.com/videolan/vlc

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