Codecs

What are codecs?

Codecs let apps play different audio and video formats.

Without the right codec, a video might play without sound, show a blank screen, or not open at all. Installing the missing codecs helps your apps play those files.

Are they already installed?

It depends on the apps you’ve installed. A basic Arch installation doesn’t include a media setup, but installing a media player can bring in many of the codecs it needs.

Try playing your audio or video first. If it works, you don’t need to install more codecs.

FFmpeg

FFmpeg provides support for many audio and video formats. Apps that use it may have installed it already.

If your app needs FFmpeg, update Arch and install it:

sudo pacman -Syu --needed ffmpeg

Extra codecs for GStreamer apps

GStreamer is another way apps handle audio and video. If an app using it reports a missing codec, these packages add support for more formats:

sudo pacman -Syu --needed gst-plugins-base gst-plugins-good gst-plugins-bad gst-plugins-ugly gst-libav

Close and reopen the app, then try again. These packages come from Arch’s normal software sources.

See the ArchWiki’s codec guide (opens in a new tab) and GStreamer guide (opens in a new tab) for more information.