mpv is a fork of mplayer2, which is a fork of MPlayer. mpv as a whole is licensed as GPL version 2 or later (see LICENSE). Most source files are GPLv2+, but some files are available under a more liberal license, such as LGPLv2.1+, BSD, MIT, ISC, and possibly others. Look at the copyright header of each source file, and grep the sources for "Copyright" if you need to know details. C source files without Copyright notice are licensed as LGPLv2.1+. Also see the list of files with specific licenses below (not all files can have a standard license header). All new contributions must be LGPLv2.1+ licensed, or if the changes are done on GPL code, must come with the implicit agreement that the project can relicense the code to LGPLv2.1+ at a later point without asking the contributor. (This is a safeguard for making potential relicensing of the project to LGPLv2.1+ easier.) Using a more liberal license compatible to LGPLv2.1+ is also ok. For information about authors and contributors, consult the git log, which contains the complete SVN and CVS history as well. Note that mplayer2 as a whole is licensed under GPLv3+. This is because it uses a copy of talloc (part of Samba), which is LGPLv3+, and the next compatible license for this mix is GPLv3+. MPlayer as a whole is licensed under GPLv2 (incompatible to GPLv3!), because some files are licensed to GPLv2 (and _not_ any later version of the license). In particular, this affects the file libmpdemux/demux_ty_osd.c. It is disabled under mplayer2, and has been removed from mpv. "v2.1+" in this context means "version 2.1 or later". Some libraries are GPLv2+ or GPLv3+ only. Building mpv with Samba support makes it GPLv3+. Source files with specific licenses: - etc/input.conf is LGPLv2.1+ - etc/builtin.conf is LGPLv2.1+ - etc/encoding-profiles.conf is LGPLv2.1+ - all mpv icons and derived files are LGPLv2.1+ (mpv-icon-8bit-16x16.png etc.) - everything else under etc/ is unknown - everything under DOCS/man/ is GPLv2+ - sub/osd_font.otf is LGPLv2.1+ - version.sh is LGPLv2+ - bootstrap.py is unknown (probably GPLv2+ or LGPLv2+) - the build system (wscript, waftools/*) is LGPLv2+, some parts BSD Some files are marked with "Almost LGPL." These files are GPL, but all authors have agreed to relicense them to LGPL. the problem is that one of the authors is Michael Niedermayer, who cited the following conditions for relicensing: http://lists.mplayerhq.hu/pipermail/mplayer-dev-eng/2016-September/073535.html We assume the first 3 conditions are fulfilled. The last condition can be interpreted as that his code can be changed to LGPL only as soon as the "core" of mpv changes to LGPL. We interpret "core" as something minimal, that can actually be built and run, with all GPL code disabled. Some files are LGPLv3+. This is due to the contributions of a single developer going by the SVN username "iive". The chosen license of this project is LGPLv2.1+. The affected files will be changed to LGPLv2.1+ at the earliest opportunity, for example if his contributions disappear by being replaced or removed. All new contributions to these files are implied to be LGPLv2.1+. LGPL relicensing status. Files which require some sort of action to get a basic LGPL player core (relicensing, replacement, or partial/full rewrites) are marked with an "x". audio/decode/ad.h LGPL audio/decode/ad_lavc.c LGPL audio/decode/ad_spdif.c LGPL audio/decode/dec_audio.* LGPL x audio/filter/af.