VLC Media Player is a widely used media player that offers a range of keyboard shortcuts and hotkeys to make it easier for users to navigate and control their media. These shortcuts can help users adjust settings, play, pause, skip tracks, and perform other functions quickly and easily.
Here, we’ll list some of the most commonly used VLC Media Player shortcuts and hotkeys to help you enhance your media playback experience on all the major operating systems. Download VLC Media Player if you don’t have VLC installed on your device.
VLC Media Player Shortcuts and Hotkeys for Windows
VLC Media Player provides numerous shortcuts and hotkeys for Windows users, improving playback efficiency.
Here is a list of some of the most commonly used VLC Media Player shortcuts and hotkeys for Windows. Additionally, these shortcuts will work on Linux distributions and Chromebooks.
Shortcut | Action |
---|---|
Playback | |
Space | Play/pause |
S | Stop |
+ | Faster |
– | Slower |
] | Faster (fine) |
[ | Slower (fine) |
= | Normal rate |
Shift + Left arrow | Back 3 seconds |
Shift + Right arrow | Forward 3 seconds |
Alt + Left arrow | Back 10 seconds |
Alt + Right arrow | Forward 10 seconds |
Control + Left arrow | Back 1 minute |
Control + Right arrow | Forward 1 minute |
Control + Alt + Left arrow | Back 5 minutes |
Control + Alt + Right arrow | Forward 5 minutes |
N | Next track |
P | Previous track |
T | Position/time |
L | Normal/loop/repeat |
E | Next frame |
Shift + M | Disc menu |
Shift + O | Previous title |
Shift + B | Next title |
Shift + P | Previous Chapter |
Shift + N | Next Chapter |
Ctrl + Q | Quit |
Audio | |
J | Decrease audio delay |
B | Cycle audio track |
Shift + A | Cycle audio device |
Ctrl + Up arrow | Increase volume |
Ctrl + Down arrow | Decrease volume |
M | Mute |
Display | |
I | Show controller in fullscreen |
Z | Zoom |
Shift + Z | Reset zoom |
F | Toggle fullscreen |
Escape | Leave fullscreen/close dialogue |
Page Up | Shrink the viewpoint |
Page Down | Expand the viewpoint |
Alt + 1 | 1:4 quarter crop |
Alt + 2 | 1:2 half crop |
Alt + 3 | 1:1 original crop |
Alt + 4 | 2:1 double crop |
A | Cycle aspect ratio |
C | Cycle cropping ratio |
O | Toggle autoscaling |
Alt + O | Increase scale factor |
Alt + Shift + O | Decrease scale factor |
D | Toggle deinterlacing |
Shift + D | Cycle deinterlace modes |
Playlists | |
Ctrl + F1 – F10 | Set playlist bookmark 1 – 10 |
F1 – F10 | Play playlist bookmark 1 – 10 |
Ctrl + W | Clear the playlist |
Ctrl + Y | Save playlist |
Subtitles | |
Ctrl + 0 | Reset subtitles scale |
Ctrl + Mouse wheel up | Scale down subtitles text |
Ctrl + Mouse wheel down | Scale up subtitles text |
H | Increase subtitle delay |
G | Decrease subtitle delay |
Shift + H | Sync subtitles |
Alt + V | Cycle subtitle track in reverse order |
V | Cycle subtitle track |
Shift + V | Toggle subtitles |
Menu and Settings | |
Ctrl + B | Bookmarks |
Ctrl + C | Open capture device |
Ctrl + D | Open disc |
Ctrl + E | Extended settings |
Ctrl + F | Open folder |
Ctrl + H | Hide/show menus |
Ctrl + I | Media information |
Ctrl + J | Codecs information |
Ctrl + L | Hide/show playlist |
Ctrl + M | Messages |
Ctrl + N | Open network stream |
Ctrl + O | Open file |
Ctrl + P | Preferences |
Ctrl + R | Convert/save |
Ctrl + S | Streaming |
Ctrl + T | Go to time |
Ctrl + V | Paste location/MRL |
Ctrl + Shift + W | VLM configurator |
Alt + A | Audio menu |
Alt + H | Help menu |
Alt + I | View menu |
Alt + L | Playback menu |
Alt + M | Media menu |
Alt + S | Tools menu |
Alt + T | Subtitle menu |
Shift + S | Snapshot |
Shift + R | Record |
R | Random |
Enter | Select menu entry (DVD) |
Arrow keys | Navigate menus (DVD) |
