An flv file extension is used for Flash video files. Flash videos is a type of multimedia format used commonly on web sites for various animations or object elements. Requires Adobe Flash Player.
Software that open flv file
FLV file extension - Flash video
What is flv file? How to open flv files?
The flv file extension is associated with Flash-compatible video file exported by the Flash Video Exporter plug-in (included with Adobe Flash) or another program with FLV file support.
The flv files contains of a short header, interleaved audio, video, and metadata packets. The actual audio and video data are stored in a similar format to the standard Flash SWF file format.
FLV/F4V open specification documents describe file formats for storing media content used to deliver streaming audio and video for playback in Adobe Flash Player (also can be playable in apps written in Adobe AIR software). FLV multimedia format is the Internet standard for web video, used by various video hosting services like Youtube, Vimeo etc.
The flv file encodes synchronized audio and video streams. The audio and video data within FLV files can be encoded with VP6, H.264, or MPEG-4 ASP codecs and audio with MPEG layer 3 (MP3) as well as MPEG AAC codecs.
The flv files are playable directly in Adobe Flash Player version 7 and above. They are identified with MIME type video/x-flv.
The FLV format is an open format that is also supported by many non-Adobe/Macromedia programs. The .flv files may also be exported from QuickTime Pro or other applications that can export to the QuickTime file format.
MIME types:
video/x-flv
Updated: March 16, 2025
The default software associated to open flv file:
Company or developer:
Adobe Systems Incorporated
Adobe Animate CC is used to design interactive animations for multiple platforms including Flash/AIR, HTML5 Canvas, WebGL etc. It is a successor of discontinued Adobe Flash Professional.
Adobe Flash 
(obsolete software)
Company or developer:
Adobe Systems Incorporated
Adobe Flash was an authoring environment for creating interactive websites with animations and video content. Flash works with vector and raster graphics to provide animation of text, drawings, and still images. It also supported audio and video streaming. Adobe Flash Player can display Flash content on various computing platforms. The latest version of Adobe Flash CC Professional was available through Creative Cloud.
Adobe Flash is discontinued software and was replaced by Adobe Animate CC.
Company or developer:
Adobe Systems Incorporated
Adobe Animate CC for Mac is successor of discontinued Adobe Flash Professional. It allows users to create interactive animations including Flash/AIR, HTML5 Canvas, WebGL platforms.
Adobe Flash Player 
(obsolete software)
Company or developer:
Adobe Systems Incorporated
Adobe Flash Player was an add-on to the operating system that played Adobe Flash animations and movies in Web browsers. It supported a variety of operating systems, such as Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X, Linux, etc.
Support for Flash ended on December 31, 2020.
List of software applications associated to the .flv file extension
Recommended software programs are sorted by OS platform (Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android etc.)
and possible program actions that can be done with the file: like open flv file, edit flv file, convert flv file, view flv file, play flv file etc. (if exist software for corresponding action in File-Extensions.org's database).
Hint:
Click on the tab below to simply browse between the application actions, to quickly get a list of recommended software, which is able to perform the specified software action, such as opening, editing or converting flv files.
Software that open flv file - Flash video
Programs supporting the exension flv on the main platforms Windows, Mac, Linux or mobile. Click on the link to get more information about listed programs for open flv file action.
Microsoft Windows:
Main software associated with flv file by default:
Adobe Animate CC
Adobe Flash (obsolete/discontinued)
Other suggested software:
Adobe Premiere Pro
Apple macOS / Mac OS X:
Main software associated with flv file by default:
Adobe Animate CC for Mac
Other suggested software:
Adobe Flash for Mac
Adobe Premiere Pro for Mac
