VLC, the free, offline media player developed by non-profit VideoLAN, has surpassed 7 billion downloads across all platforms, the organization announced in August 2026.
Jean-Baptiste Kempf, VLC’s president and lead developer, shared the milestone in an email. The 7 billion mark was reached roughly 18 months after VLC crossed 6 billion downloads in January 2025.
Kempf also noted that VideoLAN recently ported VLC to Amazon’s new Vega OS for TVs, and that the team continues to work on supporting additional platforms and codecs. Development of VLC 4 is also underway, though Kempf indicated it is taking time.
Last year, VideoLAN teased AI-powered translation and subtitle features using local models, though it remains unclear whether those features have been released.
The milestone underscores sustained demand for a no-cost, offline media player at a time when streaming platforms increasingly require paid subscriptions. VLC’s continued growth may suggest that a significant portion of users still rely on locally stored media and open, free software.
Source: TechCrunch