The VideoLAN Forums

It's undeniable that VLC's logo is the worst logo in the entire history of software.
Still, this infamous icon has made it to 2016, with only few threads popping up along the line.

Since there's been no revolution against this insanity, it probably means that some people is not bothered by the cone. Here is where my mind doesn't find relief: I'm genuinely interested in understanding how is it possible to NOT be annoyed by VLC's logo.
Everytime I see the logo I think something is wrong with my PC.
A VLC link on the desktop is enough to make it look like you've just booted your OS in recovery mode or something.
The funniest part of all this is when VLC shows up with no video loaded and it throws the damn traffic cone right in your face - stretched to the window size! That just hurt my eyes and I'm like «Oh god, no!»

So, what are your real feelings toward this horrible witch's hat?
If you are not bothered by it, please explain why your mind doesn't associate the road cone with work, and therefore stress, fatigue, and problems.

Even my grandma said it sucks! She noticed the icon on my desktop and said: «Woah, what's that? That's ugly!»
So I changed it with another icon, related to audio and video; then she said: «Yes, this is better!»
True story!

If you hate the logo, then let's join forces now to combat the pylon!
Together we can kill the construction cone and build a new bright era for VLC!

We are many! We are not alone! People all over the world despise the cone and have shown their hate in this board itself: join me right now in an exciting ride of hatred against the cone across the history of this board!

https://forum.videolan.org/viewtopic.php?t=7780

The only problem that I have is with the icon. It's not very descriptive of what the application does. Namely, it plays media. I think a new icon should be made for the application and also for files that it plays.

https://forum.videolan.org/viewtopic.php?t=15210

When I go into a folder which contains several VLC-associated files (especially in that windows-like icon view in the Finder), my first impression always is one of "warning" and confusion, because the pilon has kind of an alarming effect on me
That's because these pilons normally do represent some kind of border or limit. They're painted in those easily noticeable colours because they want your attention

https://forum.videolan.org/viewtopic.php?t=16667

I like using the VLC media player but i don't like the icon. I want to know how i can change the icon it uses.

https://forum.videolan.org/viewtopic.php?t=17542

can sumone please tell me how to change the cone icon to sumthing differnt,,????
[...]wassup the cone is wierd looking... c-mon how i change it.. you know you dont like it too...

https://forum.videolan.org/viewtopic.php?t=18495

The other day I discovered this alternate icon set for VLC[...] To my eyes, these look a lot better than the icons VLC currently sports by default. They're more professional, firstly, and they also convey the purpose of VLC a lot better than a traffic cone (project's history notwithstanding).

https://forum.videolan.org/viewtopic.php?t=19019

but there is one problem, which the client doesn't like: the cone being displayed while loading the video.

https://forum.videolan.org/viewtopic.php?t=19449

Is there a way to turn the orange cone off, or simply get rid of it? I don't really like getting that cone before the clip plays...

i'm also searchin for a solution for this 'problem'

me too ...

https://forum.videolan.org/viewtopic.php?t=39659

Replace that lame orange construction icon with something cool.

https://forum.videolan.org/viewtopic.php?p=168843#p168843

i want to hide the vlc logo, i feel its ugly always hated that logo,

https://forum.videolan.org/viewtopic.php?t=46928

I was wondering if there is a possibility for you guys to change the media file icon of this app[...] which in my opinion looks kind of strange or out of place.
I think an icon with an indication that represents some type of visual and/or sound media would be more appropriate.

https://forum.videolan.org/viewtopic.php?t=56917

I don’t mind giving VLC a good exposure (the name “VLC” is right there on the title bar of the window), it is just that I doubt my audience will appreciate this traffic cone showing up between each loop of a movie showing how neurons growth in a Petrie dish.

https://forum.videolan.org/viewtopic.php?p=191913#p191913

To bad, i liked the idea about a new logo[...] The current logo doesnt really look good.....

https://forum.videolan.org/viewtopic.php?t=58578

Is there any way you all could use a better ICON for VLC. Anything else. The cone just stinks. I know we can change it by hand, but with such a perfect program, come on, a better icon would be great!

https://forum.videolan.org/viewtopic.php?p=196353#p196353

Personally, though I love the programme I cannot stand the file icon of the traffic cone, so I have made a full set of Vista icons that [...]

https://forum.videolan.org/viewtopic.php?t=62305

I love the player, I just don't like the icon. I don't even need to change it, just delete it.

https://forum.videolan.org/viewtopic.php?t=66338

I'm trying to find out how to change the tray icon for VLC in Ubuntu 9.04. I'd like to add something custom, Because at the moment the orange cone is a little out of wack and doesn't look very smooth.

https://forum.videolan.org/viewtopic.php?t=80627

How do I eliminate the traffic cone LOGO at the beginning and end of a video?

There are a lot of threads like this one, but they can be interpreted like an annoyance toward the behaviour of the logo and not toward the logo itself, so I won't post other threads of this kind.

https://forum.videolan.org/viewtopic.php?t=82270

Is it possible to modify vlc icon?...I changed vlc.ico...but not sure how to change icon of vlc.exe.

https://forum.videolan.org/viewtopic.php?t=86325

don't you think it is time to get a new logo?

https://forum.videolan.org/viewtopic.php?t=89586

I desperately need to change that ugly orange street cone but am having trouble.