VLC Media Player Shortcuts and Hotkeys for macOS
However, if you are on macOS, VLC Media Player also provides an array of shortcuts and hotkeys tailored for macOS users, optimizing their media playback experience. These shortcuts enable users to effortlessly utilize the media player.
Here is a list of some command keyboard shortcuts for macOS:
Shortcut | Action |
---|---|
Playback | |
Spacebar | Play/Pause |
Command + Right Arrow | Fast Forward |
Command + Left Arrow | Rewind |
Control + Right Arrow | Next Track |
Control + Left Arrow | Previous Track |
L | Loop |
Alt + Right Arrow | Jump Forward |
Alt + Left Arrow | Jump Backward |
Command + Plus (+) | Increase Playback Speed |
Command + Minus (-) | Decrease Playback Speed |
Volume and Audio | |
Command + Up Arrow | Volume Up |
Command + Down Arrow | Volume Down |
M | Mute/Unmute |
H | Subtitle Delay Up |
G | Subtitle Delay Down |
K | Audio Delay Up |
J | Audio Delay Down |
Display and Interface | |
Command + F | Full Screen |
Escape | Exit Full Screen |
Command + Option + F | Toggle Fullscreen |
Command + Option + S | Snapshot |
Command + Option + O | Advanced Controls |
Command + Option + P | Show/Hide Playlist |
Command + Option + E | Show/Hide Equalizer |
Command + Option + V | Show/Hide Subtitles |
Command + Option + A | Show/Hide Audio Track |
Command + Option + T | Show/Hide Time |
Command + Option + B | Show/Hide Advanced Controls |
Command + Option + D | Show/Hide Effects and Filters |
Command + Option + M | Show/Hide Messages |
File and Application | |
Command + O | Open Media |
Command + Q | Quit VLC Media Player |
Customize the Keyboard Shortcuts
Customizing shortcuts in VLC Media Player can be helpful if you want to use specific keys or key combinations for certain functions. For example, you might want to assign a shortcut for skipping to the next track in your playlist or adjusting the playback speed.
It’s important to note that some shortcuts may conflict with other applications on your computer. For instance, if you assign Ctrl + C as a shortcut in VLC Media Player, you won’t be able to use it for copying text in other programs.
It’s always recommended to choose unique key combinations that aren’t already assigned to other functions to avoid conflicts.
Here are the steps to edit VLC Media Player shortcuts:
1. Open VLC Media Player on your computer.
2. Click on the Tools option on the top menu bar and then click on Preferences. Alternatively, you can use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + P to open the preferences window. For macOS, use Command (⌘) + , keyboard shortcut.

3. Click the Hotkeys option in the preferences window. Here, you will see a list of default shortcuts for various functions.
4. Double-click on the action name, and then it will open the Hotkey Change window.
5. Here, press the keys together you want to use as the shortcut for the action.
6. After that, click on the Assign button.

Note
If the shortcut is already used up then a warning is displayed. (Key or combination) is already an application menu shortcut. Don’t use such key combinations to avoid conflict with other functions of VLC.
7. To apply the changes, click on the Save button. If anything goes wrong, reset it to default by clicking the Reset Preferences button.

Conclusion
That’s it! This is the list of the most commonly used VLC Media Player shortcuts and hotkeys, along with how you can customize them. These shortcuts can significantly enhance your experience with VLC, allowing you to navigate through your media effortlessly and efficiently.
Whether you’re controlling playback, adjusting volume, or managing subtitles, mastering these shortcuts can make your media playback smoother and more enjoyable.