The VideoLAN Forums

Preferences -> Interface Untick Allow Metadata Network Access. Then save, exit, and restart VLC. I have done that. I have even gone as far as completely uninstalling VLC and when reinstalling, denying a prompt to "allow fetching media from Internet". And still, it does. How? I would like ...

In simple settings at the bottom.

Yeah, that actually does... NOTHING. It will still download artwork (even if the file you are playing already has!), and store it on your hard drive.

Yeah, no one cares, no one bothers. You can disable 'allow metadata access", but that will do exactly FREAKING NOTHING. Even if it is an mp3 you're playing, that already has art, it will download a different version of it, and store it in a folder. I found an easy, though a bit drastic fix; blo...