January 19, World (LNW): VLC Media Player, the widely used open-source software developed by the non-profit organisation VideoLAN, has reached an impressive milestone of over 6 billion downloads worldwide.
In a major announcement at CES 2025, VideoLAN revealed that it will soon be launching a groundbreaking AI-powered subtitle feature, set to transform the viewing experience for users across the globe.
This new feature will allow VLC to automatically generate real-time subtitles and translations for any video, without the need for an internet connection or reliance on cloud-based services.
The AI functionality will operate using local, open-source models, ensuring that users can enjoy accurate subtitles and translations even in offline settings.
VideoLAN demonstrated the capability at CES, showcasing its seamless integration with the media player.
VideoLAN, which was originally conceived in 1996 by a group of students at École Centrale Paris as a project to stream video across their campus network, has grown into a global leader in free multimedia software.
Over the years, the organisation has expanded VLC across multiple operating systems and platforms, all while remaining ad-free and avoiding the use of any commercial revenue models or data collection practices.
Jean-Baptiste Kempf, the president of VideoLAN, shared his excitement about the increasing number of active users in a LinkedIn post, acknowledging the platform’s ability to thrive even in the face of growing competition from large streaming services.
He praised VLC’s unique position in the media player market, offering users a trusted and entirely free alternative.
The AI subtitle feature, which operates entirely offline, will help further set VLC apart by catering to users who may have limited or no internet access. However, VideoLAN has yet to confirm the official release date of this feature, leaving many eager to learn more.
The organisation has also indicated that more details will be shared in an upcoming blog post, which will outline the technical aspects and system requirements for running the AI-powered subtitles locally.
While the company has not disclosed the full list of supported languages, images from the CES presentation suggest that the feature will include translations in several languages, including German, Hebrew, Japanese, and French.
The anticipation surrounding this feature is palpable, as it promises to deliver an even more versatile and accessible experience for VLC’s broad user base.
