Electronic Team uses cookies to personalize your experience on our website. By continuing to use this site, you agree to our cookie policy. Click here to learn more.

Media Player For Mac: Elmedia Player

Sure, there are plenty of media players Mac users can get. But few will offer you everything you need, all in one place. That’s why we decided to save you the hassle and describe the apps that are really worth trying. To find the best media player for Mac, check out our list of recommended solutions - complete format support, plentiful features, sleek design, you name it.

Top choice

Elmedia Player Free

4.8 Rank based on 131+ users, Reviews(131)

Download website version

The Best Mac Media Player: Meet the Contestants

Elmedia Player

First on our list is what we consider the best multimedia player for Mac. The Elmedia Player is a feature-rich app yet light app which comes in a user-friendly package.

One of the things we love about it is the number of file formats that it supports. Elmedia can run both video and audio files, ranging from MOV, AVI, MKV, MP4 to FLAC and MP3. The player provides full control over the playback settings, so you can enjoy your media just as you like it.

Another aspect which makes Elmedia an excellent media player Macintosh users can get are its advanced features. For example, the app’s Pro version offers wireless streaming for full DLNA Mac compatibility, so you can stream audio and video wirelessly over your network to DLNA-certified devices. Needless to say, you can also use Elmedia to cast to Chromecast from Mac - while retaining full control over playback. And there are plenty of additional Elmedia features for you to discover.

Pros

Audio, video, image files - open anything you’ve got
Streaming support for AirPlay, Chromecast, DLNA
Screenshot gallery function
Frame-perfect searching
Playlist creation and manipulation
Many other tweaks for maximum comfort.

Cons

Mac exclusive, no Windows support

How to Play Media Files on Mac with Elmedia Player

With a Mac media player as intuitive as Elmedia, you can play all sorts of video and audio files in three easy steps:

1. Install the app.

Download the Elmedia Media Player on your Mac by going to the official website or the App Store.

2. Add your media files to Elmedia in one of the following ways:

Drag and drop the files onto the player window or onto its icon in the dock.
Right-click a file in Finder, choose the "Open With" option and pick Elmedia Player from the list.
In the player’s Main menu, choose "File" and then "Open"

3. Enjoy your media files with Elmedia!

JustPlay

JustPlay is the next entry on our list of best media players for Mac. It’s so compact and simple, you’ll be surprised by the functionalities it has to offer. It boasts a massive list of supported file formats, without the need for codecs and plugins, and can even handle your 4K and 8K videos. This media player offers cool features such as a deinterlacing option, audio equalizer with presets, picture-in-picture mode, plus it’s perfectly integrated with macOS.

Pros

Support for a broad range of file formats
Effortless 4K and 8K playback
Lightweight and compact
Mac-specific controls, i.e. Touch Bar integration
Various audio and video options available

Cons

No free version available
Blu-ray capabilities are limited

IINA

The IINA Mac media player takes an interesting direction. Instead of trying to develop its own separate design, it tries its best to integrate with the Apple ecosystem. This entails extensive support for Apple hardware and system functions, such as touchpad gestures and Retina technology.

It looks unremarkable, but that’s the intention - it blends in well. In fact, some might argue that it nails the "default app" look better than QuickTime itself. And it takes some creative risks, too, giving it that risqué Apple look. For example, the video seekbar is flipped - you don’t see that every day…

Pros

Has the look and feel of a stock app
Innovative design
Browser integration possible
Uses macOS to the fullest extent

Cons

CPU-intensive
Various playback bugs

5KPlayer

Don’t be too quick to discard this one: we only use the term "generic" in its best sense. Imagine watching a movie with no interruptions or discomforts, with no need to fiddle with settings. 5K is the perfect program to embody this image. It exists and it works, and it’s pretty damn good at it. The features are very subtle, and while unnoticeable in use, their absence would be very noticeable and inconvenient.

The perfect image is ruined, alas, marred by ads. That’s the major downside of the 5KPlayer, and who knows? Mayhaps it would easily take the spot of the best media player for Mac, had it not been for those pesky ads. Until then, it’ll stay a runner-up.

Pros

Supports high resolutions, Ultra-HD included
Streams from YouTube
Overall solid experience

Cons

Ads galore
Unoptimized CPU-wise

OmniPlayer

OmniPlayer offers astoundingly high playback quality for almost any format you can throw at it. It’s designed on a modern basis, with aesthetics on the same level as the functionality. It’s a real champ among media players Mac users utilize, not much else to say here. Makes you wonder how competition even manages to stay afloat.

Well, the answer is quite simple: the demo just isn’t enough for an in-detail, comprehensive look at the program. It’s minimal at best, so most users - especially the ones that would enjoy it - don’t get to discover the thing.

