{
  "@context": [
    "https://schema.org",
    {
      "nuanyue": "https://www.nuanyue.com/ns#"
    }
  ],
  "@type": "SoftwareApplication",
  "@id": "https://www.nuanyue.com/software/mpv/#software",
  "name": "mpv",
  "description": "Free, open-source, and cross-platform media player.",
  "url": "https://www.nuanyue.com/software/mpv/",
  "mainEntityOfPage": "https://www.nuanyue.com/software/mpv/",
  "operatingSystem": "macOS",
  "applicationCategory": "MultimediaApplication",
  "publisher": {
    "name": "The mpv project",
    "url": "https://www.mpv.io/"
  },
  "sameAs": [
    "https://www.mpv.io/",
    "https://github.com/mpv-player/mpv"
  ],
  "softwareVersion": "0.41.0",
  "license": "GPL-2.0-or-later",
  "offers": {
    "@type": "Offer",
    "price": "0",
    "priceCurrency": "USD"
  },
  "nuanyue:record": {
    "schemaVersion": 1,
    "id": "software:mpv",
    "slug": "mpv",
    "name": "mpv",
    "type": "SoftwareApplication",
    "entityType": "media player",
    "description": "Free, open-source, and cross-platform media player.",
    "shortDescription": "Free, open-source, and cross-platform media player.",
    "answer": "mpv is a free, open-source media player for the command line, based on MPlayer and mplayer2. It has no official GUI — only a small on-screen controller over the video — and is driven by keyboard, mouse and a configuration file rather than menus, which is why it works both as a player people run directly and as an engine other players embed (IINA on macOS is built on it). It is licensed GPLv2 or later by default, or LGPLv2.1 or later when built with -Dgpl=false. On macOS the project supports 10.15 or later but publishes no official binary, pointing users to third-party packages instead. It suits anyone who wants precise control over playback and video output rather than a conventional application.",
    "page": "https://www.nuanyue.com/software/mpv/",
    "dataUrl": "https://www.nuanyue.com/data/software/mpv.json",
    "categories": [
      "media"
    ],
    "tags": [],
    "platform": [
      "macOS"
    ],
    "minOsVersion": "macOS 10.15",
    "architecture": [],
    "featured": false,
    "pricing": "open-source",
    "pricingDescription": "Free and open source under GPLv2 or later, distributed as source and third-party packages.",
    "license": "GPL-2.0-or-later",
    "currentVersion": "0.41.0",
    "releaseDate": "2025-12-22",
    "openSource": true,
    "website": "https://www.mpv.io/",
    "documentation": "https://mpv.io/manual/master/",
    "github": "https://github.com/mpv-player/mpv",
    "download": "https://github.com/mpv-player/mpv/releases/download/v0.41.0/mpv-v0.41.0-macos-14-arm.zip",
    "developer": {
      "name": "The mpv project",
      "website": "https://www.mpv.io/"
    },
    "features": [
      "Command-line player with no official GUI, only an on-screen controller",
      "Wide format, codec and subtitle support through FFmpeg",
      "GPU video output (OpenGL, Vulkan, D3D11) with scaling, colour management and HDR",
      "Runtime hardware video decoding",
      "Lua and JavaScript scripting, plus a large collection of user scripts",
      "Embeddable C API (libmpv) used by other players"
    ],
    "useCases": [
      "Playing media files from the command line",
      "Playing video across the formats and codecs FFmpeg supports",
      "Scripting playback behaviour with Lua or JavaScript",
      "Embedding playback in another application through libmpv",
      "Tuning video output for scaling, colour management or HDR"
    ],
    "formats": [],
    "integrations": [],
    "pros": [
      {
        "text": "Free and open source under GPLv2 or later, with an LGPLv2.1-or-later build option for embedding.",
        "status": "verified",
        "source": "repository",
        "verifiedAt": "2026-10-05T00:00:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "text": "Decoding comes from FFmpeg, so it plays a wide range of file formats, audio and video codecs and subtitle types.",
        "status": "developer-stated",
        "source": "repository",
        "verifiedAt": "2026-10-05T00:00:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "text": "The video output (OpenGL, Vulkan, D3D11) exposes high-quality scaling, colour management, frame timing and HDR.",
        "status": "developer-stated",
        "source": "official",
        "verifiedAt": "2026-10-05T00:00:00.000Z"
      }
    ],
    "cons": [
      {
        "text": "It has no official GUI: control is by keyboard, mouse, configuration file and the small on-screen controller, which is a barrier if you expect menus.",
        "status": "developer-stated",
        "source": "documentation",
        "verifiedAt": "2026-10-05T00:00:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "text": "The project publishes no official macOS binary; mpv.io points users to third-party packages and to builds it describes as intended mainly for testing.",
