Unlock VLC's Potential With These 9 Simple Tricks

VLC media player is the go-to open-source video player. Whether you are a Linux/macOS/Windows user, you can use it the same way.

Other than just watching videos, did you know VLC can do a lot more?

In this article, I highlight some fun, and useful tricks that you can do on the VLC media player ๐Ÿ˜€

In case you haven’t tried VLC yet, you can easily get it installed on your Linux system with our tutorial here:

How to Install VLC Media Player on Ubuntu Linux
This beginnerโ€™s tutorial shows the steps for installing VLC on Ubuntu. Youโ€™ll also learn to install the latest VLC version from its official PPA.
Unlock VLC's Potential With These 9 Simple Tricks
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The tips mentioned should work across all desktop platforms.

1. Create Temporary Chapters

If you are watching a long video, you can create some temporary chapters/bookmarks, so that, returning to that portion will be easy.

First, open a media, and then go to Playback โ†’ Custom Bookmarks โ†’ Manage.

(You can also use CTRL+B to get the option directly.)

Unlock VLC's Potential With These 9 Simple Tricks
Open Manage Bookmarks

You will get a small window, where, you can use the create button to add the current playing location as a bookmark. While playing the video, you can use this create button to add multiple points as bookmarks.

Unlock VLC's Potential With These 9 Simple Tricks
Create/Delete Custom Bookmarks

Double-click on the point created to go there. Or triple-click on it to rename a checkpoint.

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The Bookmarks are for the current session, in other words โ€” temporary and when you close VLC, it will be gone.

You can also view the embedded chapters, if the video has any, by going to Playback โ†’ Chapters.

Unlock VLC's Potential With These 9 Simple Tricks
Navigate between Embedded Chapters

2. Listen to Radio

First, you need to change the playlist view. Go to View โ†’ Playlist.

Unlock VLC's Potential With These 9 Simple Tricks
Select Playlist Mode

Here, you can use the Icecast directory to play radio stations available.

Unlock VLC's Potential With These 9 Simple Tricks
VLC Playlist View Mode

3. Subscribe and Listen to Podcast

If you are a podcast lover, you can subscribe to your favorite podcasts with VLC using RSS feeds.

First, on the Playlist view of VLC Media player, go to the Internet section. From there, you can see Podcast as a menu.

When you hover over the Podcast, you can see a โ€œ+โ€ sign appears. Click on it.

Unlock VLC's Potential With These 9 Simple Tricks
Select Add Podcast Button

On the dialog box that appear, enter the URL of the podcast feed that you want to subscribe. Click OK.

Unlock VLC's Potential With These 9 Simple Tricks
Enter Podcast Feed URL

You can see that the particular Podcast is added to your list, and all of its recent posts are listed on the right side.

Unlock VLC's Potential With These 9 Simple Tricks
Published Podcasts listed

Suggested Read ๐Ÿ“–

7 Best Feed Reader Apps for Linux Desktop [2023]
Extensively use RSS feeds to stay updated with your favorite websites? Take a look at the best feed reader applications for Linux.
Unlock VLC's Potential With These 9 Simple Tricks

4. Play Jigsaw Puzzle

You can convert your video to a fun little jigsaw puzzle using video effects/filters available.

First, open a video and then select Tools โ†’ Effects and Filters.

Unlock VLC's Potential With These 9 Simple Tricks
Select Effects and Filters from Tools

Go to the Video Effects and then select Geometry.

Unlock VLC's Potential With These 9 Simple Tricks
Enable Puzzle game checkbox

Now, select the Puzzle game check box and hit save. By default, it will give you a 4ร—4 puzzle, which you can change.

Unlock VLC's Potential With These 9 Simple Tricks
Playing Puzzle game in VLC
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Please remember to turn off this filter, after using it. If not, the same effect will appear for other videos opened on VLC also.

Interestingly, you can arrange and play with the puzzle, not just see it. You can play a video of a certain duration with this effect applied; a time-based jigsaw puzzle!

5. Interactive Zoom inside a video

To enable interactive zoom, first go to the Tools โ†’ Effects and Filters from the main menu.

Similar to the above tip, head to the Geometry tab in the Video Effects part.

Unlock VLC's Potential With These 9 Simple Tricks
Enable Interactive Zoom Checkbox

Here, enable the checkbox for โ€œInteractive Zoomโ€ and hit save and then close. You can now see a small portion on top of your video, with a zoom rectangle. Drag and position to the part where you want to zoom.

Unlock VLC's Potential With These 9 Simple Tricks
Interactive Zoom mode in VLC

Furthermore, you can use the small slider, as shown in the above screenshot, to adjust the zoom area size.

Suggested Read ๐Ÿ“–

Increase or Decrease Video Playback Speed in VLC
Quick VLC tip to help you speed up or slow down the video playback speed.
Unlock VLC's Potential With These 9 Simple Tricks

6. Add Logo or Text Overlay

Using VLC, you can add text or icon overlay to a video and later save it permanently to that video.

