video.js README

The project's README from github.com/videojs/video.js. As one markdown file: README.md.

Video.js logo

Video.js - Web Video Player & Framework

NPM

Update: Big changes coming in Video.js 10, early 2026! Read the discussion.

Video.js is a full featured, open source video player for all web-based platforms.

Right out of the box, Video.js supports all common media formats used on the web including streaming formats like HLS and DASH. It works on desktops, mobile devices, tablets, and web-based Smart TVs. It can be further extended and customized by a robust ecosystem of plugins.

Video.js was started in May 2010 and since then:

Table of Contents

Quick Start

Thanks to the awesome folks over at Fastly, there's a free, CDN hosted version of Video.js that anyone can use. Add these tags to your document's <head>:

<link href="//vjs.zencdn.net/8.23.6/video-js.min.css" rel="stylesheet">
<script src="//vjs.zencdn.net/8.23.6/video.min.js"></script>

Alternatively, you can include Video.js by getting it from npm, downloading it from GitHub releases or by including it via unpkg or another JavaScript CDN, like CDNjs.

<!-- unpkg : use the latest version of Video.js -->
<link href="https://unpkg.com/video.js/dist/video-js.min.css" rel="stylesheet">
<script src="https://unpkg.com/video.js/dist/video.min.js"></script>

<!-- unpkg : use a specific version of Video.js (change the version numbers as necessary) -->
<link href="https://unpkg.com/[email protected]/dist/video-js.min.css" rel="stylesheet">
<script src="https://unpkg.com/[email protected]/dist/video.min.js"></script>

<!-- cdnjs : use a specific version of Video.js (change the version numbers as necessary) -->
<link href="https://cdnjs.cloudflare.com/ajax/libs/video.js/8.24.0/video-js.min.css" rel="stylesheet">
<script src="https://cdnjs.cloudflare.com/ajax/libs/video.js/8.24.0/video.min.js"></script>

Next, using Video.js is as simple as creating a <video> element, but with an additional data-setup attribute. At a minimum, this attribute must have a value of '{}', but it can include any Video.js options - just make sure it contains valid JSON!

<video
    id="my-player"
    class="video-js"
    controls
    preload="auto"
    poster="//vjs.zencdn.net/v/oceans.png"
    data-setup='{}'>
  <source src="//vjs.zencdn.net/v/oceans.mp4" type="video/mp4"></source>
  <source src="//vjs.zencdn.net/v/oceans.webm" type="video/webm"></source>
  <source src="//vjs.zencdn.net/v/oceans.ogv" type="video/ogg"></source>
  <p class="vjs-no-js">
    To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a
    web browser that
    <a href="https://videojs.com/html5-video-support/" target="_blank">
      supports HTML5 video
    </a>
  </p>
</video>

When the page loads, Video.js will find this element and automatically setup a player in its place.

If you don't want to use automatic setup, you can leave off the data-setup attribute and initialize a <video> element manually using the videojs function:

var player = videojs('my-player');

The videojs function also accepts an options object and a callback to be invoked when the player is ready:

var options = {};

var player = videojs('my-player', options, function onPlayerReady() {
  videojs.log('Your player is ready!');

  // In this context, `this` is the player that was created by Video.js.
  this.play();

  // How about an event listener?
  this.on('ended', function() {
    videojs.log('Awww...over so soon?!');
  });
});

If you're ready to dive in, the Getting Started page and documentation are the best places to go for more information. If you get stuck, head over to our Slack!

Contributing

Video.js is a free and open source library, and we appreciate any help you're willing to give - whether it's fixing bugs, improving documentation, or suggesting new features. Check out the contributing guide for more! Contributions and project decisions are overseen by the Video.js Technical Steering Committee (TSC).

By submitting a pull request, you agree that your contribution is provided under the Apache 2.0 License and may be included in future releases. No contributor license agreement (CLA) has ever been required for contributions to Video.js. See the Developer's Certificate of Origin 1.1 .

Code of Conduct

Please note that this project is released with a Contributor Code of Conduct. By participating in this project you agree to abide by its terms.

License

Video.js is licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0. "Video.js" is a registered trademark of Brightcove, Inc.

Sponsorship

Project development is sponsored by the role of Corporate Shepherd, held by various companies throughout the project history:

Video.js uses BrowserStack for compatibility testing.

The free CDN-hosted copy of the libray is sponsored by Fastly.

Website hosting is sponsored by Netlify

video.js (videojs/video.js)

media-player
Searching Database…

40K ·GitHub
Video.js
What is this?Video.js is a free, open source video player for all web-based platforms: a full-featured HTML5 player that also works as a framework (v10) for building players in HTML and React.
Is it a framework for developers, or a ready-made player I can just drop into a page?Both: putting a element with a data-setup attribute on a page gives you a working player, and the project is a framework you can extend with hundreds of existing plugins.
How do I add it to my site?Include it from the free Fastly CDN, npm, a GitHub release, or unpkg/CDNjs. A element with a data-setup attribute (even '{}') auto-initializes on page load, or you can create a player manually with the videojs() function.
Where does it actually run — just desktop browsers?Anywhere the web runs: desktops, mobile devices, tablets, and web-based Smart TVs.
Is it really free to use, and is there a catch in the license?It is a free and open source library under the Apache License 2.0 — no contributor CLA either. The only catch: 'Video.js' is a registered trademark of Brightcove, Inc.
How battle-tested is Video.js?Very: it started in May 2010 and millions of websites have used it over time; the CDN-hosted copy alone serves billions of end-users monthly, with 900+ core contributors and hundreds of plugins.
What is changing in Video.js 10?The README teases big changes coming in Video.js 10 in early 2026 and links to a discussion; the release is framed as a media player framework for HTML and React.
Can I skip the automatic setup?Yes — leave off the data-setup attribute and initialize manually with the videojs() function, which also accepts an options object and a callback invoked when the player is ready.
What are similar projects?DPlayer, react-player, plyr, hls.js, flv.js, BBLL, GSYVideoPlayer, android-airplay-server
Which topics is it in?dash, hls, player, media-player, html5, video-player, svelte, streaming, video, vue, customization, html
Creator
videojs
Size
255.4 MB
Stars
40K
Updated
CommitOct 15Release[email protected]Oct 12
Age
16y
Commits · 90 Days