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.

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.

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:

  • 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.)
  • 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.
  • 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.)
  • 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.
  • When you’re satisfied with the rotation, select Save, then select Close to return to the main VLC interface.

How to Save Your Rotated Video in VLC

To save the rotated video in the appropriate format:

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.)

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.

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.)

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.

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

  • 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.
  • Go to the lower-left corner of the Advanced Preferences window and select All. (On a Mac, select Show All.)
  • Scroll down the left menu pane to the Stream output section, expand the Sout stream entry, then select Transcode.
  • On the right side of the window, select the Rotate video filter check box, then select Save.
  • Select Media > Convert/Save. (On a Mac, select File > Convert/Stream.)
  • Alternatively, use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+R to open the Open Media window.
  • 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.)
  • 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.)
  • Select Start (or Save on Mac) to begin the conversion process and save the video file.

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:

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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.)

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.)

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

  • Video Rotate
  • Rotate My Video
  • RotateVideo.org
  • Online Convert

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

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