        "status": "verified",
        "source": "official",
        "verifiedAt": "2026-10-05T00:00:00.000Z"
      }
    ],
    "whoIsItFor": [
      "People who want precise control over playback and video output rather than a conventional application",
      "Users comfortable with the command line and configuration files",
      "Developers embedding a playback engine through libmpv"
    ],
    "notFor": [
      "Anyone who wants a menu-driven graphical player — mpv has no official GUI beyond the on-screen controller",
      "Mac users who want an official download — the project publishes no official macOS binary and points to third-party packages",
      "People who expect the player to register itself as the default media app — associations are set manually through Finder",
      "Macs running macOS 10.14 or earlier — mpv supports macOS 10.15 or later"
    ],
    "limitations": [
      "Hardware decoding is not enabled by default and must be turned on with --hwdec",
      "Apple Silicon support is not stated in the sources Nuanyue tracks"
    ],
    "firstUse": {
      "installation": {
        "value": "There is no official .dmg; mpv.io lists third-party macOS packages — Homebrew (a formula without application bundles), MacPorts and stolendata's builds — alongside first-party CI builds it describes as intended mainly for testing.",
        "status": "verified",
        "source": "official",
        "verifiedAt": "2026-10-05T00:00:00.000Z"
      },
      "firstLaunch": {
        "value": "mpv is command-line driven. Launched from the macOS application bundle it opens in a pseudo-GUI mode with the on-screen controller over the video.",
        "status": "developer-stated",
        "source": "documentation",
        "verifiedAt": "2026-10-05T00:00:00.000Z"
      },
      "systemIntegration": {
        "value": "mpv does not install a helper to register itself as the default media application on macOS; associations are set manually through Finder's Open With panel.",
        "status": "editorially-reviewed",
        "verifiedAt": "2026-10-05T00:00:00.000Z"
      },
      "appleSilicon": {
        "value": null,
        "status": "unknown"
      }
    },
    "updates": [
      {
        "version": "0.41.0",
        "date": "2025-12-21",
        "summary": "Current stable release: the libplacebo-based gpu-next becomes the default video output, Vulkan hardware decoding is preferred, and a right-click context menu script is added.",
        "status": "verified",
        "source": "repository"
      }
    ],
    "faq": [
      {
        "question": "Is mpv free?",
        "answer": "Yes. mpv is free and open source, licensed GPLv2 or later by default or LGPLv2.1 or later when built with -Dgpl=false. It is distributed as source and third-party packages; there is no paid edition.",
        "status": "verified",
        "source": "repository",
        "verifiedAt": "2026-10-05T00:00:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "question": "Does mpv have a GUI?",
        "answer": "No. The manual states mpv has no official GUI other than the on-screen controller (OSC), which it describes as not a full GUI and not meant to be one. Control is command-driven, by keyboard, mouse and configuration file.",
        "status": "developer-stated",
        "source": "documentation",
        "verifiedAt": "2026-10-05T00:00:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "question": "Which macOS version does mpv require?",
        "answer": "macOS 10.15 or later, as listed in the project's README system requirements.",
        "status": "verified",
        "source": "repository",
        "verifiedAt": "2026-10-05T00:00:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "question": "How do I install mpv on macOS?",
        "answer": "There is no official .dmg. mpv.io/installation points macOS users to third-party packages — Homebrew (a formula without application bundles), MacPorts and stolendata's builds — and to first-party CI builds it describes as intended mainly for testing.",
        "status": "verified",
        "source": "official",
        "verifiedAt": "2026-10-05T00:00:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "question": "What is the latest mpv version?",
        "answer": "0.41.0, published on 21 December 2025. mpv cuts a 0.X.0 release once or twice a year and does not maintain older releases except for security issues.",
        "status": "verified",
        "source": "repository",
        "verifiedAt": "2026-10-05T00:00:00.000Z"
      }
    ],
    "relationships": [
      {
        "target": "iina",
        "type": "alternative",
        "reason": "IINA is a native macOS player built on libmpv, mpv's own library — the same engine with a full Mac interface, which mpv itself does not provide.",
        "verifiedAt": "2026-10-05T00:00:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "target": "vlc",
        "type": "competitor",
