Install VLC on Ubuntu 24.04: APT, Snap, Flatpak, and App Center

VLC media player is officially available on many Linux distributions including Ubuntu 24.04. The VLC is an outstanding media player that is natively open-source and cross-platform. It supports media formats that aren’t supported by other media players and you don’t need to download additional plugins to do so. VLC handles H.264, HEVC, AV1, MKV, MP4, FLAC, and dozens of other formats out of the box, including DVDs and network streams.

Quick answer

The quickest way to install VLC on Ubuntu 24.04 is sudo apt install vlc. You can also use App Center, Snap, or Flatpak if you prefer a graphical install or want a sandboxed package.

Install method comparison

Method	Source	Auto-updates	Best for
APT	Ubuntu repository	With apt upgrade	Most users; cleanest system integration
App Center	Snap (via GUI)	Automatic	No-terminal install; same package as Snap
Snap	Snapcraft	Automatic daily refresh	Sandboxed, always up to date
Flatpak	Flathub	With flatpak update	Cross-distro sandboxed package
Source	videolan.org	Manual rebuild	Custom builds only; not recommended for most users

How to Install VLC in Ubuntu 24.04

Method 1: Install VLC in Ubuntu 24.04 Via the App Store or GUI

The VLC media player is officially available in the new and improved App Store of Ubuntu 24.04. To install VLC from the App Store, open the App Store, search for VLC, choose the version (we recommend using stable because it is free of bugs) and hit the Install button to install it:

After installing VLC via the App Store, you can launch it via the Activities or by entering the “vlc” command in the terminal.

Method 2: Install VLC in Ubuntu 24.04 Using the apt Package Manager

The VLC media player is officially available in Ubuntu 24.04’s default repositories and you can install it using the apt package manager via the following command:

sudo apt install vlc -y

To update the VLC installed from the default repositories in Ubuntu 24.04, run the below command:

sudo apt upgrade vlc

Method 3: Install VLC in Ubuntu 24.04 Via flathub

The flathub hosts numerous applications and can be used on almost every other Linux distribution. You can install the VLC using the flathub in Ubuntu 24, by following these steps:

Step 1: Add flathub Repository

The flathub is the centralized repository of the flatpak apps. To add the flatpak repository in Ubuntu 24.04, execute the below-mentioned command:

flatpak remote-add --if-not-exists flathub https://flathub.org/repo/flathub.flatpakrepo

Step 2: Install flathub

Now install flathub by executing the following command:

sudo flatpak install flathub

Step 3: Install VLC Media Player in Ubuntu 24.04 Via flathub

After installing flathub, you can easily install the VLC media player using the following command:

flatpak install flathub org.videolan.VLC

To run the VLC installed via the flathub, use the command:

flatpak run org.videolan.VLC

You can update the flatpak-based VLC media player by running the below-highlighted command:

sudo flatpak update --app org.videolan.VLC

Method 4: Install VLC in Ubuntu 24.04 Via snap

The snap is a collection of all libraries and dependencies contained in a package to install certain packages. Using the snap, you can install a variety of applications on almost every other Linux distro. It also hosts the VLC that can be installed by running the below-given command in Ubuntu 24.04:

sudo snap install vlc

If you want to update a snap-based VLC installation in Ubuntu 24.04, execute the following command:

sudo snap refresh vlc

Method 5: Install VLC in Ubuntu Using the Source Code

You can use the VLC’s official source code binaries to quickly download & install the latest major/minor update before it is made available with other sources. To install the VLC media player in Ubuntu 24 using the source code, follow the given stepwise instructions:

Step 1: Download the VLC tar.gz File

The official source code of VLC is available in the tar.gz format and currently, it holds version 3.0.20. However, you can download the latest version from the official source and replace the version number with the downloaded one in the following command:

wget https://get.videolan.org/vlc/3.0.20/vlc-3.0.20.tar.xz

Step 2: Install the Required Libraries and Dependencies

Now, execute the below command to install the required libraries and dependencies to compile the VLC media player’s source code in Ubuntu 24.04:

sudo apt install build-essential libavcodec-dev libavformat-dev libswscale-dev liba52-0.7.4-dev libasound2-dev lua5.2 liblua5.2-dev libxcb* libvlc*

Step 3: Configure the VLC Media Player’s Source Code

Now open files, navigate to Home, find the VLC media player’s source code file and extract it. After that, navigate the terminal to the extracted directory and ensure the availability of the required packages, using the following command:

cd /home/user/vlc-3.0.20
./configure

Step 4: Compile the VLC Media Player’s Source Code

Next, execute the following command to compile the VLC’s source code:

make

Step 5: Install VLC Media Player

Here, execute the below command and install the VLC media player in Ubuntu 24.04 using the source code:

sudo make install

Now, verify the installation via the below command:

vlc -v

Bonus Tip: Bonus Tip: How to Set VLC as Default Media Player in Ubuntu 24.04

To set the VLC media player as your default media player in Ubuntu 24.04, open Settings and navigate to Apps ? Default Apps. From here, select VLC media player against the Music and Video:

How to Uninstall VLC From Ubuntu 24.04

You can uninstall the VLC media player from Ubuntu 24.04 based on the installation process you followed.

For App Store-based installation, open the App Store, click on Manage, find & click on VLC and then use the three dots to Uninstall it:

For apt-based installation of the VLC media player in Ubuntu 24.04, use the below command to uninstall it:

sudo apt autoremove vlc --purge

For snap-based VLC media player’s installation in Ubuntu 24.04, you can use the following command to uninstall it:

sudo snap remove vlc

To uninstall the flatpak-based VLC media player in Ubuntu 24.04, execute:

flatpak uninstall org.videolan.VLC

If you have used the source-based installation method for the VLC media player in Ubuntu 24.04, execute the following command after navigating to the directory where you have extracted the source code:

sudo make uninstall

Which VLC install method should you choose?

APT is the easiest terminal method and fits most Ubuntu desktops because it uses Ubuntu’s normal package management. App Center is better if you prefer installing software without commands.

Snap and Flatpak are useful when you want a packaged desktop app that is updated separately from the Ubuntu repository. Source installation is only worth using if you specifically need to build VLC yourself.

Related Ubuntu 24.04 guides

• Install Slack on Ubuntu 24.04
• Install Visual Studio Code on Ubuntu 24.04
• Install OpenSSH Server on Ubuntu 24.04
• Install Go on Ubuntu 24.04