File associations, executable, doesn't matter. Big, ugly orange cone only belongs on the street and NOT on my monitor.
If anyone knows how to change it out please post, thanks.

https://forum.videolan.org/viewtopic.php?t=92394

As almost all my media is associated with VLC I come across the cone icon everywhere on my PC. Seeing as the cone icon is ugly and has no relevance to a media player it would be great to see it get changed. Having looked about on the internet it seems a lot of people really don't like it either.

https://forum.videolan.org/viewtopic.php?t=95286

The program icon is stupid. Orange cone?
In the words of lightning McQueen, "Orange Cones are something to be avoided."

https://forum.videolan.org/viewtopic.php?t=97862

Is there anyone out there (FOR A FEE ) that can help me change the "witches Hat Logo" and put my own logo on VLC PLAYER

https://forum.videolan.org/viewtopic.php?t=100832

VLC is a wonderful piece of software, but I really get tired of looking at that traffic cone icon for my media files all the time. It might be an amusing inside joke for the developers, but for most of us traffic cones instinctively signify "under construction" "inconvenience" "detour" etc.

I LOVE VLC and use it almost exclusively, but I find the product's branding and logo to be underwhelming and not representative of how truly amazing this software is (and by extension, how great the developers must be, and how awesome is the VLC community, too!).

While I'm not suggesting a cynical corporate-style rebranding for VLC (and the org, too), I would be willing to actually even make a contribution to the project if it went toward a new logo and identity NOT based on a traffic cone that is totally irrelevant to the experience of the vast majority of VLC user-base.

If absolutely crap software pumped out by megabucks corps and small firms and everyone in between can have slick, visually-appealing logos, why can't VLC?

https://forum.videolan.org/viewtopic.php?t=116977

It's the perfect media player, plays everything without any issues; I would junk all my other players and use VLC exclusively if the icon wasn't so ugly. Why does the icon have to be so ugly and can I change it? BTW I'm either online or working 8-10 hours a day, and after that much time looking at a desktop, an ugly icon really starts to look ugly.

And this is what I've been able to find in this board only: the internet is full of these kind of complaints!

As you can see, it's just a matter of stimulating, inspiring people to fight this war, to remind themselves of their natural hate against the safety cone!

I call thee, open source user: join me now and post here your hatred toward the cone!!

Actually the logo is not the only ugly one. Control buttons are also enough to qualify ugliness.

I googled, found this site and comment and registered here just to say YES, oh man, yes this icon is so ugly that I can't bare to associate my media files with VLC. After realizing I had a codec issue with a set of videos, I was left with no choice and holy crap that folder looks so ugly now that I have to brace myself before opening it.

What is the deal, VLC, why choose such a god-awfully ugly icon? It makes the program somehow seem so much less than what it is...I've had VLC for so many years that I don't remember not having it...20 years? And in all that time, I've never not winced at the icon. Its far and away the ugliest icon out there and in no way seems to reflect the quality of this program. Its an eyesore...not just not pleasing to the eye, but actually displeasing, its hard on the eyes, its a sin against icons in general, WAY too ugly to have on the desktop, its the icon that all other icons look at to feel better about themselves.
Guys...the time has come to change this monstrosity to something other than a damn traffic cone. Its time. Please, for the love of everything holy...

Thanks for such an amazing product, by the way. But holy hell, how amazing would it be to have a new icon! Oh man...just...SO amazing!

Yep, same, I just registered in order to point out that the traffic cone is legitimately the worst logo ever created.

Why does literally the best media player out there have literally the stupidest logo in the history of logos?? This must be fixed. End the insanity.

Rather than misusing terms like "insanity", "legitimately", and "literally" you would get more traction if you advocated mechanisms for providing your own icon files for your personal iconography. For all I know this capability already exists.

Rather than misusing terms like "insanity", "legitimately", and "literally" you would get more traction if you advocated mechanisms for providing your own icon files for your personal iconography. For all I know this capability already exists.

I think a lot of this has been tongue in cheek, I don't know that anyone is really expecting traction on the issue, but you sound like fun.

A new VERSION of VLC's traffic cone icon is being used by VLC for Mobile Devices. It looks good. I don't know why they won't change it for Linux and Regular Windows (Microsoft Store version uses new icon). The old one is very ugly.

It's 2020, I need to reluctantly deal with VLC because VLC somehow figured out how to Chromecast whereas most of the competition didn't...
I tried to avoid VLC for 15+ years (!) because of that stupid cone.

Instead of a quickly accessible CHECKMARK, VLC author instead makes you suffer by having you jump through circus hoops to disable it:

Disable the stupid VLC orange cone logo: Tools > Preferences >

In the very bottom-left [under Show settings], SELECT: All

Interface > Click on arrow next to Main Interfaces > Qt > [scroll down] UNCHECK: Display background cone or art.

Settings are saved in file
%appdata%\vlc\vlcrc


We use VLC because we have to, not because we want to.
Get rid of the stupid cone, pretty please with sugar on top.

I use VLC exclusively because of the traffic cone.

I saw the QuickTime logo once, and immediately vomited.

Another time, I saw the MPlayer logo, and I immediately went outside and shot 3 people.

Oh it's a horrible (and rather senseless) icon isn't it@ Seriously ugly.
I made my own full icon set and replaced them in an earlier version of this software directly into the EXE. Since I no longer use this software as it is incapable of automatically playing forced subtitles (which I require on anime files for .srt subs)
I no longer bother doing that, but it worked and I have lovely icons instead of the monstrosities that are provided. Oddly enough I do remember writing to the developers and telling them they could use the icon set, The reply was rather curt and said that they liked the icons 'just the way they are', there's no accounting for taste I suppose.

I based them on the windows media player ones and they fitted perfectly into the Windows icon set.

I too wish to join the beggars banquet to at least have an option to select an alternate icon.
Perhaps there should be a special way to donate $1.00. When these donations reach the million dollar mark, then a new icon will be created. In this way, you get what you pay for!

Totally agree. The logo and GUI are unbearably ugly, and it has not changed in 2022.

Please, I will design a logo for free. Let the traffic cone go. It's time to say goodbye to Sir Trafficcone.
It is embarrassing.