        "reason": "Both are free, open-source players with wide format support; VLC ships a full GUI and its own decoders, mpv a minimal command-driven interface.",
        "verifiedAt": "2026-10-05T00:00:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "target": "elmedia-player",
        "type": "alternative",
        "reason": "Both are Mac media players; Elmedia is a commercial app with a free tier and a conventional interface.",
        "verifiedAt": "2026-10-05T00:00:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "target": "handbrake",
        "type": "complements",
        "reason": "mpv plays media while HandBrake transcodes it — a common pairing when a file needs converting rather than playing.",
        "verifiedAt": "2026-10-05T00:00:00.000Z"
      }
    ],
    "sources": [
      {
        "id": "mpv:official",
        "type": "official_website",
        "url": "https://www.mpv.io/",
        "title": "mpv — official website",
        "trustLevel": "B",
        "accessedAt": null
      },
      {
        "id": "mpv:developer",
        "type": "developer",
        "url": "https://www.mpv.io/",
        "title": "The mpv project — developer website",
        "trustLevel": "B",
        "accessedAt": null
      },
      {
        "id": "mpv:documentation",
        "type": "documentation",
        "url": "https://mpv.io/manual/master/",
        "title": "mpv — documentation",
        "trustLevel": "C",
        "accessedAt": null
      },
      {
        "id": "mpv:repository",
        "type": "github",
        "url": "https://github.com/mpv-player/mpv",
        "title": "mpv — source repository",
        "trustLevel": "D",
        "accessedAt": null
      }
    ],
    "claims": [
      {
        "id": "software:mpv.isA",
        "subject": "software:mpv",
        "predicate": "isA",
        "value": "media player",
        "status": "editorially-reviewed",
        "sourceIds": [
          "mpv:official"
        ],
        "lastVerified": null
      },
      {
        "id": "software:mpv.supportsPlatform",
        "subject": "software:mpv",
        "predicate": "supportsPlatform",
        "value": [
          "macOS"
        ],
        "status": "verified",
        "sourceIds": [
          "mpv:official"
        ],
        "lastVerified": null
      },
      {
        "id": "software:mpv.officialWebsite",
        "subject": "software:mpv",
        "predicate": "officialWebsite",
        "value": "https://www.mpv.io/",
        "status": "verified",
        "sourceIds": [
          "mpv:official"
        ],
        "lastVerified": null
      },
      {
        "id": "software:mpv.listedInCategory",
        "subject": "software:mpv",
        "predicate": "listedInCategory",
        "value": [
          "media"
        ],
        "status": "editorially-reviewed",
        "sourceIds": [
          "mpv:official"
        ],
        "lastVerified": null
      },
      {
        "id": "software:mpv.pricingModel",
        "subject": "software:mpv",
        "predicate": "pricingModel",
        "value": "Open source",
        "status": "developer-stated",
        "sourceIds": [
          "mpv:official"
        ],
        "lastVerified": null
      },
      {
        "id": "software:mpv.developedBy",
        "subject": "software:mpv",
        "predicate": "developedBy",
        "value": "The mpv project",
        "status": "developer-stated",
        "sourceIds": [
          "mpv:developer",
          "mpv:official"
        ],
        "lastVerified": null
      },
      {
        "id": "software:mpv.ownership",
        "subject": "software:mpv",
        "predicate": "ownership",
        "value": "Third-party product — not published by Nuanyue",
        "status": "editorially-reviewed",
        "sourceIds": [],
        "lastVerified": null
      },
      {
        "id": "software:mpv.isOpenSource",
        "subject": "software:mpv",
        "predicate": "isOpenSource",
        "value": true,
        "status": "verified",
        "sourceIds": [
          "mpv:repository",
          "mpv:official"
        ],
        "lastVerified": null
      },
      {
        "id": "software:mpv.licensedUnder",
        "subject": "software:mpv",
        "predicate": "licensedUnder",
        "value": "GPL-2.0-or-later",
        "status": "verified",
        "sourceIds": [
          "mpv:repository",
          "mpv:documentation",
          "mpv:official"
        ],
        "lastVerified": null
      },
      {
        "id": "software:mpv.currentVersion",
        "subject": "software:mpv",
        "predicate": "currentVersion",
        "value": "0.41.0",
        "status": "developer-stated",
        "sourceIds": [
          "mpv:official"
        ],
        "lastVerified": null
      },
      {
        "id": "software:mpv.hasFeature",
        "subject": "software:mpv",
        "predicate": "hasFeature",
        "value": [
          "Command-line player with no official GUI, only an on-screen controller",
