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3 Effective Ways to Rotate Video in VLC on Windows/Mac
Posted by Paula Pailaga to Record Video Aug 22, 2025
Are you frustrated when you record a video with wrong direction? Don’t worry! When you play it through VLC, you can also use VLC to rotate videos to correct the orientation. Not only is VLC one of the most popular media players worldwide, but it also comes with built-in editing tools. With VLC, you can quickly rotate videos by 90°, 180°, or 270° and even save the rotated version as a new file. In this article, you’ll learn how to rotate videos using VLC on both Windows and Mac, how to make rotation changes permanent, and discover a simpler alternative for even better results.
Guide List
Steps to Rotate a Video in VLC on Windows and Mac How to Permanently Rotate and Save a Video in VLC The Best VLC Alternative for Rotating Videos EasilyHow to Rotate a Video in VLC on Windows and Mac
VLC Media Player supports a wide range of video formats and offers basic editing features—including video rotation. Below, you will go through the detailed steps to rotate videos in VLC on both Windows and macOS and play it in VLC Media Player.
How to Rotate Video in VLC on Windows
Step 1Run VLC on your Windows 11/10, select "Media" from the above menu, and click the "Open" button from the drop-down to locate the video you want to rotate. Click the "Open" button to import into the program.
Step 2After that, click the "Tools" menu, then go to "Effects and Filters" from the drop-down list to access the "Adjustment and Effects" window. For easy opening, you can press the "Ctrl + E" keys on your keyboard.
Step 3Click the "Video Effects" tab, then navigate to the "Geometry" sub-tab. Ensure the "Transform" checkbox is checked.
Step 4Click the menu box under "Transform", then select which way you want to rotate your videos in VLC. You can rotate by 90, 180, and 270 degrees. Moreover, you can tick the "Rotate" button and move the angle dialer to rotate flexibly.
Step 5Once satisfied, save your rotated VLC video by clicking the "Media" and then "Convert/Save" buttons. At last, Click "Add" to add the rotated video, then "Convert/Save" button to export it the desired format. In this way, you can easily rotate a YouTube videos.
How to Rotate Video in VLC on Mac
Step 1Open VLC Media Player on Mac, then select the "Window" button from the menu. Next, select the "Video Effects" button from the drop-down list.
Step 2In the "Video Effects" window, go to the "Geometry" tab, then click the "Transform" checkbox. You can now select a degree on the below menu. As an alternative way to rotate videos in VLC, you can choose the "Preferences" button and click the "Show All" button.
How to Permanently Rotate and Save a Video in VLC
The above rotation settings in VLC usually apply only during playback. This part will also share you on how to rotate videos in VLC as a video editing process. So, if you want to rotate a video in VLC permanently without affecting all videos that will be played, here’s how:
Step 1On the main interface of "VLC", select "Tools" from the above menu, then go to the "Preferences" settings on the drop-down list.
Step 2Afterward, under the "Advanced Preferences", go to the "Video to Filters" option. Click the "Stream output", "Sout streams", and then "Transcode" buttons. Tick the "Video transformation filter" checkbox to rotate videos in VLC permanently.
Step 3Then, on the "Media" menu, select Convert/Save. Click the "Add" button to add the video you rotated. Click the "Convert/Save" drop-down, then select "Convert" to choose your destination file, name, and format in the newly opened window. Once done, click the "Start" button to convert and save your rotated VLC videos.
The Best VLC Alternative for Rotating Videos Easily
While it is a convenient way to rotate videos in VLC, the process can be technical and doesn’t always preserve video quality with no settings to customize videos. For a more user-friendly and powerful solution, try 4Easysoft Total Video Converter now. This tool allows you to rotate, flip, crop, and adjust videos easily while offering full control over output quality, format, and resolution. With this tool, you can rotate VLC videos with 90, 180, or 270 degrees. It also has the ability to flip video vertically or horizontally.
Able to rotate VLC videos to 90, 180, or 270 degrees to correct the video orientation.
Customize video settings to get the desired resolution, quality, frame rate, etc.
A preview pane is offered while doing rotation to the original VLC video for better check.
Support a wide range of video formats from which you can choose to export the rotated video.
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100% Secure
Step 1Launch 4Easysoft Total Video Converter and click the "Toolbox" menu. Select the "Video Rotator" tool and click the "Add" button to import the VLC videos. You can even rotate GIFs with this VLC alternative.
Step 2Now, you can select the orientation for your video, whether you want to rotate by 90, 180, or 270 degrees. Unlike rotating videos in VLC, the result will be instantly seen on the right preview pane.
Step 3You can customize "Output" settings below, including the format and quality. Then, select the file name and destination. Once done, click the "Export" button to save the rotated VLC video on the computer.
Conclusion
VLC Media Player offers a free and handy way to rotate videos, but the process can be confusing and might not always produce high-quality results. For a more reliable, user-friendly, and feature-rich experience, we recommend using 4Easysoft Total Video Converter. It makes rotating, editing, and converting videos straightforward—even for beginners.
100% Secure
100% Secure
