Linux · Sound & Video
Celluloid
Celluloid is a lightweight media player for Linux that uses the mpv engine and GTK for a clean GNOME‑style interface.
- License
- GPL-3.0+
- Latest version
- 0.30 (March 28, 2026)
- Developer
- The Celluloid Developers
- Installs
- 6,755 (Flathub, 30 days)
What is Celluloid?
Celluloid started as a simple front‑end for the mpv library, aiming to give users a minimal yet functional video player without the bloat of larger players. Over the years it has kept pace with mpv’s feature set, adding playlist support, drag‑and‑drop, and MPRIS2 integration while staying lightweight. The target audience is users who want a straightforward player for everyday video playback, especially those who prefer a GNOME‑centric look and feel. It works well on most desktop environments. Compared with Windows players like PotPlayer, Celluloid feels more “Linux‑native”: no heavy skins, no proprietary codecs bundled, and a consistent look with the rest of the system. It lacks some advanced playback tweaks, but for most users it offers a clean, reliable experience.
Best for: Users who want a simple, GNOME‑style media player without the extra features of larger players.
Key features of Celluloid
- mpv‑based playback engine
- GTK+ interface following GNOME HIG
- Drag‑and‑drop playlist support
- External mpv config file loading
- MPRIS2 D‑Bus control
- Keyboard shortcuts for play/pause, seek, volume
- Playlist management
- MPRIS2 media player controls
Pros
- Lightweight and fast
- Native GNOME integration
- Open source and free
- MPRIS2 support for media keys and external controllers
- Easy to install from major distro repos
Cons
- No built‑in subtitle editor
- Limited advanced video filters
- No network streaming support beyond local files
- Some users report occasional crashes on older hardware
Windows programs Celluloid replaces
How to install Celluloid on Linux
flatpak install flathub io.github.celluloid_player.Celluloidsudo apt install celluloidsudo apt install celluloidsudo dnf install celluloidsudo pacman -S celluloidsudo zypper install celluloidTips for Windows users
If you’re coming from PotPlayer, you’ll find that Celluloid supports the same common formats (MP4, MKV, AVI, MP3, AAC) because it relies on mpv. Use the same keyboard shortcuts: space for play/pause, left/right to seek 5 s, up/down to adjust volume. Drag files onto the window to add them to the playlist. For more advanced playback options, edit the mpv.conf file in your home directory. The workflow is more minimal; you won’t find a separate settings dialog, so most tweaks are done via config files or command‑line options.
Recent releases
- 0.30 —
This release contains the following changes: - Fix the file chooser not remembering the location of last opened file. - Prevent the seek bar and playback buttons from becoming reversed under RTL locales. - Updated the shortcuts dialog to use libadwaita. - Fix…
- 0.29 —
This release contains the following changes: - Fix an issue that can cause flickering or black screens with Nvidia GPU. - Fix preferences dialog not saving configuration files. - Fix controls not re-appearing after being hidden. - Fix main menu popover not…
- 0.28 —
This release contains the following changes: - Add the standard F10 key binding for activating the main menu button. - Implement GUI redesign by @jannuary. - Update some of the deprecated GTK API usage. - Fix a crash that occurs on exit with GTK 4.17. - Add…
- 0.27 —
This release contains the following changes: - Add a loading screen that gets displayed during initialization and buffering. - Reduce the time it takes for the main window to get displayed after launching. - Opening and closing the preferences dialog will no…
Celluloid: frequently asked questions
Does Celluloid support subtitles?
Yes, it can display subtitles in common formats like .srt or embedded in the video. Subtitles can be toggled with the subtitle menu or via the keyboard shortcut (usually Ctrl+S).
Can I use Celluloid to play network streams?
It can play network streams if mpv supports the protocol, but there is no dedicated UI for entering URLs; you can launch it from the terminal with the stream URL or add a custom shortcut.
Is Celluloid available on all Linux distributions?
Yes, it is packaged in Arch, Debian, Fedora, openSUSE, and Ubuntu, and can also be installed from Flathub.
How do I change the default video quality or use hardware acceleration?
Edit the mpv.conf file in ~/.config/mpv/ or use command‑line options like --hwdec=auto to enable hardware decoding. Celluloid will use those settings automatically.
Updated