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Synopsis

mpv [options] [file|URL|PLAYLIST|-]
mpv [options] files
Command-line arguments starting with - are interpreted as options. Everything else is treated as a filename or URL. Options require a parameter in the form --option=value. Flag options use --flag (equivalent to --flag=yes) or --no-flag (equivalent to --flag=no).

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Playing local files

Pass one or more file paths directly to mpv: 
mpv video.mkv
mpv /path/to/movie.mp4
mpv "filename with spaces.mkv"
To play multiple files sequentially, list them all on the command line. mpv adds them to an internal playlist and plays each in order: 
mpv episode1.mkv episode2.mkv episode3.mkv
Prefix relative paths that begin with - using ./ to prevent mpv from interpreting them as options. For example, use ./file.mkv instead of -file.mkv.

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Reading from stdin

Use - as the filename to read media data from stdin: 
mpv -
This also works with piped input: 
cat file.mkv | mpv -
ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -f matroska - | mpv -
Using - as the filename disables console controls, which makes it suitable for playing data piped to stdin.
Use -- to stop mpv from interpreting subsequent arguments as options — useful if you need to play a file that starts with a -: 
mpv -- -oddly-named-file.mkv

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Playing URLs and streams

mpv accepts HTTP and HTTPS URLs directly: 
mpv https://example.com/video.mp4
For YouTube and other sites, mpv integrates with yt-dlp (or youtube-dl) automatically when you pass an http(s):// URL that points to a supported site: 
mpv https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ
Force yt-dlp processing for any URL using the ytdl:// prefix: 
mpv ytdl://dQw4w9WgXcQ

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Special protocols

Play a DVD disc or ISO image. Without a title number, mpv auto-selects the longest title. DVD menus are not supported.
mpv dvd://                        # play the longest title
mpv dvd://2                       # play title 2
mpv dvd:// --dvd-device=/dev/sr0  # specify the drive
mpv dvd:// --dvd-device=movie.iso # play from an ISO file
dvdnav:// is an alias for dvd://.
Play a Blu-ray disc or ISO image. Requires libbluray. Since libbluray 1.0.1, ISO files are supported via --bluray-device.
mpv bd://                              # play the default playlist
mpv bd://longest                       # play the longest playlist
mpv bd://1                             # play playlist index 1
mpv bd:// --bluray-device=/dev/sr0
mpv bd:// --bluray-device=movie.iso
bluray:// is an alias for bd://.
Play an audio CD. Navigate tracks using chapter seek keys (Page Up / Page Down).
mpv cdda://                         # play the whole disc
mpv cdda:// --start=#4 --end=#6     # play tracks 4 and 5, then exit
Pass a string directly to FFmpeg’s libavformat:
mpv lavf://v4l2:/dev/video0
Use libavdevice demuxers. type is the demuxer name and options is the pseudo-filename:
mpv av://v4l2:/dev/video0 --profile=low-latency --untimed
avdevice:// is an alias.
Read from an arbitrary file descriptor. Similar to piping to stdin, but uses the specified descriptor number:
mpv fd://3
Use fdclose://3 to automatically close the descriptor after use.
Play files from a Samba/SMB network share. Requires FFmpeg built with SMB support:
mpv smb://server/share/video.mkv
Play a series of images as a video:
mpv mf://frame*.png          # glob pattern
mpv mf://image-%d.jpg        # printf pattern (image-1.jpg, image-2.jpg, …)
mpv mf://@list.txt           # text file with one path per line

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Essential playback options

Seeking

# Seek to a specific time on start
mpv --start=01:30:00 movie.mkv

# Seek to 50% through the file
mpv --start=50% movie.mkv

# Seek to chapter 2
mpv --start='#2' movie.mkv

# Play from 30s to 40s, then exit
mpv --start=30 --end=40 clip.mkv

# Play 10 seconds starting at 3:20 before the end
mpv --start=-3:20 --length=10 movie.mkv

Speed and volume

# Play at 1.5× speed
mpv --speed=1.5 movie.mkv

# Play at half speed
mpv --speed=0.5 movie.mkv

# Set starting volume (0–100, default varies)
mpv --volume=80 movie.mkv

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Looping

# Loop a single file forever
mpv --loop video.mkv
mpv --loop=inf video.mkv

# Loop a single file 3 times
mpv --loop=3 video.mkv

# Loop the entire playlist forever
mpv --loop-playlist file1.mkv file2.mkv

# Loop the playlist 5 times
mpv --loop-playlist=5 file1.mkv file2.mkv
--loop (alias for --loop-file) counts the number of additional seeks to the beginning, not the total number of playthroughs. --loop=1 plays the file twice. --loop-playlist counts full playthroughs, so --loop-playlist=2 plays the list twice.

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Screenshots

# Set the screenshot format (jpg, png, webp, jxl, avif)
mpv --screenshot-format=png movie.mkv
During playback, press s to take a screenshot including subtitles, or S to take one without subtitles. Screenshots are saved as mpv-shotNNNN.<ext> in the working directory (or the desktop in pseudo-GUI mode).

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Per-file options

When playing multiple files you can apply options to a subset using --{ and --} markers: 
# --sub-file only applies to file2.mkv and file3.mkv
mpv file1.mkv --\{ --sub-file=subs.srt file2.mkv file3.mkv --\} file4.mkv

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