* must be killed (main author disagreed) (required for LGPL core: a new filter chain must be written) audio/filter/af_channel.c must be killed (main author disagreed) audio/filter/af_equalizer.c must be killed (main author disagreed) audio/filter/af_pan.c must be killed (main author disagreed) audio/filter/af_volume.c must be killed (main author disagreed) audio/filter/equalizer.h must be killed (main author disagreed) audio/filter/tools.c must be killed (main author disagreed) audio/filter/af_format.c LGPL audio/filter/af_lavc3enc.c LGPL audio/filter/af_lavfi.c LGPL audio/filter/af_scaletempo.c LGPL audio/filter/af_rubberband.c LGPL audio/out/ao.c LGPL audio/out/ao.h LGPL audio/out/ao_alsa.c extremely hard (original author did not decide) audio/out/ao_audiounit.m LGPL audio/out/ao_coreaudio.c LGPL audio/out/ao_coreaudio_chmap.c LGPL audio/out/ao_coreaudio_chmap.h LGPL audio/out/ao_coreaudio_exclusiv LGPL audio/out/ao_coreaudio_properti LGPL audio/out/ao_coreaudio_properti LGPL audio/out/ao_coreaudio_utils.c LGPL audio/out/ao_coreaudio_utils.h LGPL audio/out/ao_jack.c will stay GPL audio/out/ao_lavc.c LGPL audio/out/ao_null.c LGPL audio/out/ao_openal.c LGPL audio/out/ao_opensles.c LGPL audio/out/ao_oss.c will stay GPL audio/out/ao_pcm.c LGPL audio/out/ao_pulse.c LGPL audio/out/ao_rsound.c LGPL audio/out/ao_sdl.c LGPL audio/out/ao_sndio.c LGPL (BSD) audio/out/ao_wasapi.c LGPL audio/out/ao_wasapi_changenotif LGPL audio/out/ao_wasapi.h LGPL audio/out/ao_wasapi_utils.c LGPL audio/out/internal.h LGPL audio/out/pull.c LGPL audio/out/push.c LGPL x audio/audio.* very hard (mp_audio based of anders' af_audio) (required for LGPL core: determine if the struct can be used anyway, or devise a cheap AVFrame wrapper) audio/audio_buffer.* LGPL audio/chmap.* LGPL audio/chmap_sel.* LGPL audio/fmt-conversion.* LGPL audio/format.* LGPL common/av_common.* LGPL common/av_log.c almost LGPL common/av_log.h LGPL common/codecs.* LGPL common/common.* LGPL common/encode.h LGPL common/encode_lavc.* LGPL common/global.h LGPL common/msg.c almost LGPL common/msg_control.h LGPL common/msg.h LGPL common/playlist.* LGPL common/recorder.* LGPL common/tags.* LGPL common/version.c LGPL demux/codec_tags.* LGPL demux/cue.* LGPL demux/demux.* LGPL demux/demux_cue.c LGPL demux/demux_disc.c LGPL demux/demux_edl.c LGPL demux/demux_lavf.c almost LGPL demux/demux_libarchive.c LGPL demux/demux_mf.c LGPLv3+ demux/demux_mkv.c LGPL (mostly) demux/demux_mkv_timeline.c LGPL demux/demux_null.c LGPL demux/demux_playlist.c LGPL demux/demux_rar.c LGPL demux/demux_raw.c almost LGPL demux/demux_timeline.c LGPL demux/demux_tv.c will stay GPL demux/ebml.* LGPL demux/matroska.h LGPL demux/packet.* LGPL demux/stheader.h LGPL demux/timeline.* LGPL input/cmd_* LGPL input/event.* LGPL input/input.* LGPL input/ipc.c LGPL input/ipc-unix.c LGPL input/ipc-win.c LGPL input/keycodes.* LGPL input/pipe-win32.c LGPL libmpv/*.* LGPL misc/*.* LGPL options/m_config.* LGPL options/m_option.c almost LGPL options/m_option.h LGPL options/m_property.* LGPL options/options.* LGPL options/parse_commandline.* LGPL options/parse_configfile.* LGPL options/path.* LGPL osdep/android/* LGPL (BSD) osdep/ar/* LGPL (BSD) osdep/atomic.h LGPL osdep/compiler.h LGPL osdep/endian.h LGPL osdep/glob-win.c LGPL osdep/io.* LGPL osdep/macosx_application.h LGPL osdep/macosx_application.m LGPL osdep/macosx_application_objc.h LGPL osdep/macosx_compat.h LGPL osdep/macosx_events.* LGPL osdep/macosx_events_objc.h LGPL osdep/macosx_touchbar.* LGPL osdep/macosx_versions.h LGPL osdep/main-fn-cocoa.c LGPL osdep/main-fn.h LGPL osdep/main-fn-unix.c LGPL osdep/main-fn-win.c LGPL osdep/mpv.exe.manifest LGPL osdep/mpv.rc LGPL osdep/path.h LGPL osdep/path-macosx.m LGPL osdep/path-unix.c LGPL osdep/path-win.c LGPL osdep/semaphore.h LGPL osdep/semaphore_osx.c LGPL osdep/strnlen.h LGPL osdep/subprocess.* LGPL osdep/subprocess-posix.c LGPL osdep/subprocess-win.c LGPL osdep/terminal.h LGPL osdep/terminal-unix.c LGPL osdep/terminal-win.c LGPL osdep/threads.* LGPL osdep/timer.c LGPL osdep/timer.h LGPL osdep/timer-darwin.c LGPL (MIT) osdep/timer-linux.c LGPL osdep/timer-win2.c LGPL osdep/w32_keyboard.c LGPL osdep/w32_keyboard.h LGPL osdep/win32-console-wrapper.c LGPL (BSD) osdep/win32/* LGPL (ISC) osdep/windows_utils.* LGPL x player/audio.c LGPL (dysfunctional due to libaf) player/client.