Free Online Video Player: Play MP4, HLS and DASH URLs

Ready. Paste a video address and press Play video.

The format is detected automatically. Links load directly from the server you enter; nothing is uploaded to us.

Stream details (detected format, engine, quality levels, event log)

FormatUse this only if automatic detection picks the wrong player, for example when a link has no file extension.

Detected format: -
Player engine: -
Quality levels: -
Type: -
Picture size: -
Recent events: No events yet.

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Samples: a public-domain MP4 from the MDN interactive-examples repository (CC0 1.0 licence), source of the sample MP4; an HLS test stream hosted by Mux (Test HLS Streams, hosted by Mux (used by hls.js)); a DASH test stream listed in the dash.js reference player sample list (lists the sample DASH stream). They are used only to demonstrate the player.

What this online video player is

This free online video player plays a video from a link and works out the format for you. Paste a URL that points to an MP4 or WebM file, an HLS playlist (.m3u8) or a MPEG-DASH manifest (.mpd). It then uses the browser's own player for files, hls.js for HLS, and dash.js on GitHub (BSD-3-Clause) for DASH. Both libraries are served from this website, so no outside CDN is needed. It is a quick way to check that a link plays before you share or embed it.

How to play a video from a URL

Paste the full https:// link into the box and press Play video. The format is detected from the address (and, for links with no file extension, from the first bytes of the response when the server allows it).
Read the status line. Open Stream details to see the detected format, the player engine, the quality levels in an adaptive stream and recent events.
Not sure what to try? Press one of the three sample buttons.

MP4, HLS and DASH compared

HLS and DASH are adaptive bitrate formats: a player switches between quality levels as the connection changes.
Format	What the link points to	How this page plays it
MP4 / WebM	One video file	The browser's built-in video player
HLS (HTTP Live Streaming)	A playlist, usually .m3u8, listing short segments and quality levels	hls.js where Media Source Extensions exist, native HLS in Safari
MPEG-DASH	A manifest, usually .mpd, describing segments and quality levels	dash.js, which needs Media Source Extensions

HLS and DASH are delivery formats that a video player or CDN serves to viewers, while RTMP and SRT are commonly used to send a live stream from an encoder to a server (ingest). Multistream Platform accepts RTMP and SRT ingest and relays the stream to platforms such as YouTube, Twitch, Facebook and Kick; this player is a general tool for checking viewing links and is not part of the relay. See RTMP vs SRT and what is multistreaming. Browser support for the underlying API is described in MDN: Media Source Extensions API.

Common errors and what they mean

Could not reach the stream. Nothing came back to the browser. The usual cause for HLS and DASH is CORS: the server must send an Access-Control-Allow-Origin header before another website can read the playlist or manifest (MDN: Cross-Origin Resource Sharing (CORS)). The address may also be wrong or the server offline.
Blocked: secure page, insecure video. Browsers block http:// media on HTTPS pages (MDN: Mixed content). Use an https:// address.
HTTP 404, 401 or 403. The file is missing, or the server refused the request. Signed links expire and some servers allow only approved websites.
The video could not be decoded. The file loaded but this browser cannot decode its codec. H.264 video with AAC audio is the most widely supported combination.
The format could not be detected. Choose the format yourself under Stream details.

Privacy

Your browser requests the video, playlist or manifest directly from the server you enter. We do not receive the address or the video. Only play videos you have the right to view.

Sources

Players bundled on this page, served from our own site: dash.js (BSD-3-Clause; licence, third-party notices) and hls.js (licence).

Online video player FAQ

How do I play a video from a URL online?

Paste the direct link to the video into the box and press Play video. The player detects whether it is an MP4 or WebM file, an HLS .m3u8 playlist or a DASH .mpd manifest, and starts the right engine.

Which formats can this online video player play?

MP4 and WebM files through the browser, HLS (.m3u8) through hls.js or native HLS, and MPEG-DASH (.mpd) through dash.js. What actually plays also depends on the codecs your browser supports.

What is a DASH (.mpd) file?

An MPD is the manifest of an MPEG-DASH stream. It describes the video and audio segments and the available quality levels so a player can switch between them as network conditions change.

Why does my HLS or DASH link fail but an MP4 works?

HLS and DASH players read playlists and segments with the browser's network API, so the server must allow cross-origin requests (CORS). Plain MP4 links do not need that to play.

Can I play a local file here?

This page is for links. To play a file from your device without uploading it, use the MP4 player.

Does it work with live streams?

HLS and DASH live streams play if the stream is running and the server allows cross-origin reads. The Stream details section shows Live for live playlists and manifests.

Is this online video player free?

Yes. It needs no account, and the video loads directly from the address you enter.

Have questions that aren't listed here? Talk to the team