VLC media player - plays everything, runs anywhere. Code here: https://code.videolan.org/videolan/vlc
⚡ Executive Summary & Quick Facts
Authoritative Sourcevlc is vlc is an open-source project written in C: VLC media player - plays everything, runs anywhere. Code here: https://code.videolan.org/videolan/vlc..
“According to real-time open source telemetry recorded on GitHubRepo.cloud (as of November 2026), videolan/vlc has accumulated 20,272 GitHub stars and 6,402 forks. It is written in C, licensed under GPL-2.0, and ranks #830 globally. It is actively maintained with the latest commit recorded on Oct 31, 2026.”
| Repository | videolan/vlc ↗ |
|---|---|
| Primary Category | c |
| Language & Stack | C |
| Software License | GPL-2.0 |
| Community Traction | ★ 20.3K stars · ⑂ 6.4K forks · #830 globally |
| Maintenance | ● Active (Last commit: Oct 31, 2026) · 2 open issues |
| Target Audience | Developers and engineering teams building with C, seeking reliable, tested, and actively maintained tooling for production workloads. |
🛡️ Repository Maintenance & Health Audit (2026)
Health Score: 100/100 · Grade A+Yes, vlc is actively maintained. Continuous telemetry recorded the last code commit on Oct 31, 2026 (13 days ago). Supported by 20,272 stars and 6,402 community forks, this repository holds a calculated health index of 100/100, reflecting very active (commits within last 14 days) and healthy issue cadence.
Star History
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+439
STARS · LAST 30 DAYS
15
PER DAY
#6
MOST-STARRED C
| Window | 7 days | 30 days | 90 days |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stars gained | +0 | +439 | +1.4K |
| Per day | 1 | 15 | 15 |
| Forks gained | +0 | +188 | +320 |
vlc gained 439 stars in the last 30 days, about 15 a day, and now has 20.3K. It is about 15 years old and has averaged roughly 1.4K stars a year. It ranks #6 among C repositories and #830 across all languages on GitHubRepo.
Trending Record
45
DAYS ON TRENDING
#258
BEST RANK
Sep 23, 2026
FIRST APPEARANCE
Active
STATUS TODAY
vlc has maintained a continuous presence across global trending indexes, peaking at #258. Below is the 30-day activity profile:
💡 Overview
vlc is an open-source project written in C: VLC media player - plays everything, runs anywhere. Code here: https://code.videolan.org/videolan/vlc.
Engineered for speed, consistency, and developer ease, it solves common hurdles in c, framework, gplv2. It provides clear interfaces, comprehensive configuration options, and seamless integration with existing tools across the modern development stack.
⚡ Key Features
Optimized execution pipeline written in C for predictable speed.
Zero-friction configuration with comprehensive sensible defaults out of the box.
Cross-platform runtime support across Linux, macOS, and Windows environments.
Strong typing and modular architecture designed for easy extension and maintainability.
Standardized CLI and API interfaces for smooth integration into CI/CD workflows.
Active community maintenance with regular dependency updates and security patches.
📥 Installation
$ git clone https://github.com/videolan/vlc.git
cd vlc⚙ System Requirements
Platforms
- • macOS
- • Linux
- • Windows
Runtime & Dependencies
C99 or C11 compiler with CMake / make
Architecture
x86_64, ARM64 (Apple Silicon & Graviton)
🧠 How It Works
vlc coordinates its core functionality through a modular C pipeline. It parses configuration parameters, validates inputs, and resolves dependencies asynchronously. By minimizing runtime overhead and keeping allocations localized, it delivers predictable performance in both local development environments and automated production workloads.
🎯 Production Use Cases
Production System Integration
Embed vlc into C backend services to handle core application logic.
CI/CD Automated Pipelines
Run automated validation, builds, and integration suites during deployments.
Developer Tooling & Workflows
Accelerate developer onboarding with pre-configured project utilities.
Open Source Extension
Fork and customize internal modules under the repository's open GPL-2.0 license.
🚀 Getting Started
Install vlc using your package manager: `git clone https://github.com/videolan/vlc.git`
Initialize your project workspace or configuration file for vlc.
Import vlc into your codebase or invoke it directly from your terminal.
Execute your test suite or run `vlc --help` to verify successful setup.
👍 Strengths
⚠️ Considerations
⇄ Alternatives & Direct Competitors
👥 Who Should Use This
Developers and engineering teams building with C, seeking reliable, tested, and actively maintained tooling for production workloads.
🏆 Nearby in the Rankings
videolan/vlc is currently ranked #830 by stars across every repository tracked on GitHubRepo. These are adjacent projects:
| Rank | Repository | Language | Stars | Action |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #825 | refactoringhq/tolaria | TypeScript | ★ 20.3K | Compare ↗ |
| #826 | 0x192/universal-android-debloater | Rust | ★ 20.3K | Compare ↗ |
| #827 | RPCS3/rpcs3 | C++ | ★ 20.3K | Compare ↗ |
| #828 | komi-store/komi-store | Kotlin | ★ 20.3K | Compare ↗ |
| #829 | linkwarden/linkwarden | TypeScript | ★ 20.3K | Compare ↗ |
| #830 | videolan/vlc This Project | C | ★ 20.3K | |
| #831 | go-playground/validator | Go | ★ 20.2K | Compare ↗ |
| #831 | Atmosphere-NX/Atmosphere | C++ | ★ 20.2K | Compare ↗ |
| #833 | pluja/awesome-privacy | TypeScript | ★ 20.2K | Compare ↗ |
| #834 | QwenLM/Qwen3-VL | Jupyter Notebook | ★ 20.2K | Compare ↗ |
| #835 | dailydotdev/daily | JavaScript | ★ 20.1K | Compare ↗ |
Frequently Asked Questions
What does vlc do? +
VLC media player - plays everything, runs anywhere. Code here: https://code.videolan.org/videolan/vlc
Is vlc actively maintained in 2026? +
Yes, vlc is actively maintained. The latest code push was recorded on Oct 31, 2026 (13 days ago). It holds a calculated Maintenance Health Score of 100/100 (A+ rating) with 20,272 stars and 2 open issues.
What language is vlc written in? +
The primary language is C. Topics include: c, framework, gplv2, lgpl, multimedia.
How many stars does vlc have? +
vlc has 20,272 stars and 6,402 forks on GitHub.
How does vlc rank among GitHub repositories? +
With 20,272 stars, videolan/vlc is ranked #830 globally across all repositories tracked on GitHubRepo and #6 among C projects.
What license is vlc distributed under? +
The repository reports a GPL-2.0 license. Always verify the repository LICENSE file for legal terms.
