How to Convert Several Media Files on VLC (5 Steps)

By Daniel Nash

With VLC, you can convert many types of media files from one format to another.
i Ryan McVay/Photodisc/Getty Images

VLC Media Player is an open source media-playback program released under a GNU public license. It has the capacity to play a wide variety of audio and video files. It can also be used to convert a file from one format to another. This method is handy if, for example, you want to MP3 audio from an AVI video. No plug-ins are needed to perform this conversion.

Step 01

Click on the "Media" drop-down menu on the toolbar in the VLC window. Select "Convert/Save" from the list of options. You can also open the Convert/Save menu by pressing "Ctrl" and "R" simultaneously on your keyboard.

Step 11

Click the "Add..." button under the File Selection header. Select the files you want to convert from the media browser and click "Open" to add them to the list. Click the "Convert/Save" button. You can also proceed with conversion by simultaneously pressing "Alt" and "C" on your keyboard.

Step 21

Enter a path and file name for the converted file in the "Destination File" form. To search for a destination folder, select the "Browse" button. Select a media file output format from the drop-down list under the Settings header – the first option on the list is "Video - H.264 + AAC (MP4)." Click the program’s "Start" button.

Step 31

Wait while the application converts the media file from the original format to the one you specified. The file will play as the conversion is processed. Do not interrupt playback unless you want the new file to end at the point at which you stop.

Step 41

Access the converted media file in the destination folder using your operating system's file browser.

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