How to install plugins and extensions in VLC Media Player

The multimedia section is one of the most important when using our computer, since both watching videos and listening to music are two of the most common actions. For this, it is common to have a capable player that offers compatibility with all types of files and formats. One of the most used options is VLC, which has long been considered one of the best multimedia players, since it has the necessary codecs to play any format, as well as the possibility of adding new features through extensions.

VLC is a player that by default includes many useful features that go far beyond playing movies and music. It stands out for its compatibility to watch videos, listen to online radio, as well as play DVD and Blu-ray, as well as videos up to 4K quality, even in streaming. But, if that wasn’t enough, we can also augment its functionality through the use of extensions and plugins.

install plugins and extensions in VLC Media Player

What are they and how to download

When we talk about extensions, we are referring to small programs that have been designed so that they can be installed inside the player, thus obtaining new additional features and functions that were not included by default.

To do this, VLC developers have their own add-ons and extensions store where we can find elements of all kinds. Extensions have their own .lua format, so it must be in this format to work properly.

In the store, we can download various themes to customize the player, extensions to view streaming content such as Twitch or TuneIn Radio or others to display the lyrics of the songs while we listen to them. These are just some examples, because if we visit their page we will find a wide variety of them.

Descargar complemento de la tienda oficial de VideoLAN

Downloading them is extremely simple, since it will only be necessary to click on the add-on that we want to download and click on the “Download” button that appears in the upper right part. Once we have downloaded it we can install it on the player.

Despite the fact that we can find add-ons on many pages, it is always recommended that we only download them from the official VideoLAN store , since they are reviewed before being published, preventing them from being manipulated by third parties and negatively affecting both VLC and the system.

Install and uninstall extensions

Next, we are going to see how to install the extensions that we find inside the player or those that we have downloaded externally.

From the player itself

To install add-ons from VLC we must click on the “Tools” tab that we find in the upper right. This will open a menu where we must click on “Add-ons and extensions”. Now a new window will appear to us from which we can see and manage all these browser extensions, as well as enable or disable them depending on whether we need them or not.

VLC Instalar complementos

On the left side we can see those available to install organized by various categories such as “All”, “Skins”, “Extensions”, “Interfaces”, etc. Meanwhile, on the right side those that are available will appear. Simply click on the desired one and click on the “Install” button.

Externally downloaded

In the event that we have downloaded the extension from the VideoLAN store, we will have to install it manually. Once we have downloaded the file, we must copy it into the player configuration section. To do this, press Windows + R, which will launch the Run command. Here we write %appdata% and press Enter. From the File Explorer we navigate to the following path:

AppData / Roaming / vlc /lua / extensions

VLC carpeta extensiones

In the event that the lua folder or extensions do not exist, we must create it and copy the extension that we have downloaded into it. This will make it install automatically, so we will only have to start or restart VLC to verify that it has been installed from the “Tools” and “Add-ons and extensions” section.

Uninstall plugins

When uninstalling add-ons, the method will depend on the way in which we have installed. If we have installed it from the Complements and extensions section of the browser itself, it will only be necessary to look for said extension in its menu, for which it is enough to click on the Only installed box to show it to us on the right side. We click on it and click on “Uninstall”.

VLC desinstalar extensiones

In the event that we have installed it manually, we must return to the “AppData / Roaming / vlc / lua / extensions” directory and from there delete the extension that we have saved. Once deleted it will be automatically uninstalled from VLC.

Extensions and plugins for VLC

Next, we are going to see some of the best add-ons and extensions that we can download for free for VLC.

VLSub

This add-on is ideal if we like to watch our series and movies with subtitles, as it will help us find the best available subtitles for our video in a matter of seconds. Once we have it installed, it will search the Internet for the best available options based on the name of the movie. We can download it by clicking on this link to the store website .

Resume Media V3.40

This extension can help us to control everything we have seen in VLC. It is capable of remembering both the duration of the videos that we have watched and the exact point where we stopped watching it. It is capable of working with all kinds of videos, as soon as we play it, it will ask us for a previous location to where we have played the video so that we can easily resume it. It is also capable of knowing the videos that we have completely finished and have not left halfway. We can download it by clicking on this link to the developer’s website .

Ytube playlist

When it comes to watching streaming videos, YTube is the reference for a large number of users around the world. Thanks to this extension, we can add a YTube playlist for VLC which integrates some interesting functions to our player, such as importing the lists created on YTube and watching them offline. In addition, we can choose the resolution with which to play them. We can download playlist for free from the developer store.

TuneInRadio

By installing this plug-in we can listen to TuneIn Radio from our VLC player. In this way we can quickly search the entire list of available stations that we can listen to via streaming without having to open the browser. TuneIn brings together live sports radio, music, news, podcasts and radio from around the world in one extension. We can download it by clicking on this link to the add-on store .