Skip to main content

Top Android VideoPlayer Libraries

Top Android VideoPlayer Libraries.

Android devices have become a popular platform for watching videos, and developers often need to integrate video playback functionality into their applications. Fortunately, there are several powerful and feature-rich video player libraries available for Android that simplify the process of playing videos and offer various additional features. In this tutorial, we will explore some of the top Android video player libraries, their installation process, and provide code usage examples where applicable.

1. ExoPlayer:​

ExoPlayer is a widely used open-source media player library developed by Google. It offers advanced features such as adaptive streaming, media session integration, and support for a wide range of media formats. To install ExoPlayer, add the following dependency to your app's build.gradle file:

implementation 'com.google.android.exoplayer:exoplayer:2.x.x'

To use ExoPlayer, you need to create an instance of the SimpleExoPlayer class and initialize it with a MediaSource. Here's an example of playing a video from a URL:

val player = SimpleExoPlayer.Builder(context).build()
val mediaSource = ProgressiveMediaSource.Factory(DefaultDataSourceFactory(context)).createMediaSource(videoUri)
player.prepare(mediaSource)
player.playWhenReady = true

For more code examples and detailed documentation, refer to the ExoPlayer GitHub repository: ExoPlayer GitHub

2. MediaPlayer:​

MediaPlayer is a built-in Android class that provides basic video playback functionality. It supports various media formats and offers control over playback states. To use MediaPlayer, you don't need to add any additional dependencies. Here's an example of playing a video from the app's raw resources:

val mediaPlayer = MediaPlayer.create(context, R.raw.video)
mediaPlayer.start()

To handle different playback states, you can register a listener using the setOnPreparedListener and setOnCompletionListener methods. For more advanced functionality, you can also use methods like seekTo and pause.

For more details and usage examples, refer to the official Android documentation: MediaPlayer Documentation

3. VLC for Android:​

VLC for Android is a powerful media player library that supports a wide range of audio and video formats. It provides features like hardware acceleration, network streaming, and subtitle support. To use VLC for Android, add the following dependency to your app's build.gradle file:

implementation 'org.videolan.android:libvlc-all:3.x.x'

To play a video using VLC for Android, you need to create an instance of the LibVLC class and set up a MediaPlayer object. Here's an example:

val libVLC = LibVLC(context)
val mediaPlayer = MediaPlayer(libVLC)
mediaPlayer.media = Media(libVLC, Uri.parse(videoUri))
mediaPlayer.play()

For more details and code samples, refer to the VLC for Android GitHub repository: VLC for Android GitHub

Additional Video Player Libraries:​

  1. JieCaoVideoPlayer: A customizable video player library with features like gesture control, auto-complete, and multiple playback modes. GitHub
  2. ijkplayer: A multimedia player library based on FFmpeg and LibAV that supports various media formats and offers configurable playback options. GitHub
  3. VideoView: A built-in Android class that provides a simple way to play videos, but with limited customization options compared to other libraries. Android Documentation

These are just a few of the top Android video player libraries available. Depending on your specific requirements, you can choose the library that best fits your needs and integrate it into your application, enhancing the video playback experience for your users.