VLC Media Player — free download for every device

VLC Media Player is a free and open-source media player created by VideoLAN, a non-profit organisation. First released in 2001, it has become one of the most widely used media players in the world, with billions of downloads across every major platform. VLC plays almost every audio and video format in existence — including MP4, MKV, AVI, MOV, MP3, FLAC and OGG — without any need to install separate codec packs, because every codec it requires is built directly into the player.

VLC is far more than a simple file player. It can stream network and online media, play DVDs and Blu-rays, capture and record your screen, convert files between formats, and download or fine-tune subtitles. It runs on Windows, macOS, Linux, Android and iOS, contains no advertising or spyware, and is funded entirely by donations. Because it is released under the GPLv2+ licence, the complete source code is public — anyone can audit exactly what the software does, which is a large part of why VLC is so widely trusted.

VLC has been developed in the open since 2001 by VideoLAN, a non-profit organisation that grew out of a student project at École Centrale Paris. Because the project accepts no advertising money and is funded entirely by donations, there is no commercial pressure to bundle extra software, show adverts or hold features back for a paid edition — the version you download is the complete product. That model, combined with source code that anyone can inspect, is why VLC has been downloaded billions of times and is routinely recommended as the default free media player for Windows, macOS and Linux.

The strongest argument for VLC is the one you notice within seconds of using it: your files simply play. Most media players are fine until you hand them something unusual — a Matroska .mkv video, a high-efficiency HEVC clip, an ageing DivX file — and then you are sent hunting for a codec pack or left staring at an error message. VLC removes that friction completely. Because every decoder it needs is built in, the file you double-click opens and plays the first time, with nothing to configure.

Privacy is the second reason people switch. VLC shows no advertisements, adds no bundled toolbars or "special offers" during setup, and builds no profile of what you watch or listen to. The handful of network requests it can make — checking for updates, fetching album art — are optional and can be switched off in the preferences. For a tool that sees everything you play, that restraint matters.

It is also refreshingly light. VLC runs smoothly on older laptops and low-specification machines that struggle with heavier software, and it behaves the same way on Windows, macOS and Linux — learn it once and that knowledge follows you to every computer you use. Add more than two decades of continuous development and a transparent, donation-funded non-profit behind it, and VLC becomes an easy default rather than a compromise.

VLC is built for everyone, but a few groups get particular value from it:

• Everyday viewers who want one dependable player for every video and song, instead of juggling several apps that each handle only part of their library.
• Students and educators who watch lecture recordings, slow down or speed up playback to follow along, and rely on subtitle support for foreign-language material.
• People with older or low-spec computers, because VLC Media Player stays responsive on hardware that newer, heavier software leaves behind.
• Privacy-conscious users who want a media player with no advertising, no tracking and source code they are free to inspect.
• Anyone who works with media — quickly checking an unfamiliar file, converting a clip to another format, or capturing a stream or screen recording.

If any of those sound like you, the download page has the right build for your device, and the guide to using VLC walks through everything from subtitles to file conversion.

Yes — VLC is safe to download and use. The player itself contains no advertising, no bundled third-party software and no spyware, and VideoLAN has publicly turned down advertising revenue to keep it that way. Because the source code is open, security researchers and ordinary users alike can inspect exactly what the software does, and confirmed vulnerabilities are fixed quickly in new releases.

The one genuine risk is not VLC itself but where you download it. A number of look-alike websites repackage the VLC installer with adware or unwanted extras and then compete for download searches. To stay safe, only download VLC from VideoLAN's official servers — which is exactly what every download button on this site does — and, on Windows, keep the default components during installation. If a "VLC" installer ever asks you to accept extra toolbars or change your browser home page, close it: the genuine installer never bundles anything.