How to set up VLC for Mac

If you are familiar with VLC Media Player, you will be happy to know that it is now available for Mac. This media player is free and opens all types of media files. What is also interesting is that it is updated periodically to improve the user experience.

If you want to know more about VLC for Mac, you are in the right place. This article covers all the essential details that users need to know about VLC for Mac.

VLC for Mac

VLC is the most popular open source media player. It is the only multimedia player that allows you to play any type of audio and video for free. And there is no need to download additional codecs to ensure playback of certain types of videos. All you have to do is install the application on your Mac and you can enjoy your videos and audio without any problems.

How to set up VLC on Mac

To start accessing the countless features of VLC on Mac, simply download and install the app on your Mac. Here’s how:

1. Launch Safari or any other browser and visit VLC official download page. Avoid downloading the app from third party websites as they may contain viruses.
   
2. Click “Download VLC.” If you want to download a different version than the one specified. Click the “Drop-down menu” to find other options.
   
3. Click “Allow” on the pop-up message to confirm the download. You can see the progress on the download icon in the top right corner.
   
4. When the download is complete, click the file to verify and open it.
   
5. Drag and drop the VLC Media Player to “Applications” in the window that appears to install.
   
6. Close all tabs. She opens a finder window and goes to “Applications.” Find VLC Media Player and double click on it.
   
7. You will have the option to “Check album art or metadata.” If you do not want or need the related artwork, please choose “No, thank you.” If desired, select “Enable metadata recovery.”
   
8. VLC Media Player will open.
   

How to open files in VLC for Mac

Have you ever used VLC on another operating system? If so, you will find it easy to open files on Mac because they work the same way. But even if you’re not familiar with either, opening files on the platform is easy thanks to VLC’s easy-to-use interface. Below are several ways you can use to open a file.

From the file

Try this method as follows:

1. Open VLC and click “File” in the menu bar at the top.
   
2. Select “Open File” from the drop-down menu. A window will appear asking you to navigate to where the file you want to play is located.
   
3. Choose the location of your file and open it.
   
4. Select the file to play and press “Open.”
   

Right click

To simply right-click to view or listen to a file, follow these instructions:

1. Go to the file you want to play and right click.
   
2. Tap “Open with” from the drop-down menu.
   
3. Among the options provided, select “VLC”.
   

Drag and drop

Is that how it works:

1. Open VLC and minimize the screen.
   
2. Go to the file you want to play. Drag and drop it into the VLC playlist window, where it says “Drop media here.”
   

Make VLC your default media player on Mac

Do you want all your files to play exclusively with VLC? You can avoid having to repeat the above processes every time by automatically opening all your files by double-clicking. Do this by setting VLC as the default media player. This is how you do it.

1. Select any type of media file on your device and right click on it.
   
2. From the drop-down menu, select the fourth option, “Get Info.”
   
3. A window opens on the left. Scroll down to the “Open with” option. Tap the drop-down arrow and select “VLC.”
   
4. Scroll down to the option: “Choose this app to open all documents like this.” Click “Change all.”
   
5. Tap “Continue” to confirm the changes.
   

Features that make VLC the best media player for Mac

While “free” may mean cheap to some, that is not the case for VLC Media Player. It has features that compete favorably with the best media players and it does so for free. And with regular updates, the functionality gets better and better. These are some of the features:

Downloading YouTube videos

You can’t download YouTube videos unless you have a premium account. But when you have VLC, you can do it. However, you will have to click several buttons to view the video on your device.

1. Go to YouTube and copy the URL of the video you want to download.
   
2. In VLC, open “Media” and click “Open Network Streaming.”
   
3. Paste the URL in the pop-up window.
   
4. At the bottom right, select the “Play” button and then click “Stream.”
   
5. Click “Next” in the window that appears.
   
6. On the new page, tap “Add” and then “Browse” to choose the file destination. Click Next.”
   
7. Click the drop-down menu on the next page to select the file format and click “Next.”
   
8. Tap “Stream” to process and download the video.
   

Cut video or audio clip

Short video or audio clips sent to friends can sometimes brighten their day. With VLC, you don’t need superior editing skills to create and share these snippets. You can follow the steps below to cut video clips on Mac using VLC:

1. Open the video you want to edit.
2. Choose where you want to save the clip. Go to “Preferences” in the VLC menu bar.
3. Click “Input & Codecs” and tap “Browse” to choose the file location and save it.
4. Place the playback head where you want video recording to start.
5. Click “Play” in the menu bar and select “Record.”
6. Use the space bar to play the video. When you reach the desired point, pause the video and deselect “Record” in Playback.
7. The clip will be prepared and sent to the location you chose to save it.

Convert files

You have just received a work-related video file and it is urgent that you view it immediately. But when you try to play it, all it shows is “Unsupported file format”. With VLC, you can overcome this obstacle. You can convert videos and audio from one Formatt to another as follows:

1. Open “File” in the VLC menu bar.
   
2. In the drop-down menu, click “Convert/stream”.
   
3. Select the file you want to convert by dragging or browsing it.
   
4. In the choose profile p, click the drop-down menu to select the version of the converted file.
   
5. Click “Browse” to choose the file destination.
   
6. Tap “Save” to begin the conversion process. You will not receive a notification when the download is complete. Check the progress bar.
   

Customize features

Being an open source platform, VLC allows you to customize features to suit your preferences. You can change the layout, appearance and adjust controls. However, this does not affect functionality. This feature gives you the flexibility to enjoy customized media playback.

Improve your multimedia experience on Mac with VLC

You don’t have to pay to enjoy stable media playback on Mac. All you have to do is download VLC from the official website. The installation process is easy and there are unlimited features that you can explore. Additionally, you can customize VLC to meet your specific needs.

Have you tried VLC for Mac? What features have impressed you the most? Share your thoughts and experiences in the comments p below.