If you're watching content with multiple subtitle tracks in VLC, such as foreign films or anime, this guide will show you how to set VLC to always use the same subtitle language by default. For example, if you often watch anime with English subtitles, you can configure VLC to always display English subtitles when available. You can also use this guide to configure your preferred audio track as well.
Takeaways:
- Learn how to make VLC automatically select your preferred subtitle track for all videos.
- How do you set VLC to always show English subtitles?
- How do you set VLC to always show Japanese subtitles?
Table of Contents
How to Change the Default Subtitle Track in VLC
If you regularly watch content that includes multiple subtitle options and you're tired of manually selecting your preferred track for each movie or episode, follow the steps below to set a default subtitle language in VLC. Keep in mind that this will only work if the media you are playing includes multiple subtitle tracks.
- Launch VLC on your computer.
- From the top menu, click Tools, then select Preferences. Alternatively, press Ctrl + P to open the Preferences window directly.
- At the bottom left of the Preferences window, make sure Simple is selected. This is typically the default view.
- Click the Subtitles / OSD tab.
- Look for the Preferred subtitle language field.
- Enter the language code for your preferred subtitle language.
Example Codes:
- English: eng
- Japanese: jpn
- Spanish: spa
Use ISO 639-2 codes. If those do not work, try ISO 639-1 codes. You can find the full list of language codes here
- (Optional) Customise subtitle appearance, such as font, size, and effects.
- Click Save at the bottom right of the Preferences window to apply your changes.
- Close and reopen VLC to ensure your new default settings take effect.
Once configured, VLC will automatically attempt to use your selected subtitle language whenever it is available. If not, it will fall back to another available track.
(Optional) Set a Default Audio Language in VLC
If you also want VLC to always select a specific audio track when multiple are available, follow these steps:
- In VLC, go to Tools > Preferences (or press Ctrl + P).
- Make sure Simple is selected at the bottom left.
- Click the Audio tab.
- Scroll down to the Tracks section.
- In the Preferred audio language field, enter the language code for your desired language.
Examples Codes:
- English: eng
- Japanese: jpn
- Spanish: spa
Use the same ISO language codes mentioned above.
- Click Save to apply your changes and restart VLC to confirm the settings.
Once enabled, VLC will always try to use your chosen audio language when available.
