VLC MCP Server

Name: VLC MCP Server
Author: piebro

@piebro

Repository

About VLC MCP Server

An MCP (Model Context Protocol) Server to play and control movies using VLC.

#mcp #vlc-media-player #mcp-server

Basic information

Config

Add this server to your MCP-compatible client using the configuration below.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "vlc-mcp-server": {
      "command": "uv",
      "args": [
        "venv"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Tools

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Overview

What is VLC MCP Server?

VLC MCP Server is an MCP (Model Context Protocol) server that lets you control VLC media player remotely via any MCP client, such as signal-mcp-client. It is designed for Linux systems (Ubuntu, Debian, Raspberry Pi OS) and allows playing movies from a specified video folder.

How to use VLC MCP Server?

Install VLC, mediainfo, and uv. Start VLC with the HTTP interface enabled (--extraintf=http, --http-host=localhost, --http-port=8081, --http-password=your_password). Add the server to your MCP client’s config file using uvx vlc-mcp-server and set environment variables: ROOT_VIDEO_FOLDER, VLC_HTTP_HOST, VLC_HTTP_PORT, and VLC_HTTP_PASSWORD.

Key features of VLC MCP Server

Play and control movies via VLC media player.
Remote control through any MCP client.
Configurable video folder and VLC HTTP settings.
Can be run as a systemd user service for auto-start.

Use cases of VLC MCP Server

Start a movie on a beamer-connected laptop by sending a Signal message.
Integrate movie playback into custom MCP-based automation workflows.

FAQ from VLC MCP Server

What are the required dependencies?

VLC, mediainfo, and uv must be installed. On Debian/Ubuntu: sudo apt-get install vlc mediainfo; install uv via curl -LsSf https://astral.sh/uv/install.sh | sh.

Where should video files be placed?

Set the ROOT_VIDEO_FOLDER environment variable to the path of your video folder.

How does the server authenticate with VLC?

Authentication is done via a password set in the VLC HTTP server startup (--http-password=your_password) and passed to the MCP server via the VLC_HTTP_PASSWORD environment variable.

Can the server run automatically on boot?

Yes. On Linux, you can set up the VLC HTTP interface as a systemd user service using the provided service file, which enables auto-start and restart on failure.

Which operating systems are supported?

The README provides instructions for Linux systems running Ubuntu or similar Debian-based systems like Raspberry Pi OS. It notes that with modifications it should work on other systems.