* LGPL (ISC) player/command.c LGPL player/command.h LGPL player/configfiles.c LGPL player/core.h LGPL player/external_files.* LGPL player/lavfi.* LGPL player/loadfile.c LGPL player/lua/*.* LGPL player/lua.c LGPL player/misc.c LGPL player/osd.c LGPL player/playloop.c LGPL player/screenshot.* LGPL player/scripting.* LGPL player/sub.c LGPL player/video.c LGPL stream/ai_* will stay GPL (TV code) stream/audio_in.* will stay GPL (TV code) stream/cache.c LGPLv3+ stream/cache_file.c LGPL stream/cookies.* LGPL stream/dvb* must stay GPL stream/frequencies.* must stay GPL stream/rar.* LGPL stream/stream_avdevice.c LGPL stream/stream_bluray.c LGPL stream/stream.* LGPL stream/stream_cb.c LGPL stream/stream_cdda.c unknown stream/stream_dvb.* must stay GPL stream/stream_dvd.c unknown stream/stream_dvd_common.* unknown stream/stream_dvdnav.c unknown stream/stream_edl.c LGPL stream/stream_file.c LGPL stream/stream_lavf.c LGPL stream/stream_libarchive.* LGPL stream/stream_memory.c LGPL stream/stream_mf.c LGPL stream/stream_null.c LGPL stream/stream_rar.c LGPL stream/stream_smb.c will stay GPLv3 stream/stream_tv.c will stay GPL stream/tv* will stay GPL sub/* LGPL ta/* LGPL (ISC) video/decode/d3d.* LGPL video/decode/dec_video.* almost LGPL video/decode/hw_cuda.c LGPL video/decode/hw_d3d11va.c LGPL video/decode/hw_dxva2.c LGPL video/decode/hw_videotoolbox.c LGPL video/decode/lavc.h almost LGPLv3+ video/decode/vd.h LGPL video/decode/vd_lavc.c almost LGPLv3+ video/filter/refqueue.* LGPL video/filter/vf.c LGPL video/filter/vf.h LGPL (mostly) video/filter/vf_buffer.c LGPL video/filter/vf_crop.c will be deleted video/filter/vf_d3d11vpp.c LGPL video/filter/vf_dsize.c will be deleted video/filter/vf_eq.c will be deleted video/filter/vf_expand.c will be deleted video/filter/vf_flip.c will be deleted video/filter/vf_format.c will be deleted video/filter/vf_gradfun.c will be deleted video/filter/vf_lavfi.* LGPL video/filter/vf_mirror.c will be deleted video/filter/vf_noformat.c will be deleted video/filter/vf_pullup.c will be deleted video/filter/vf_rotate.c will be deleted video/filter/vf_scale.c will be deleted video/filter/vf_stereo3d.c will be deleted video/filter/vf_sub.c will be deleted video/filter/vf_vapoursynth.c LGPL video/filter/vf_vavpp.c LGPL video/filter/vf_vdpaupp.c LGPL video/filter/vf_yadif.c will be deleted video/csputils.* LGPL video/fmt-conversion.* LGPL video/gpu_memcpy.* will be deleted video/hwdec.* LGPL video/image_writer.* LGPL video/img_format.* LGPL video/mp_image.* almost LGPL video/mp_image_pool.* LGPL video/out/aspect.* LGPL video/out/bitmap_packer.* LGPL video/out/cocoa* LGPL video/out/d3d_shader_420p.h LGPL video/out/d3d_shader_nv12.h LGPL video/out/d3d_shader_yuv.hlsl LGPL video/out/dither.* LGPL video/out/drm_common.* LGPL video/out/filter_kernels.* LGPL (BSD) video/out/opengl/hwdec_vaglx.c GPL video/out/opengl/* LGPL video/out/vo.c LGPL video/out/vo.h LGPL video/out/vo_caca.c unknown video/out/vo_direct3d.c unknown video/out/vo_drm.c LGPL video/out/vo_image.c LGPL video/out/vo_lavc.c LGPL video/out/vo_null.c LGPL video/out/vo_opengl.c LGPL video/out/vo_opengl_cb.c LGPL video/out/vo_rpi.c LGPL video/out/vo_sdl.c LGPL video/out/vo_tct.c LGPL video/out/vo_vaapi.c probably impossible (some company's code) video/out/vo_vdpau.c probably impossible (nVidia's code) video/out/vo_wayland.c LGPL video/out/vo_x11.c probably impossible video/out/vo_xv.c probably impossible video/out/w32_common.* LGPL video/out/wayland* LGPL video/out/win32/* LGPL video/out/win_state.* LGPL video/out/x11_common.* probably impossible video/out/x11_icon.bin LGPL video/sws_utils.* LGPL video/vaapi.* hard (GPL-only parts must be ifdefed) video/vdpau.c hard (GPL-only parts must be ifdefed) video/vdpau_functions.inc LGPL video/vdpau.h unknown video/vdpau_mixer.* actual code must be rewritten video/vt.* LGPL