Audio and Video Player
pCloud includes built-in audio and video players that allow you to stream and enjoy your media files directly from your cloud storage without downloading them first.
Key Benefit: Stream your music and videos directly from pCloud without using local storage space. Your files remain in their original quality on pCloud servers.
Audio Player Features
The integrated audio player is available on the Android mobile app and allows you to organize and play your music files stored in pCloud.
Accessing the Audio Player (Android)
- Open the pCloud app on your Android device
- Open the Main menu
- Tap on the Audio icon at the top of the screen
- A list of all your music files will be displayed
Creating Playlists (Android)
Organize your music by creating custom playlists:
- Open the pCloud app and go to the Main menu
- Tap the Audio tab to open the integrated audio player
- Go to the Playlists section
- Click the + sign at the bottom right corner
- Name your playlist and click OK to create it
Adding Songs to Playlists
To add multiple songs to a playlist at once:
- Open the pCloud app and go to the Audio section
- Go to the Songs section
- Tap and hold a song to enable multi-selection mode
- Select the songs you want to add
- Tap the + sign at the bottom
- Choose an existing playlist or create a new one
Note: You can only add songs that are already uploaded to your pCloud account.
Playing a Folder of Audio Files
To play all songs from a folder:
- Tap and hold one of the songs in the folder
- To select all items, click the Square icon at the bottom
- Click the More options button (three dots)
- Choose Play now (icon with 3 lines and Play button)
- All songs from that folder will load into the audio player queue
Album and Artist Organization
To see your music properly organized by Albums and Artists, ensure your files have correct metadata:
- Supported Format: pCloud supports ID3 v2.3 tags only
- Required Tags: Artist, Album Artist, and Album tags should be identical in the file metadata
- Converting Tags: Use software like iTunes or Mp3tag to convert ID3 tags to version 2.3
- Free Tool: Download Mp3tag from mp3tag.de
Video Player Features
The video player allows you to stream videos stored in pCloud across all platforms - website, desktop app, and mobile apps.
Video Streaming Quality
pCloud processes videos for optimal streaming:
- Original Quality Storage: Files are stored in their original quality on pCloud servers
- Streaming Compression: Videos are compressed into blocks during streaming for efficiency and speed
- Device Compatibility: Audio and video files are encoded in formats compatible with various devices
- Transcoding: Uploaded videos undergo transcoding to ensure viewability across different devices
Important: When downloaded, videos retain their original quality and size. Compression applies only during streaming.
Adjusting Video Quality (Website Only)
When streaming videos through the pCloud website, you can manually adjust quality:
- Open my.pcloud.com and log in
- Navigate to and open the video you want to watch
- Click the Settings icon (gear symbol) in the video player
- Select your preferred streaming quality from available options (480p, 720p, 1080p, etc.)
Subtitles Support
The built-in player does not support subtitles, but you can use third-party video players:
- Install a third-party player (e.g., VLC player) on your device
- Open pCloud and select a video
- Choose to open it with the VLC player
- Access subtitle settings in VLC: Subtitles Track
- Select or download subtitles as needed
Video Buffering Issues
If videos are buffering or not playing properly:
- Video transcoding may still be in progress after upload
- Check your internet connection speed
- Try accessing the video from different devices and networks
- Test on different pCloud platforms (website, desktop app, mobile app)
- Consider using a third-party video player
How Media Streaming Works
Understanding pCloud's streaming technology:
- Upload: Files are stored in original quality on pCloud servers
- Processing: Videos and audio files are transcoded for compatibility
- Streaming: The API compresses files into blocks for efficient delivery
- Playback: Media plays directly without downloading the entire file
- Download: Original files remain available for download in full quality