mpv's own installation page says that for Windows "all binary packages are unofficial third-party builds, except as noted," and that the first-party builds from the project's continuous integration system "are intended mainly for testing and may be missing certain features." That is the most useful fact on the page for anyone installing it: there is no single official installer, and the download button on this page opens the project's installation page, where those builds are listed.
The latest tagged release on the mpv GitHub releases page is v0.41.0, dated 21 December with no year shown, and the page also carries an automated development build, built on 14 October 2026 and marked untested and not an official release.
Where to get a Windows build
| Route on the installation page | Status as the page describes it |
|---|---|
| Windows builds by shinchiro (git) | Third-party build |
| Windows builds by zhongfly (git) | Third-party build |
| First-party builds from GitHub CI (latest commit) | Mainly for testing; may be missing features |
| Scoop and Scoop (git) | Package manager routes |
| Chocolatey | Package manager route |
| MSYS2 | Package route |
| Compilation instructions | Build it yourself |
Scope: mpv.io/installation, read 23 Oct 2026. The page does not list winget. Because the builds are third-party, the file you get depends on whose build you choose, and the pages we read do not describe any signing or checksums.
Release notes by version
| Version | Date shown | Headline items on the releases page |
|---|---|---|
| v0.41.0 (latest) | 21 Dec | Libplacebo-based gpu-next becomes the default renderer, Vulkan hardware decoding preferred, a context menu script, Windows helpers to register mpv as a media app |
| v0.40.0 | 25 Mar | Console autocompletion and styling, OSC selection menu on right-click, clipboard property for scripts, a new command menu, better Blu-ray, DVD and CDDA support |
| v0.39.0 | 23 Sep | select.lua for playlist items, tracks, chapters and output devices, NVIDIA RTX and Intel VSR scaling via d3d11va, Windows media controls |
| v0.38.0 | 17 Apr | Notes that the new renderer is not yet the default; mp.input(), an auto-deinterlace option |
The page prints day and month and no year for the tagged releases, so no gaps in days are computed. Building mpv needs FFmpeg 6.1 or newer and libplacebo 6.338.2 or newer for v0.39.0 to v0.41.0, according to the notes.
The notes show where mpv is going: scripts for menus and selection added to a minimal interface. The default renderer change in v0.41.0 is the kind of detail that changes behaviour, so a user who upgraded from v0.40.0 may see different video output defaults.
Licence
The development build entry says its Windows libmpv builds are offered as GPLv3 or LGPLv3 variants. The tagged releases on that page state no licence, and the player's own licence was not read on this listing, so the GPL and LGPL mention applies to those libmpv builds.
What mpv's home page says
The home page calls mpv "a free, open source, and cross-platform media player." It describes a command-line player with no real GUI, though a small on-screen controller over the video handles basic playback. Scripting can extend it to do nearly anything, and the wiki hosts a large collection of user scripts. The page does not name a software licence, only that mpv is free "as in freedom."
| Area | What the page states |
|---|---|
| Video output | OpenGL, Vulkan and D3D11, with high-quality scaling, colour management, frame timing, interpolation and HDR |
| Hardware decoding | Most hardware decoding APIs on all platforms; can be switched on at runtime |
| Formats | A wide range of media file formats, audio and video codecs and subtitle types |
| Embedding | A C API lets developers use mpv as a library in other applications |
Scope: mpv.io, read 23 Oct 2026. The page lists these capabilities without benchmarks.
Before you install: a short check
- Decide whose build you trust. The page says they are third-party, and it does not rank them.
- Do not use the CI build for everyday playback unless you accept testing quality, as the page itself warns.
- Expect no graphical settings window. mpv's home page calls it a command-line player with no real GUI and a small on-screen controller.
- If you want a package manager route, Scoop and Chocolatey are listed.
Video players side by side
| Player | Windows floor stated | Licence stated | Where the build comes from |
|---|---|---|---|
| VLC | Windows XP SP3 to 11 | Open source (various) | Official installer, MSI, ZIP, 7z from VideoLAN |
| MPC-HC | Windows 7 to 11 | GPL v3 | GitHub releases |
| mpv | Not stated | Not named on the home page; libmpv builds GPLv3 or LGPLv3 | Third-party builds, plus project CI builds for testing |
| PotPlayer | Windows 7 to 11 | Not stated | Developer's page; x86, x64, arm64 installers |
Scope: each player's own pages on this site, read 23 Oct 2026. "Not stated" means the pages we read give no statement.
Alternatives in this directory
VLC media player has an official Windows installer and a standard graphical interface. MPC-HC and PotPlayer are Windows-only players with menu-based settings. K-Lite Codec Pack suits DirectShow players, which mpv is not.