VLC Specifying Audio Device on Command Line on Windows

VLC is a popular media player that allows you to play various audio and video files on your Windows computer. Sometimes, you may want to specify the audio device that VLC uses to play sound. This can be useful if you have multiple audio devices connected to your computer, such as speakers, headphones, or external sound cards. In this article, we will guide you on how to specify the audio device on the command line in VLC on Windows.

Step 1: Open the Command Prompt

To specify the audio device in VLC using the command line, you need to open the Command Prompt. You can do this by following these steps:

1. Press the Windows key on your keyboard to open the Start menu.
2. Type cmd in the search bar.
3. Click on the Command Prompt app to open it.

Step 2: Locate the VLC Installation Directory

Next, you need to locate the installation directory of VLC on your computer. By default, VLC is installed in the C:\Program Files\VideoLAN\VLC directory. If you have installed VLC in a different directory, you will need to navigate to that directory in the Command Prompt.

Step 3: Run VLC with the Audio Device Option

Once you are in the VLC installation directory in the Command Prompt, you can run VLC with the audio device option. The audio device option is --aout followed by the name or ID of the audio device you want to use. To find the name or ID of the audio device, you can use the following command:

This command will display a list of available audio devices along with their names or IDs. Note down the name or ID of the audio device you want to use.

To specify the audio device, use the following command:

Replace audiodevice with the name or ID of the audio device you want to use. For example, if the name of the audio device is "Speakers", the command would be:

If the name or ID contains spaces, you need to enclose it in double quotes. For example, if the name of the audio device is "External Sound Card", the command would be:

Step 4: Play Audio Files in VLC

After specifying the audio device, you can now play audio files in VLC. You can do this by following these steps:

1. Open VLC by double-clicking on its shortcut or running the vlc command in the Command Prompt.
2. Click on the Media tab in the top menu.
3. Select Open File from the dropdown menu.
4. Navigate to the audio file you want to play and click on the Open button.

VLC will now play the audio file using the specified audio device.

Conclusion

Specifying the audio device on the command line in VLC on Windows allows you to choose which audio device VLC uses to play sound. By following the steps outlined in this article, you can easily specify the audio device and enjoy your audio files with the desired output device.

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