VLC Media Player 3.0.23
VLC is the free, open-source media player from VideoLAN that plays virtually any audio or video format without needing separate codec packs, plus handles streaming, DVDs, and network sources.
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VLC has been the default answer to “what plays literally anything” for over two decades. It bundles its own codec libraries rather than depending on the system, which is why it plays formats that other players refuse without extra setup.
Why VLC Still Matters
Beyond basic playback, VLC handles network streams, DVD and Blu-ray menus (region restrictions aside), on-the-fly transcoding, and can act as a lightweight streaming server. Its audio and video filter chain covers everything from simple equalization to more involved corrections like deinterlacing and aspect ratio fixes.
Installing on Linux
Most users are better served installing VLC through their distribution’s package manager, or as a Flatpak/Snap, which handles updates automatically and doesn’t require a manual build. The source tarball linked here is intended for building from source or packaging on a distribution without a pre-built VLC package.
# Debian/Ubuntu
sudo apt install vlc
# Fedora
sudo dnf install vlc
# Flatpak (any distro)
flatpak install flathub org.videolan.VLCVerify Your Download
SHA256 checksums and PGP signatures are published at videolan.org/vlc/download-sources.html.