VLC
Drop-in replacementFreeThe official Linux version. Identical to the Windows one.
Your files: Plays effectively any video or audio file you already have.
Does VLC run on Linux?
Verdict: Yes
Yes. VLC is made by a team that develops on Linux in the first place, and it is available in every Linux app store. It is the same program you already use, including the traffic cone icon.
VideoLAN publishes VLC for Linux directly and it is packaged by every major Linux system. On most desktops you open the app store, search for VLC and click install. It is also available as a Snap package if your system prefers those. Either way it stays updated with the rest of your software.
Everything you expect is there: it plays almost any video or audio file without hunting for codecs, handles DVDs and audio CDs, opens streams and network shares, converts between formats and shows subtitles. The layout, menus and keyboard shortcuts match the Windows version, so there is nothing to relearn.
The one genuine difference is Blu-ray. Commercial Blu-ray discs are protected in a way VLC cannot handle on its own, and getting them working involves extra files and is legally murky in some countries. Ordinary DVDs are fine.
Nothing needs moving. Your video and music files are ordinary files that VLC opens straight from wherever you put them, including an external drive brought over from Windows.
VLC on Linux, and alternatives
mpv
Close matchFreeLighter and smoother for high-resolution video, with a deliberately minimal window. Less clicking, fewer menus.
Your files: Plays the same wide range of files.
HandBrake
Different way of workingFreeNot a player. Converts video into smaller or more compatible files, which pairs well with VLC.
Your files: Converts common video formats without altering the original.
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