How to Rotate Videos in Windows Media Player

Use VLC media player to fix your video's orientation

By
Scott Orgera
Scott Orgera
Scott Orgera
Writer
    Scott Orgera is a former Lifewire writer covering tech since 2007. He has 25+ years' experience as a programmer and QA leader, and holds several Microsoft certifications including MCSE, MCP+I, and MOUS. He is also A+ certified.
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    Updated on November 2, 2021
    Reviewed by
    Kayla Dube
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    Reviewed by Kayla Dube
    • J. Everette Light Career Center
    Kayla Dube has 4+ years' experience in videography and filmmaking. She frequently works in production with indie film companies.
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    Windows

    What to Know

    • In VLC, select Media > Open File (Mac: File > Open File) and browse to the video file you want to rotate.
    • PC: Select Tools > Effects and Filters > Adjustments and Effects > Video Effects. Mac: Select Window > Video Effects.
    • Choose Geometry > Transform. Choose the rotation you want, select Save, and then select Close.

    This article explains how to rotate a video in Windows Media Player using a third-party media player tool called VLC, which is available for most operating systems.

    How to rotate video in Windows Media Player
    Nico De Pasquale Photography / Getty Images

    How to Rotate a Video With VLC

    Windows Media Player doesn't offer a built-in way to rotate videos, so you need a separate tool to do the job. VLC media player is a frequently updated program by an active open-source developer community. Download and install VLC for Windows or Mac from the VideoLAN website.

    To rotate videos using VLC:

    1. Open the VLC application, select Media > Open File, then choose the video you want to rotate. (If you're on a Mac, go to File > Open File.)

      The Open File command

    2. Select Tools > Effects and Filters. (If you're on a Mac, go to Window > Video Effects.)

      Alternatively, use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+E to open the Adjustments and Effects window.

      The Effects and Filters item under Tools

    3. In the Adjustments and Effects window, go to the Video Effects tab and select the Geometry tab. (If you're on a Mac, select the Geometry tab.)

      The Visual Effects and Geometry tabs in Adjustments and Effects

    4. Select the Transform check box, then select the drop-down menu underneath and choose the option you want. The video automatically rotates as you make a selection.

      The Transform box and options

    5. When you're satisfied with the rotation, select Save, then select Close to return to the main VLC interface.

      The Save button

    How to Save Your Rotated Video in VLC

    To save the rotated video in the appropriate format:

    1. Select Tools > Preferences. (On a Mac, go to VLC media player > Preferences.)

      Alternatively, use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+P to open the Advanced Preferences window.

      The Preferences command under the Tools menu

    2. Go to the lower-left corner of the Advanced Preferences window and select All. (On a Mac, select Show All.)

      The All option in Preferences

    3. Scroll down the left menu pane to the Stream output section, expand the Sout stream entry, then select Transcode.

      The Sout Stream and Transcode sections

    4. On the right side of the window, select the Rotate video filter check box, then select Save.

      The Rotate Video Filter option and Save button

    5. Select Media > Convert/Save. (On a Mac, select File > Convert/Stream.)

      Alternatively, use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+R to open the Open Media window.

      The Convert/Save command

    6. In the Open Media window, select Add, choose the file you rotated, then select Convert/Save. (On a Mac, select Open media and select the file you rotated.)

      The Add and Convert/Save buttons

    7. In the Convert window, go to the Destination section, select Browse, then choose an existing file to overwrite or enter a new file name. (On a Mac, select Save as File > Browse, and choose an existing file to overwrite or enter a new file name.)

      The Browse button

    8. Select Start (or Save on Mac) to begin the conversion process and save the video file.

      The Start button

    Using an Online Video Rotator

    If you don't want to download and install an application to rotate videos, several online, ad-supported options are available, including:

    Most of these cloud-based solutions have limitations, however, including the inability to rotate lengthy videos.

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