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:
- everything under etc/ is unknown
- everything under DOCS/man/ is GPLv2+
- sub/osd_font.otf is LGPLv2.1+
- some tests under waftools/fragments/ might be GPLv2+
- version.sh is GPLv2+
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:
audio/decode/ad.h LGPL
audio/decode/ad_lavc.c very hard (nick's changes)
audio/decode/ad_spdif.c LGPL
audio/decode/dec_audio.* very hard (nick's changes)
audio/filter/af.* must be killed (main author disagreed)
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 unknown
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
audio/audio.* very hard (mp_audio based of anders' af_audio)
audio/audio_buffer.* LGPL
audio/chmap.* LGPL
audio/chmap_sel.* LGPL
audio/fmt-conversion.* LGPL
audio/format.* hard (murky libaf origins)
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.* complications (at least Denes' changes)
demux/demux_cue.c LGPL
demux/demux_disc.c LGPL
demux/demux_edl.c LGPL
demux/demux_lavf.c hard
demux/demux_libarchive.c LGPL
demux/demux_mf.c hard
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 unknown
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_* unknown, probably easy except some commands
input/event.* LGPL
input/input.* potentially hard
input/ipc.c LGPL
input/ipc-unix.c LGPL
input/ipc-win.c LGPL
input/keycodes.* potentially hard
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.* very hard (lots of options and history)
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 unknown
osdep/macosx_application.m unknown
osdep/macosx_application_objc.h unknown
osdep/macosx_compat.h unknown
osdep/macosx_events.* unknown
osdep/macosx_events_objc.h unknown
osdep/macosx_touchbar.* unknown
osdep/macosx_versions.h unknown
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 unknown
osdep/terminal-unix.c hard
osdep/terminal-win.c medium
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 unknown
osdep/w32_keyboard.h unknown
osdep/win32-console-wrapper.c LGPL (BSD)
osdep/win32/* LGPL (ISC)
osdep/windows_utils.* LGPL
player/audio.c extremely hard (complex history, libaf ties)
player/client.* LGPL (ISC)
player/command.c extremely hard (also some GPL-only things)
player/command.h hard
player/configfiles.c unknown
player/core.h extremely hard
player/external_files.* hard (murky subreader.c origins)
player/lavfi.* LGPL
player/loadfile.c extremely hard
player/lua/*.* LGPL
player/lua.c LGPL
player/misc.c LGPL
player/osd.c hard
player/playloop.c extremely hard
player/screenshot.* LGPL
player/scripting.* LGPL
player/sub.c easy (probably almost no mplayer code)
player/video.c extremely hard
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 unknown
stream/stream_bluray.c unknown
stream/stream.c very hard
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.h hard
stream/stream_lavf.c hard
stream/stream_libarchive.* LGPL
stream/stream_memory.c LGPL
stream/stream_mf.c unknown
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.* hard
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 hard
video/decode/vd.h hard
video/decode/vd_lavc.c very hard
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_dlopen.* 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.* must be killed (author disagreed to LGPL)
video/gpu_memcpy.* will be deleted
video/hwdec.* LGPL
video/image_writer.* unknown
video/img_format.* hard
video/img_fourcc.h hard
video/mp_image.* hard (if even possible)
video/mp_image_pool.* LGPL
video/out/aspect.* hard
video/out/bitmap_packer.* LGPL
video/out/cocoa* unknown
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 unknown
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.* medium
video/out/wayland* LGPL
video/out/win32/* LGPL
video/out/win_state.* unknown
video/out/x11_common.* probably impossible
video/out/x11_icon.bin must stay GPL
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