How to make VLC your default player¶

This page will describe how VLC Media Player can be made the default audio/video player in Windows (10, Vista/7/8, XP), macOS, and Fedora.

Windows¶

Windows ten¶

For making VLC the default player for all kinds of audio/video files:

  1. Go to settings. (Press Windows fundamental, type "settings", and click on Settings).

  2. Click on Apps.

  3. Click on Default Apps.

  4. For sound files, brand VLC the default player for .

  5. For video files, make VLC the default actor for .

../../_images/vlc_as_default_player_windows_10_all.png

VLC is now the default Music and Video player.

For making VLC the default player for a specific kind of media file:

  1. Right click on a file with the extension that should open up in VLC by default.

  2. Get to .

  3. Select VLC Media Player from the options.

  4. Bank check the box E'er use this app to open <file extension> files.

Where <file extension> is replaced by the extension of the kind of file selected.

../../_images/vlc_as_default_player_windows_10_specific.png

Windows Vista, 7, 8¶

To make VLC the default player, follow these steps:

  1. Open VLC and go to . (Keyboard shortcut is Ctrl+P.)

  2. In the Interface tab, whorl downwardly to .

  3. Click on the Set up associations… button.

../../_images/vlc_as_default_player_windows_vista(1).png

  1. A dialog box volition appear with the list of diverse audio/video file formats.

    • If yous want some particular media files to open through VLC, check the boxes associated to those file types.

    • If y'all want to set VLC the default media player for all kind of files, check the Select All box.

  2. Click of the Salve button.

../../_images/vlc_as_default_player_windows_vista(2).png

Windows XP¶

The simplest way to ready VLC every bit the default histrion in Windows XP is during installation. During the setup, VLC asks if the you desire certain media files to exist opened in VLC by default. All the file types are checked by default.

In example VLC is installed but is not the default player, the best manner to set it is by uninstalling and reinstalling VLC.

  • To keep your customisations, make sure to uncheck the Delete preferences and cache while uninstalling.

  • While reinstalling VLC, keep the boxes of those media files checked which you wish would open in VLC by default.

macOS¶

To prepare VLC as the default actor for a specific kind of media file:

  1. Right-click on a file with the extension that you want to open up with VLC.

  2. Click on Get Info.

  3. In the Open with section, select VLC from the drop-down menu.

  4. To make this change for all files of this type, click the Alter All button.

For optical media like CDs/DVDs,

  1. Become to .

  2. Choose "CDs/DVDs" in the Hardware section.

  3. Choose Other Application from the corresponding popup menu.

  4. Choose VLC from the list.

Linux¶

Fedora¶

To make VLC the default histrion for all sound/video media files:

  1. Go to Activity. (Keyboard shortcut is pressing the Super Key.)

  2. Type Default Applications in the search bar.

  3. Select .

  4. For audio files, select VLC media player under .

  5. For video files, select VLC media role player under .

../../_images/vlc_as_default_player_fedora_all_kinds.png

VLC is at present the default player for all kinds of sound and video files.

To make VLC the default actor for a specific kind of media file, we need to associate VLC with that type of media file. There are iii ways to do this.

Method 1 (GUI based)¶

  1. Correct click on a file with the extension that you want to open with VLC.

  2. Click on Properties.

  3. Select the Open with tab.

  4. Select VLC Media Player from the list of options.

  5. Click on the button Set equally default.

../../_images/vlc_as_default_player_fedora_specific_method1.png

All ".mp3" files will now play in VLC media thespian by default.

Method two (CLI based)¶

Fedora stores system defaults in /usr/share/applications/gnome-mimeapps.list and /usr/share/applications/mimeapps.list . To override these defaults, we need to make an entry in ~/.config/mimeapps.list , which stores the user preference for default apps while opening files.

To make VLC the default role player for a kind of media file (".mp3" files for case), we demand to acquaintance the desktop entry of VLC ( vlc.desktop ) with the MIME type of ".mp3" ( sound/mpeg ).

To do this using the "xdg-mime" command:

  1. Open last.

  2. Run the following code:

                                    xdg                  -                  mime                  default                  vlc                  .                  desktop                  audio                  /                  mpeg

This volition add the desktop entry audio/mpeg=vlc.desktop in both, the [Default Applications] and [Added Associations] groups in the ~/.config/mimeapps.list file.

To check if "audio/mpeg" is associated with "vlc.desktop", run the post-obit code in the terminal:

                                    XDG_UTILS_DEBUG_LEVEL                  =                  2                  xdg                  -                  mime                  query                  default                  audio                  /                  mpeg

The showtime role of this above code tells which file(s) were queried, while the second part tells which app will be invoked when opening a ".mp3" file. The output should be:

                                    Checking                  /                  abode                  /<                  username                  >/.                  config                  /                  mimeapps                  .                  list                  vlc                  .                  desktop

Where <username> is replaced by your user proper noun.

../../_images/vlc_as_default_player_fedora_specific_method2.png

Method 3 (Transmission)¶

Instead of using the "xdg-mime" control, the entry can exist manually fabricated in the ~/.config/mimeapps.list file. To do this, follow these steps:

  1. Go to home directory.

  2. Click on the hamburger card and cheque the Testify hidden files box.

../../_images/vlc_as_default_player_fedora_specific_method3(1).png

The hamburger menu is located at the top-right manus side.

  1. Open the .config folder.

  2. If mimeapps.listing exists,

    • Open the file in any editor.

    • Add audio/mpeg=vlc.desktop in the [Default Applications] group.

    • Add audio/mpeg=vlc.desktop; in the [Added Associations] group.

  3. Otherwise, create a file named mimeapps.listing and paste the post-obit code:

                                    [                  Default                  Applications                  ]                  audio                  /                  mpeg                  =                  vlc                  .                  desktop                  [                  Added                  Associations                  ]                  audio                  /                  mpeg                  =                  vlc                  .                  desktop                  ;

  1. Salvage the file.

../../_images/vlc_as_default_player_fedora_specific_method3(2).png

All ".mp3" files will now open with VLC by default.

Note: In case there are two entries nether [Default Applications] group for the same kind of media file, the 1 on the acme is considered.

Notation 2: Sure media files can take more than one MIME types (for example the MIME type of ".mp3" is both sound/mpeg and sound/mp3 ). Using anyone will exercise the task.