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Media ✓ Official site

VLC media player

by VideoLAN · v3.0.21

VLC media player is a free, open-source media player from VideoLAN that plays virtually every audio and video format with no codec packs. Download it only from the official VideoLAN site, verify the checksum, and it runs on Windows, macOS, Linux and Android.

Get VLC media player — free & safe
Links to the official source with a safety check.
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Package information

Version
3.0.21
Developer
VideoLAN
File size
~40 MB
Target OS
Windows, macOS, Linux, Android
License
GPLv2 · Free & Open Source
Category
Media
Released
Jun 28, 2024
Official page
www.videolan.org

Integrity & safety

🛡️ View VirusTotal report → Source: Official site
SHA-256 checksum

Checksums are published by the developer on their official checksums page . After downloading, confirm the file with our Hash Calculator — if the values match, the file is intact.

  • ✓ Only download VLC from videolan.org — third-party 'VLC' downloads often bundle adware.
  • ✓ The official installer is free and never asks for payment.
  • ✓ Verify the checksum if you downloaded over an untrusted network.

Key features

  • ▹Plays most codecs with no codec packs needed (MP4, MKV, AVI, MP3, FLAC…)
  • ▹Streams network media and captures from webcams
  • ▹Subtitle support and basic video/audio filters
  • ▹Completely free with no ads or spyware

Requirements

  • ▹Windows 7 or later / macOS 10.10+ / modern Linux
  • ▹~40 MB free disk space

How to install VLC media player

  1. 1 Click 'Proceed to official download' to open videolan.org.
  2. 2 Download the installer for your operating system.
  3. 3 (Recommended) Verify the file's SHA-256 checksum against the value published on the VideoLAN mirror.
  4. 4 Run the installer and follow the prompts — decline any unrelated bundled offers (VLC's official installer has none).
  5. 5 Launch VLC and open a media file to confirm it works.

Frequently asked questions

+ Is VLC really free?

Yes. VLC is free and open-source under the GPLv2. There is no paid version; any site charging for it is not official.

+ Why verify the checksum?

A checksum confirms the file wasn't corrupted or tampered with in transit. Compare the SHA-256 from VideoLAN with the one you compute locally.