Totem vs Zoom Player: is it a good Linux alternative?

Totem as a Linux alternative to Zoom Player

Updated October 18, 2026

Our verdict

Totem can replace Zoom Player for most everyday media‑playback tasks. It handles the common video and audio containers you listed, offers subtitles, multiple audio tracks, basic playlists, and keyboard shortcuts. Power users who rely heavily on skinning, deep library management, or fine‑grained playback tweaking may find Totem too minimal, but for a typical home‑theater PC it provides a solid, low‑maintenance alternative.

Feature parity78%

License: GPL-2.0+
Price: Free
Latest version: 43.2
Rating: —

Install Totem

What works the same

Supports MP4, MKV, AVI, MP3, AAC and other mainstream codecs via GStreamer
Subtitle rendering with automatic encoding detection
Playlist creation and drag‑and‑drop ordering
Fullscreen and theater‑mode with hotkeys
Keyboard/MPRIS remote control support

What is different

Totem lacks the extensive skinning system Zoom Player offers
No built‑in advanced library database; relies on file manager for browsing
Limited fine‑tuned video/decoder settings compared to Zoom Player's options
No dedicated remote‑control UI; only MPRIS or generic hotkeys
Hardware‑acceleration depends on installed GStreamer plugins, not always auto‑enabled

Opening your Zoom Player files

Totem opens the same video and audio files that Zoom Player does, because both rely on system codecs. There is no proprietary project file format in Zoom Player, so there is nothing to export or convert—just open the media files directly in Totem. If you have Zoom Player playlists saved as .zpl or .m3u, Totem can read the standard .m3u format, but .zpl will need to be recreated manually.

Switching from Zoom Player to Totem, step by step

Install Totem from your distribution’s repository (e.g., sudo apt install totem).
Install the required GStreamer plugin packages for extra codecs (e.g., gstreamer1.0‑plugins‑bad, -ugly).
Open your media files in Totem to verify playback and subtitle rendering.
If you use playlists, export them from Zoom Player as .m3u or recreate them in Totem’s playlist window.
Configure hotkeys or MPRIS remote control according to your preference.
Optionally, set Totem as the default video player in your desktop environment.

Key features of Totem

GTK+ interface that matches the GNOME look‑and‑feel
Automatic codec handling via GStreamer plugins
Playlist support and simple drag‑and‑drop
Subtitle display with basic encoding detection
Fullscreen and windowed modes with hotkeys
Integration with GNOME Shell notifications
Remote control via MPRIS/D‑Bus
Simple file browsing through GNOME Files

How to install Totem on Linux

Ubuntu / Mintsudo apt install totem

Debiansudo apt install totem

Fedorasudo dnf install totem

Arch / Manjarosudo pacman -S totem

openSUSEsudo zypper install totem

Frequently asked questions

Can Totem play 4K HDR video smoothly?

It can, provided the underlying GStreamer pipeline has hardware‑accelerated decoders (e.g., VA‑API, NVDEC) installed and your GPU supports it.

Does Totem support online streaming services like YouTube?

Yes, through the GStreamer souphttps plugin; you can open a URL directly or use the “Open Location” dialog.

Is there a way to add custom skins to Totem?

Totem does not support skinning; its appearance follows the GNOME theme. For a more customizable UI you would need a different player such as MPV or VLC.