Playing Video in Flutter: A Comprehensive Guide

Expert App Devs
4 min readJan 24, 2024

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Playing Video in Flutter: A Comprehensive Guide

Flutter, developed by Google, is a versatile framework for Developing cross-platform applications. When it comes to multimedia-rich applications, playing videos is a common requirement. Fortunately, Flutter provides robust support for playing videos, allowing developers to integrate video playback seamlessly. In this article, we will explore various approaches and techniques for playing videos in Flutter.

Using the video_player Package:

The video_player package is a popular choice for playing videos in Flutter. It provides a high-level interface for video playback and offers features like controlling playback, seeking, and volume control. To get started, follow these steps:

  1. Add the video_player dependency to your pubspec.yaml file:
Add the video_player dependency to your pubspec.yaml file

2. Run flutter pub get to fetch the package.

3. Import the package in your Dart file:

Import the package in your Dart file

4. Initialize a VideoPlayerController with the video file’s path or network URL:

Initialize a VideoPlayerController with the video file’s path or network URL

5. Initialize the controller and start playing the video:

Initialize the controller and start playing the video

6. Display the video player widget in your UI:

Display the video player widget in your UI

Remember to dispose of the VideoPlayerController when it is no longer needed:

VideoPlayerController when it is no longer needed

Using Chewie:

Chewie is a Flutter package that wraps the video_player package and provides a more convenient and customizable video player widget. It simplifies common video player tasks and enhances the user experience. Here’s how to use Chewie:

  1. Add the chewie and video_player dependencies to your pubspec.yaml file:
Add the chewie and video_player dependencies to your pubspec.yaml file

3. Run flutter pub get to fetch the packages.

4. Import the packages in your Dart file:

Import the packages in your Dart file

5. Initialize a ChewieController with a VideoPlayerController:

Initialize a ChewieController with a VideoPlayerController

6. Display the Chewie video player widget in your UI:

Display the Chewie video player widget in your UI

Dispose of the controllers when they are no longer needed:

Dispose of the controllers when they are no longer needed

Using WebView:

If you need to play videos from web sources or embed videos from platforms like YouTube or Vimeo, you can utilize the WebView package. WebView allows you to load web content within your Flutter application, including video players. Follow these steps to play videos using WebView:

  1. Add the webview_flutter dependency to your pubspec.yaml file:
Add the webview_flutter dependency to your pubspec.yaml file

2. Run flutter pub get to fetch the package.

3. Import the package in your Dart file:

Import the package in your Dart file

4. Display the WebView widget in your UI:

Display the WebView widget in your UI

Ensure you have the necessary HTML and JavaScript code on the web page to load and play the video.

Conclusion:

Playing videos in Flutter is made simple with various packages and techniques. Whether you choose the video_player package, Chewie, or WebView, Flutter provides robust support for integrating video playback seamlessly into your applications. Select the approach that best suits your needs and create captivating multimedia experiences for your users.

If you have any queries regarding Flutter App, Hire Flutter Developers India from us.

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Expert App Devs

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