Brandwave

How popular isVLC Media Player?

In September 2026, people searched for VLC Media Player by name about 1.2 million times worldwide, an 18.7% decrease from the previous year. These searches made up 45.5% of all global video conversion software searches, placing VLC Media Player first out of seven brands. When we asked both ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about video conversion software, VLC Media Player appeared in three of the five answers and was the fourth most recommended of the seven.

Search and AI answers in September 2026

VLC Media Player is the most searched of 7 competitors and the fourth most recommended in AI answers.

  1. VLC Media PlayerShare of searches 45.5%Mentioned in 3 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 4th
  2. CompressorShare of searches 20.5%Mentioned in 0 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations –
  3. HandBrakeShare of searches 16.8%Mentioned in 5 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 1st
  4. FFmpegShare of searches 13.7%Mentioned in 5 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 3rd
  5. Shutter EncoderShare of searches 2.8%Mentioned in 5 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 2nd

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Top video conversion software in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews

In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, VLC Media Player was mentioned in three out of five: in two of the three ChatGPT answers and in one of the two Google AI Overviews. VLC Media Player is the fourth most recommended of the seven.

Most recommended by AI

Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.

  1. HandBrake1st
  2. Shutter Encoder2nd
  3. FFmpeg3rd
  4. VLC Media Player4th
  5. Compressor–
  6. Adobe Media Encoder–
  7. Permute–

Mentioned by AI

Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.

  • HandBrake5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
  • FFmpeg5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
  • Shutter Encoder5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
  • VLC Media Player3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
  • Compressor0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
  • Adobe Media Encoder0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
  • Permute0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers

See every answer about video conversion software

5 answers

Not named in any answer:

Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in the United States on October 21, 2026.

Which video conversion software compete with VLC Media Player?

VLC Media Player against video conversion software worldwide, by month

Share of searches by month for VLC Media Player, Compressor, HandBrake, FFmpeg, Shutter Encoder. The figures are in the table below the chart.

View monthly share of searches table
MonthVLC Media PlayerCompressorHandBrakeFFmpegShutter EncoderAdobe Media EncoderPermute
Oct 202550.9%18.7%15.3%12.5%1.7%0.92%0.01%
Nov 202545.8%20.6%16.9%13.8%1.9%1%0.01%
Dec 202550.7%18.6%15.2%12.5%2%0.92%<0.01%
Jan 202652.5%15.8%15.8%12.9%2.1%0.95%<0.01%
Feb 202653.8%16.1%16.1%10.8%2.2%0.97%<0.01%
Mar 202650.5%15.2%18.5%12.4%2.5%0.91%<0.01%
Apr 202648.9%17.9%17.9%12%2.4%0.72%<0.01%
May 202650.6%18.6%15.2%12.4%2.5%0.75%0.01%
Jun 202645.4%20.5%16.8%13.7%2.8%0.83%0.01%
Jul 202647.3%17.4%17.4%14.3%2.9%0.7%0.01%
Aug 202647.3%17.4%17.4%14.3%2.9%0.7%<0.01%
Sep 202645.5%20.5%16.8%13.7%2.8%0.68%<0.01%

  1. 1.VLC Media Player

    45.5%

    Held 1st. 1.2M estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share -1.8 points.

  2. 2.Compressor

    20.5%

    Held 2nd. 550K estimated branded searches, +22.2% vs prior month. Share +3.1 points.

  3. 3.HandBrake

    16.8%

    Held 3rd. 450K estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share -0.7 points.

  4. 4.FFmpeg

    13.7%

    Held 4th. 368K estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share -0.5 points.

  5. 5.Shutter Encoder

    2.8%

    Held 5th. 74K estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share -0.1 points.

  6. 6.Adobe Media Encoder

    0.68%

    Held 6th. 18.1K estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share 0 points.

  7. 7.Permute

    <0.01%

    Held 7th. 210 estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share 0 points.

Compare popularity between VLC Media Player and its closest rivals

Every comparison with VLC Media Player

6 comparisons

How has branded search demand for VLC Media Player changed worldwide over the last 12 months?

3 findings
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, estimated monthly branded searches for VLC Media Player worldwide fell from 1.5M to 1.2M.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, VLC Media Player’s share of searches among video conversion software worldwide decreased from 50.9% to 45.5%.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, VLC Media Player’s share of searches among video conversion software worldwide peaked at 53.8% in February 2026 and was lowest at 45.4% in June 2026.

How did search popularity change for video conversion software worldwide in September 2026?

6 changes

  1. In September 2026, Compressor gained share of searches among video conversion software worldwide, from 17.4% to 20.5%.

  2. In September 2026, VLC Media Player lost share of searches among video conversion software worldwide, from 47.3% to 45.5%.

  3. In September 2026, HandBrake lost share of searches among video conversion software worldwide, from 17.4% to 16.8%.

  4. In September 2026, FFmpeg lost share of searches among video conversion software worldwide, from 14.3% to 13.7%.

  5. Estimated monthly branded searches for Shutter Encoder worldwide rose 49.5% over 12 measured months, from 49.5K to 74K in September 2026.

  6. Estimated monthly branded searches for Permute worldwide fell 34.4% over 12 measured months, from 320 to 210 in September 2026.

How are VLC Media Player’s branded searches counted?

1 search term

Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using VLC Media Player’s name. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for this branded term can be used to understand whether interest in the brand is growing, holding steady, or fading.

  • vlc media player

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How the Brand Demand Index is measured

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