          "Wide format, codec and subtitle support through FFmpeg",
          "GPU video output (OpenGL, Vulkan, D3D11) with scaling, colour management and HDR",
          "Runtime hardware video decoding",
          "Lua and JavaScript scripting, plus a large collection of user scripts",
          "Embeddable C API (libmpv) used by other players"
        ],
        "status": "editorially-reviewed",
        "sourceIds": [
          "mpv:official"
        ],
        "lastVerified": null
      },
      {
        "id": "software:mpv.usedFor",
        "subject": "software:mpv",
        "predicate": "usedFor",
        "value": [
          "Playing media files from the command line",
          "Playing video across the formats and codecs FFmpeg supports",
          "Scripting playback behaviour with Lua or JavaScript",
          "Embedding playback in another application through libmpv",
          "Tuning video output for scaling, colour management or HDR"
        ],
        "status": "editorially-reviewed",
        "sourceIds": [
          "mpv:official"
        ],
        "lastVerified": null
      },
      {
        "id": "software:mpv.audienceFor",
        "subject": "software:mpv",
        "predicate": "audienceFor",
        "value": [
          "People who want precise control over playback and video output rather than a conventional application",
          "Users comfortable with the command line and configuration files",
          "Developers embedding a playback engine through libmpv"
        ],
        "status": "editorially-reviewed",
        "sourceIds": [
          "mpv:official"
        ],
        "lastVerified": null
      },
      {
        "id": "software:mpv.audienceNotFor",
        "subject": "software:mpv",
        "predicate": "audienceNotFor",
        "value": [
          "Anyone who wants a menu-driven graphical player — mpv has no official GUI beyond the on-screen controller",
          "Mac users who want an official download — the project publishes no official macOS binary and points to third-party packages",
          "People who expect the player to register itself as the default media app — associations are set manually through Finder",
          "Macs running macOS 10.14 or earlier — mpv supports macOS 10.15 or later"
        ],
        "status": "editorially-reviewed",
        "sourceIds": [
          "mpv:official"
        ],
        "lastVerified": null
      },
      {
        "id": "software:mpv.limitation",
        "subject": "software:mpv",
        "predicate": "limitation",
        "value": [
          "Hardware decoding is not enabled by default and must be turned on with --hwdec",
          "Apple Silicon support is not stated in the sources Nuanyue tracks"
        ],
        "status": "editorially-reviewed",
        "sourceIds": [],
        "lastVerified": null
      },
      {
        "id": "software:mpv.advantage.0",
        "subject": "software:mpv",
        "predicate": "advantage",
        "value": "Free and open source under GPLv2 or later, with an LGPLv2.1-or-later build option for embedding.",
        "status": "verified",
        "sourceIds": [
          "mpv:repository"
        ],
        "lastVerified": "2026-10-05"
      },
      {
        "id": "software:mpv.advantage.1",
        "subject": "software:mpv",
        "predicate": "advantage",
        "value": "Decoding comes from FFmpeg, so it plays a wide range of file formats, audio and video codecs and subtitle types.",
        "status": "developer-stated",
        "sourceIds": [
          "mpv:repository"
        ],
        "lastVerified": "2026-10-05"
      },
      {
        "id": "software:mpv.advantage.2",
        "subject": "software:mpv",
        "predicate": "advantage",
        "value": "The video output (OpenGL, Vulkan, D3D11) exposes high-quality scaling, colour management, frame timing and HDR.",
        "status": "developer-stated",
        "sourceIds": [
          "mpv:official"
        ],
        "lastVerified": "2026-10-05"
      },
      {
        "id": "software:mpv.drawback.0",
        "subject": "software:mpv",
        "predicate": "drawback",
        "value": "It has no official GUI: control is by keyboard, mouse, configuration file and the small on-screen controller, which is a barrier if you expect menus.",
        "status": "developer-stated",
        "sourceIds": [
          "mpv:documentation"
        ],
        "lastVerified": "2026-10-05"
      },
      {
        "id": "software:mpv.drawback.1",
        "subject": "software:mpv",
        "predicate": "drawback",
        "value": "The project publishes no official macOS binary; mpv.io points users to third-party packages and to builds it describes as intended mainly for testing.",
        "status": "verified",
        "sourceIds": [
          "mpv:official"
        ],
        "lastVerified": "2026-10-05"
      }
    ],
    "lastUpdated": "2026-10-07T00:00:00.000Z",
    "lastReviewedAt": null
  }
}