Apps
VLC
Playback sessions in VLC generate cached album art, media thumbnails, and other temporary artwork files so the media library and playlist views can show covers and previews without re-reading metadata from every file or stream. Over time these cached images can become stale, duplicated, or oversized after files are renamed, replaced, or retagged. Kudu removes VLC’s cached artwork and thumbnail data from its cache folders without touching your videos, music library, playlists, preferences, saved credentials, or media metadata.
Why clean VLC?
- Old album art stays attached to tracks after you retag or replace files, so the playlist or media library shows the wrong cover even though the media itself is correct
- Duplicate cached thumbnails accumulate as files are moved or renamed, causing VLC’s cache folder to grow unexpectedly and consume disk space
- Corrupted artwork files can make cover images appear blank, partially rendered, or slow to load when browsing local media
- Stale thumbnails from previously scanned folders can remain visible after media is deleted, making the library look out of sync with what is actually on disk
- A bloated art cache forces VLC to sift through more cached image entries during library browsing, which shows up as sluggish folder navigation and delayed thumbnail display
- Streamed media and internet radio entries can keep outdated station logos or cover images in cache, so refreshed branding or new artwork does not appear until the cache is rebuilt
What gets cleaned
Cache paths Kudu targets
Windows
%AppData%/vlc/art_cache |
macOS
~/Library/Caches/org.videolan.vlc |
Linux
~/.cache/vlc |
Frequently asked
Common questions about VLC
Related cleaners
Free & open source
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Available on Windows, macOS, and Linux. No account required, no feature gates, no telemetry without consent. All cleaning targets are open source and community-auditable.