VLC >
Problem: Given a main video file, with or without multiple audio tracks, play the video with an audio track provided as a separate file.
I googled for an answer, and found How to play a video with a different audio track?, whose accepted answer gave me a hint. Thanks! (I should have probably searched VLC's community or superuser directly, but I didn't think about that.) Since VLC was pretty difficult for me to use for this, I made a tutorial. Maybe it will help others.
-
2016-05-15, on VLC 2.2.1, on Windows 10 64bit
An alternate video track ∞
-
Find the video main file on your computer.
- Only select that video file, and not more than one file.
- Do not select the audio track.
-
Your file selection window may look different.
-
Find the audio file on your computer.
- Only select that audio file, and not more than one file.
- Do not select the video track.
-
Your file selection window may look different.
-
Click "Play" at the bottom-right
- Do not click the down-arrow next to "Play".
-
Your video will begin playing. Pause it.
- Your new audio track will appear in the list of audio tracks. Select it.
- Play your video.
-
It may take a few moments of play for VLC to get things sorted out. You may see video corruption or stuttering. Be patient!
Making your changes permanent ∞
From what I can tell, from step 13 you can click the down-arrow next to "Play" and get some options. A feature in there somewhere will let you merge things. I haven't explored this topic.
Troubleshooting audio sync ∞
If your audio is out-of-sync with your video, then you can adjust it with the j
and k
keys. If you intend to play this video+audio track again later, then be sure to write your setting down!
If your audio "drifts" during its playback, then you have issues with either your video or your audio track. I don't know of a solution, though there may be one. I don't think VLC can solve this problem. You would have to use an audio-video editor and make multiple audio sync adjustments throughout its play. Good luck, and report back if you find an easier solution.
update: subtitle sync exists, maybe there's something for audio. Check out VLC: subtitle delay.
What VLC should be able to do. ∞
SMPlayer lets you right-click
the video and add an audio track. This complicated mess isn't necessary!
Last updated 2022-06-20 at 16:54:41
This does not work for me. I have latest VLC, 3.0.6 on 64-bit Windows 10. The menus can select separate video and subtitle and audio files as you show, but only one of those files plays (usually the video file). When that video is playing, no audio or subtitles are played. The audio menu shows "disable" and a dot next to "track 1" (whatever track 1 is?), not my added ac3 audio file. The subtitle menu also shows "disable" and a dot next to "track 1" (whatever track 1 is?), but no subtitles are rendered.
@Max Smith : you are right, I am facing same problem on latest VLC
Thanks manbIt works for me.Dec 10 2020 5PM
Thanks man It works for me ❤️ I can't write comment correctly because the comment section is too dark