VLC media player is a free, open-source player from the non-profit VideoLAN project. It plays MP4, MKV, AVI, MOV, WMV, FLV, MP3, FLAC and DVDs with its decoders already built in, so you never install a codec pack again. There is no trial, no licence key, no advertising and no account — the VLC free download is the complete player, permanently, on Windows, macOS, Linux, Android and iOS.
Why Choose VLC Over Other Media Players?
The player bundled with Windows still refuses a great many everyday files — open an MKV or an odd AVI and you get an error rather than a picture. The usual answer is a codec pack, and that is precisely the problem: codec packs are one of the most reliable ways to put adware on a clean machine, because they are assembled by third parties rather than by the people who wrote the decoders.
VLC carries its own decoders inside the application. Nothing is registered system-wide, nothing else on the PC is altered, and one download plays the format instead of teaching Windows to. That single design decision is why VLC media player free download has stayed the standard recommendation for two decades.
It is also genuinely free in a way most "free" players are not. VLC is open source under the GPL, run by a non-profit — no ads, no bundled toolbars, no telemetry and no paid upgrade. Nothing is held back for a Pro tier because there is no Pro tier.
Want something lighter and keyboard-driven? Our VLC vs mpv comparison sets them side by side, and VLC vs Kodi covers the media-centre case.
VLC Media Player Features
- Plays essentially every format — MP4, MKV, AVI, MOV, WMV, FLV, WebM, MP3, FLAC, AAC, OGG, WAV, plus DVD, VCD and audio CD, so one free video player replaces the lot
- No codec packs, ever — the decoders ship inside VLC, which is what makes it a working MKV player free of the usual codec mess
- Plays damaged and part-downloaded files — an incomplete AVI will still open, which no bundled player will do
- Subtitles done properly — SRT and ASS/SSA, with sync adjustment when the timing drifts
- Convert and save — basic transcoding built in, so you can convert MP4 with VLC without another tool
- Network and online streams — open an HTTP, RTSP or HLS URL directly; cast to a TV over Chromecast
- 4K, HDR and 360° video with hardware-accelerated decoding, so large files play without stutter
- Every platform — VLC for Windows 10 and Windows 11, VLC for Mac, Linux, plus VLC for Android and iOS, in 64-bit and 32-bit builds
- Portable build — VLC portable runs from a USB stick without installing or touching the registry
How to Install VLC on Windows
- Open the official download page. Use the download button on this page — it opens videolan.org, the project's own site. This is the only safe VLC download: never take a VLC exe download from a mirror or a "download manager" portal, as those are what wrap the genuine installer in a bundler.
- Pick your build. Almost every current PC wants the 64-bit Windows installer. Choose the 32-bit package only for an old machine running 32-bit Windows, and the ZIP if you want VLC portable rather than an install.
- Run the installer and accept the defaults. It finishes in seconds, and there is no bundled extra to decline — VideoLAN ships none.
- Set it as your default player. Right-click any video → Open with → Choose another app → VLC, then tick "Always use this app". This is the step people miss, and it is how to make VLC the default player.
- Test it on the file that failed. The MKV or AVI that Windows refused should now open immediately, with no codec pack installed anywhere.
Downloading VLC in India
VLC is the same software worldwide — there is no separate India build, no regional licence and nothing to pay. A VLC download in India pulls the identical package everyone else gets, straight from videolan.org.
We link only to that official source, so a VLC setup download India from this page cannot arrive wrapped in a third-party bundler. That matters far more than download speed: the adware people blame on "free software" almost always comes from a mirror site, never from the publisher.
Is VLC media player really free?
Open Source. Source code is public; free to use, study and modify. You can download and use it without paying, and without creating an account with us.
How to download VLC media player safely
Use the request button on this page and we will email you the current link for www.videolan.org — the publisher's own website — so you receive the authentic, digitally signed build. We do not host, mirror, patch or repackage this software in any way.
Avoid third-party "download manager" sites offering VLC media player. They commonly wrap the genuine installer in their own bundler, which is how adware and browser hijackers get onto a machine that the user believed was clean.
Alternatives to VLC media player
Other free media players software worth comparing before you decide:
mpv
Minimalist, keyboard-driven, very high quality video player.
View details
Kodi
Turn any computer into a full home-theatre media centre.
View details
foobar2000
Extremely lightweight, endlessly configurable audio player.
View detailsMusicBee
Full-featured music manager for large local libraries.
View detailsSee all VLC media player alternatives compared →
Compare VLC media player head-to-head
- VLC media player vs mpv
- VLC media player vs Kodi
- VLC media player vs foobar2000
- VLC media player vs MusicBee
Frequently asked questions
Is the VLC free download the full version?
Yes. VLC is open-source software under the GPL, maintained by the non-profit VideoLAN project — VLC media player free download full version is simply what VLC is. There is no paid edition, no feature behind a key, no trial period and no advertising.
Is VLC safe to download?
It is, provided you take it from videolan.org. The button on this page opens that official site directly. VLC itself carries no adware or bundled software; nearly every "VLC gave me a virus" report traces back to a mirror or download-portal copy rather than the real one.
Do I need to install codecs to play MKV files in VLC?
No — and that is the main reason to use it. VLC has its decoders built into the application, so MKV, AVI, MOV, FLV and the rest play straight away. You should not install a codec pack alongside it; those are a common source of adware and can actually interfere with playback.
Can VLC convert a video to MP4?
Yes. Media → Convert / Save lets you re-encode into MP4 and other formats. It is genuinely useful for a quick conversion, though a dedicated encoder such as HandBrake gives you far more control over quality and file size.
Should I download the 32-bit or 64-bit VLC?
Take the 64-bit build unless you are running an old 32-bit copy of Windows. To check, open Settings → System → About and read "System type". A 64-bit build handles large 4K files more comfortably.
Does VLC play Blu-ray discs?
It plays unencrypted Blu-ray discs. Commercial, AACS-protected discs need additional key and library files that VideoLAN cannot legally ship with the player, so Blu-ray support is not the simple out-of-the-box experience that DVD playback is.
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People also search for
The terms visitors use to find this page. Each one lands here because it describes the same program.
Searches from India
VLC media player is identical worldwide — these are search phrasings, not different downloads. Every one of them gets the same official build from www.videolan.org.