Let’s say that there is a clip or a couple of seconds/minutes in a video or audio that needs to be played through continously in a loop in VLC Media Player. The player can easily end a video and start from the very beginning. But what we are trying to achieve is looping through a media file and the clip that is required to be played repeatedly is somewhere in the middle of a lengthy video or audio. What we need to do to achieve this goal is use the A to B loop feature in VLC Media Player.
Mark a starting position A, then define the ending position B which are both somewhere in the middle of VLC’s timeline. Then loop from A to B continuously unless you hit stop or exit the loop. This feature allows us to watch a portion of a video again and again. In terms of audio, it is for listening (and understanding) an isolated part by repeatedly playing it.
The A to B looping feature control button is available in the Advanced Controls. Bring up the advanced controls first and then the starting and ending position within a media file can be defined.
Here are the steps to loop a video/audio’s portion indefinitely in VLC Media Player:
- Click on View > Advanced Controls
- Navigate the timeline to where you want the loop to begin
- Click and set point A
- Move the play head to the loop’s end
- Click the same button to set point B
- The loop will start and play from A to B.
Now, you can watch or play the media from point A to point be indefinitely. To stop the loop, simply press the same Loop button again. The Stop button can also be played to exit the video completely.
You might be interested in: Skipping in Playing Audio/Video Portions in VLC Media Player
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I use the loop feature quite a bit. I just wish there was a hotkey that could be set to mark A and B. I couldn’t find it when I tried to edit the hotkeys.
A to B loop feature in VLC Media Player App on iPhone is not available. Can vlchelp throw light on this?
Why not just have draggable A/B points? I’m using the Mac version, and there’s no visual indication whatsoever of the A/B points when looping a section of video. This should be basic functionality in any video player with a loop function. The UX needs major work.
Click on View > Advanced Controls
AT THE BOTTOM BELOW THE PROGRESS BAR A NEW LINE OF BUTTONS WILL APPEAR ABOVE THE START/STOP BUTTON.
THE LOOPING BUTTON IS AN ARCH ARROW WITH LETTERS “A” AND “B” BELOW IT
like… most other “fixes”, it makes complete sense after you figure it out (get to advance, click on A, drag to end, click B AH!)… but let’s say you got that down, and you want to attach it to that file and only that file… that is to say, I want to use a 20 minute cartoon as a screen saver…saver… so the computer I am running is always running a video… display the monitor, for example, or as background noise with a video… so I want to SAVE the above settings so I can click on it and the settings are saved to that video?
I also want to say I love VLC and use it on all my platforms… (kissing noises)
The instructions above say:
“Navigate the timeline to where you want the loop to begin
Click and set point A
Move the play head to the loop’s end
Click the same button to set point B
The loop will start and play from A to B.”
What are you supposed to click to set the A and B points? Is it the Loop button itself? There’s nothing to indicate on the timeline that a point is set, and clicking the loop button appears to have no effect at all on the playback. ???
Latest version as of 11/11/2021 on Mac Mojave 10.14.6
you click the loop button to set point A, then you go to point B and click loop button again to set point B, then you click play
I am only trying to simply loop entire files in VLC. I can’t find instructions that make any sense. I find no toggle for looping anywhere, on bottom of player screen or anywhere else. There are still only the most basic control buttons, play, pause and stop, and that is all.
I am using a recently updated VLC media player Version 3.0.16 Vetinari (Intel64bit) on Mac OS 10.14.6 Mojave.
I have scoured many online instructions for just simply looping a video or audio file in VLC MP, each one giving information that makes no sense, since there are (honestly) no toggle buttons for looping anywhere, no ‘Tools’ menu, and definitely no ‘Advanced Tools’ menu box, or in any drop down menu anywhere. The controls on the bottom are still only the very basic play, pause, and stop.
In the Playback drop down menu, I see something called ‘A-B loop’ which does nothing when I try to highlight it, and does not loop anything. I also notice that ‘Repeat’ does not do anything either. I’m not sure that is looping anyhow, as it just says ‘Repeat’ (as in one time). I want to Loop.
Why on earth would this supposedly updated version I am using be so completely different from the VLC player shown in these recently posted ‘instructions’? Am I supposed to have access to all those ‘advanced’ functions, and if so, what version actually has them? And why should playing a loop be considered an advanced function?
All I want to do is loop an mp3 or mp4 file until I tell it to stop. Can anybody help? This has given me such a headache.
The loop controls are in the bottom in the video controls. The button looks like two arrows with one going toward the left and the other toward the right. It should say, “Click to toggle between loop, loop one or no loop.” Try it and let me know.
The newest version 3.3.0 (418) Based on:
3.0.17.3-51-g4b4d3cf4db for iOS seems to have disabled the “loop one” option? The bottom-left control (an arrowed circle with a solid lock in the center) can only be turned on or off when a video is played. Also, this new two-choice control doesn’t seem to work at all. No matter it’s on or off, the next video is played automatically, and at the end of the playlist, it stops. Please check this and restore the old nicely working three-choice loop control! Why did you change this useful control after all?
In VLC how to video editing properly?
Please give me fast solution.
It seems, it is not possible to set the point A onto the very first frame. I am using VLC 3.0.12 for Windows, and it works after I press the “frame by frame” button once – but only then.
AB loop is ruining my experience. Everytime I play a video it starts from the middle point then repeats from there. I am trying to deactivate it and there is no way to know if it is or isn’t. THIS IS DRIVING ME INSANE. I don’t need this feature!!!! I need it to go away if it is this problematic!
The AB button is highlighted if it is on. Just turn it off.
I cannot select A to B segments on my iPhone. Looping of the entire video works well.
how do you loop the entire video on an Android device?
I am on Android and don’t see the player, like on my desktop computer where Loop is a toggle icon next to “random play”
iPhone version doesn’t support AB loop. It sucks.
Your icon is a face palming angel. I like that.
Thanks.
I’m trying to get VLC for chromebook to loop. It has an AB setting but it Completely non-intuitive. I’ve tried everything and can’t get it to loop.
I can’t even get videos to play using VLC for Chromebook. It needs a lot of work.