Pros

Works well for any format we could think of
Tastefully designed, stands out
Numerous side features

Cons

Demo doesn’t do justice to the full app
Unpopular, so discussion and support are somewhat limited

VLC

VLC is like the Swiss army knife of multimedia apps. Completely free, with tons of functions and a tolerable interface. It’s gonna play most of your formats, with some exceptions like SWF. It even supports stuff like DVD menus. In theory, you can convert, stream, record, etc. But in practice…

It could take hours of reading, and that’s even if the feature does work and does satisfy you. At some point, you might be better off learning a command line app, rather than trying to struggle with some poorly-documented, unpatched functions. It works, and it’s free. Watch some videos. Treat it like a plain old Mac media player. Don’t delve too deep.

Pros

Free and open source
Community support
High compatibility

Cons

Advanced functions are a pain to learn and use
Everything other than the playback is just meh

Cisdem

This is an app specifically designed as a media player for Mac. If you are looking for a tool to offer you a great HD video playback, Cisdem’s hardware acceleration technology will ensure you get what you need. One of the app’s greatest advantages is its extended support for HD and UHD videos, including 1080P, 4K, 5K, and 8K. Even better - you don't need to install additional plugins or codecs to open files properly. Easy to use and lightweight, this media player can also take screenshots, support multiple soundtracks and subtitles, and more. Unfortunately, its widely advertised conversion feature is only unlocked by the paid version.

Pros

Smooth 1080p/4k/5k/8k video playback
Simple but efficient playback controls
Intuitive interface

Cons

Free version doesn’t support a file conversion feature

What makes the best multimedia player for Mac?

Broad format support is absolutely vital. All other features will falter if the app is only usable for a couple of file types.
System compatibility is also a necessity. When your system updates, the player should follow soon, or at least it should stay in working order.
HD playback isn’t the most important thing in the world, but it improves most movies immensely.
Quality UI design is one of these things we never appreciate until we lose it. Gotta make sure that you’re actually using the app, instead of struggling with the interface.
Playlist support and interaction - if we’re talking about multimedia, music is definitely on the menu. And it’s just a pain to organize without playlists.
A lack of ads - this needs no further explanation.

Here’s How to Find the Best Media Player for Mac in 2021

Scroll to view more


Top features	VideoDuke	Elmedia	JustPlay	IINA	5KPlayer	Omni	VLC	Cisdem
Supports many different media formats	Supports many different media formats	yes (AVI, FLV, SWF, MP4, WMV, MKV, DAT, DivX, MKV, MP3, WMA, AC2, MKA, OGG, FLAC, AAC, etc.)	yes (MP4, AVI, MOV, SWF, DAT, MP3, WMA MKV, etc.)	yes ( AVI, MP4, FLV, SWF, WMV, MKV, M4V, AAC,FLAC, MP3, WAV, WMA, etc.)	yes (MKV, AVI, FLV, AVCHD, WMV, (MP3, OGG, ACC, WMA, AIFF, etc.)	yes ( AVI, MP4, FLV, SWF, WMV, MKV, M4V, AAC, FLAC, MP3, WAV, WMA, etc. )	yes (MKV, MP4, VOB, WMV, MPG AVI, FlAC, AAC, MP3, WMA, etc.)	yes (MKV, AVI, FLV, AVCHD, OGG, MP3, WMV, etc.)
Supports subtitles (embedded & external)	Supports subtitles (embedded & external)	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes
Supports local file streaming of several different formats to TVs	Supports local file streaming of several different formats to TVs	yes (PRO)	no	no	yes	yes	yes	no
Supports screen recording	Supports screen recording	no	no	no	no	yes (PRO)	yes	no
Can create and edit playlists	Can create and edit playlists	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes	no
Compatible with Apple M1	Compatible with Apple M1	yes	yes	yes	no	no	yes	no

FAQ

Is it safe to install VLC Media Player on Mac?

VLC is safe to install, however, make sure you’re downloading the real deal. Some illegitimate installers may include malware which can cause a range of issues. Thus, it’s best to always use the official company website to get the app. And if you’re looking for an easy-to-use VLC alternative for Mac, feel free to review our Elmedia vs. VLC rundown.

What is the best media player for Windows?

PotPlayer and Gom Player are very popular Windows media players. And if you’re a Mac user looking for a solid PotPlayer macOS Alternative, learn what makes Elmedia perfect for the job, since a PotPlayer media player for Mac doesn’t exist. The same goes if you’re in need of a GOM player for Mac - Elmedia offers a range of features to fulfill your playback needs, and more!

Elmedia Player Free

Requirements: OS X 10.12+ , 89.42MB free space
Version 8.2(2985) (30 Nov, 2021) Release notes

Download website version

4.8 Rank
based on
131 + users Reviews(131)