How to Change Audio Language in VLC?

Switching between different dubbed audio languages in VLC Media Player is a quick and straightforward process that allows you to enjoy movies and videos in your preferred language. Whether you are watching a multi-audio MKV file, a downloaded movie, or a DVD, VLC provides built-in tools to switch audio tracks on the fly. This guide covers the exact steps to change the audio language on Windows, Mac, and mobile devices, as well as how to set your preferred language as the default for all future playback.

Switching Audio Tracks During Playback

If you are currently watching a video and want to change the language, you can do so instantly without pausing the media. The method varies slightly depending on your operating system.

On Windows and Linux

• Right-Click Method: Right-click anywhere on the video player screen, hover your mouse over Audio, then move to Audio Track, and select your preferred language from the list.
• Menu Bar Method: Click on Audio in the top menu bar, select Audio Track, and choose your desired language.
• Keyboard Shortcut: Press the L key on your keyboard to cycle through the available audio languages automatically.

On macOS

• Menu Bar Method: Click on Audio in the top menu bar at the top of your Mac screen. Hover over Audio Track and select the language you want.
• Keyboard Shortcut: Press Command + Option + L to cycle through the available language tracks.

On Android and iOS

• Tap the screen during playback to bring up the player controls.
• Tap the Audio/Subtitle icon (which usually looks like a speech bubble or a small audio wave).
• Under the Audio section, select the language track you wish to hear.

How to Set a Default Audio Language in VLC

If you frequently watch videos in a specific language, you can configure VLC to automatically select that language whenever a multi-audio file is opened.

• Open VLC Media Player and navigate to Tools (Windows) or VLC (Mac) in the top menu, then select Preferences.
• Click on the Audio tab at the top of the preferences window.
• Look for the Tracks section at the bottom of the audio settings.
• In the Preferred audio language text box, enter the three-letter or two-letter ISO code for your language (for example, eng for English, spa for Spanish, or fre for French). You can enter multiple languages separated by commas (e.g., eng,spa) to set a priority list.
• Click Save and restart VLC for the changes to take effect.

Troubleshooting Missing Audio Tracks

If you follow the steps above and only see one option under the Audio Track menu, the video file you are playing does not contain multiple language tracks. To listen to a different language in this scenario, you must download an external audio file (such as an MP3 or M4A track) for that language. You can load it into VLC by going to Audio > Audio Track > Open File… and selecting the downloaded audio file to sync it with the video.