VLC media player 3.0.24 for Windows

VLC media player 3.0.24 is the newest Windows release of the free, open-source video and audio player from the VideoLAN team, published on 22 September 2026. You can download it for Windows from videolan.org; according to catalogue data, the installer is about 43.81 MB.

VLC plays almost any file you throw at it without extra codec packs, which is the reason most people install it in the first place.

Who VLC is for

VLC is for anyone who has ever double-clicked a video and got an error instead of a picture. It opens files, discs, network streams and half-downloaded videos, and it does so with the same simple window on every system. Wikidata describes it as a media player, streaming client, streaming media server and audio and video converter, and that list is not an exaggeration: besides playback, VLC can convert a file to another format, record a stream or send video to another device on your network. The project began in 1996 and the first public release came on 1 February 2001. It is written in C, C++ and Objective-C, runs on Windows, Linux, macOS, BSD, Android, iOS and ChromeOS, and is maintained by VideoLAN, with no ads in the player.

How to install VLC on Windows

1. Open the official VLC page.
2. Download the Windows installer and run it.
3. Choose which file types VLC should open by default.
4. Launch VLC and drag any video into the window.

VLC is also available in the Microsoft Store if you prefer store-managed updates.

What's new in 3.0.24

Version 3.0.24 continues the long-running 3.0 branch for desktop systems. VideoLAN lists the changes of each version on its releases page. The mobile apps use their own, separate version numbers.

Is VLC free and safe?

Completely free. VLC is open-source software under the GNU LGPL 2.1 or later and the GNU GPL 2.0 or later, and its source code is public on code.videolan.org. Because it is so popular, fake VLC downloads are common: get it only from videolan.org or the Microsoft Store.

Tips for everyday use

A few habits make VLC even more useful. Drag a subtitle file onto a playing video and it loads at once. Use the Media menu to open a network stream by pasting a link. If a video and its sound drift apart, VLC can shift the audio track until they match again. The Convert option in the same menu turns a clip into a format your phone or TV understands, so you rarely need a separate converter. Settings you change are remembered, and you can always reset them from the preferences if something goes wrong.

Requirements

VLC runs on IA-32, x86-64 and ARM processors, so practically any Windows PC is compatible, including older and low-power machines.

Pros and cons

• Plays nearly every format without codec packs.
• Open source, no ads.
• Converts and streams as well as plays.
• The interface looks plain.
• Advanced settings are hard to navigate.