VLC crosses 7 billion downloads
The open-source VLC media player has surpassed 7 billion downloads globally. The non-profit developer, VideoLAN, is currently working on platform support for new hardware and preparing for the upcoming VLC 4 release.
Why it matters
VLC's milestone highlights the enduring popularity of free, open-source software in an era dominated by proprietary streaming services.
In our world of expensive streaming platforms, the very free and offline VLC media player, developed by the non-profit VideoLAN, has crossed 7 billion downloads across all platforms.
Jean-Baptiste Kempf, the president and lead developer of VLC, sent this update in an email. This milestone comes almost 18 months after the app reached the 6 billion download mark in January 2025 .
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