First, play a video and then go to Tools โ†’ Effects and Filters. On the dialog box, go to Video Effects โ†’ Overlay.

Unlock VLC's Potential With These 9 Simple Tricks
Add logo image to VLC Overlay settings

You can see that the image you provided have been added to the video.

Unlock VLC's Potential With These 9 Simple Tricks
Displaying Logo Overlay temporarily in VLC

Save the Logo overlay permanently

To save the overlay permanently to a video, you need to add a filter and convert it.

So, first, ensure that you have selected a logo file to place as described in the previous step.

If yes, then open VLC and then select Media โ†’ Convert/Save.

Unlock VLC's Potential With These 9 Simple Tricks
Select Convert/Save from Media option

Select the video file you want to add overlay and then press Convert/Save.

Unlock VLC's Potential With These 9 Simple Tricks
Add the Media file

On the next page, select the output profile and the click on its preferences button.

Unlock VLC's Potential With These 9 Simple Tricks
Set Video profile and select preferences

Now, go to the video section and then the filter tab. Here, select the checkbox for Logo Video Filter and press the save button.

Unlock VLC's Potential With These 9 Simple Tricks
Apply Logo Video Filter

Now, give a destination file location and name to start converting.

Unlock VLC's Potential With These 9 Simple Tricks
Give destination file location and name and start converting

This will start converting. Wait for some time as per the duration of the original video. Once conversion is complete, you can view the latest video with the logo overlay applied.

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This same step can be used to save a video in jigsaw arranged form permanently. Use the Puzzle Interactive Game video filter, instead of the Logo Video filter and then convert. Remember, you cannot interact anymore, if a video is converted to puzzle form.

7. Merge a Video and Audio

First, go to Media โ†’ Convert/Save. On the dialog box, select the video file, to which you want to merge audio, using the Add button. Now, click on the Show More Options checkbox.

Unlock VLC's Potential With These 9 Simple Tricks
Add a Video file

Next, you need to select the โ€œPlay another media synchronouslyโ€ checkbox and click on the browse button.

Unlock VLC's Potential With These 9 Simple Tricks
Browse for Audio File

In the next dialog box, select the audio file that you would like to merge, using the Add button. Hit Select after that.

Unlock VLC's Potential With These 9 Simple Tricks
Select the Audio File

Press Convert/Save button on the bottom.

Unlock VLC's Potential With These 9 Simple Tricks
Click on Convert/Save

Set the Output video profile and then give a destination location and file name. Now, press Start.

Unlock VLC's Potential With These 9 Simple Tricks
Start conversion, after setting output video profile and destination

Conversion will start now and once finished, you will get the merged file.

8. Install VLC skins from Outside VLC

Do you donโ€™t like the look of VLC? You can add skins to VLC, to make it look different.

To get started, you need to download the required skins.

Download Third-party Skins

Once downloaded, go to Tools โ†’ Preferences.

Unlock VLC's Potential With These 9 Simple Tricks
Go to preferences from Tools menu option

On the preferences page, go to Interface tab and select โ€œUse Custom Skinsโ€ radio button.

Unlock VLC's Potential With These 9 Simple Tricks
Apply downloaded skin

After selecting the downloaded skin file using the Choose button, click on Save. The selected skin will be applied when you close and reopen VLC.

Unlock VLC's Potential With These 9 Simple Tricks
VLC with new Skin

9. Apply More Video Filters

While you saw some useful and interesting use-cases of available video filters for VLC, it does not stop there.

You get several more advanced video filters that could help you make the video pop. And, you may not even need a separate video editor if the filters offer what you were looking for.

First, play a video and the head to Tools โ†’ Effects and Filters.

Here, in the dialog box, go to Video Effects โ‡พ Advanced.

Unlock VLC's Potential With These 9 Simple Tricks
Advance video effects

You can find various video effects, like Mirror, Waves, Psychedelic, etc. Try those out!

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Donโ€™t forget to disable the effects once you finish working with them. Otherwise, it will stay active and will be applied to all the videos played on VLC.

Want to Explore More VLC Magic?

VLC media player is a feature-rich app. It supports numerous file formats and lets you play video/audio hassle-free.

Some users just watch or listen to media, and some use it to convert media/stream media.

Surprisingly, it is not limited to these use-cases.

You can add subtitles to a video you are watching with VLC:

How to Use Subtitles with VLC
A beginnerโ€™s guide to playing and managing subtitles with the VLC media player.
Unlock VLC's Potential With These 9 Simple Tricks

You can also record your screen with VLC:

How to Record Your Screen with VLC
The ever versatile VLC can do a lot of things. Screen recording is one of them.
Unlock VLC's Potential With These 9 Simple Tricks

Not to forget, some basic video manipulation options like rotating a video, and trimming a video are also possible.

If you did not know about all of these features, you might want to try your hands on it to eliminate using other redundant apps for achieving the same thing.

๐Ÿ’ฌ What is your favorite feature in VLC media player? Do you use it the most? Let me know your thoughts in the comments down below.

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