diff --git a/main/ipc.js b/main/ipc.js
index 0d9c95fb..4bb55627 100644
--- a/main/ipc.js
+++ b/main/ipc.js
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@ module.exports = {
   init
 }
 
-var cp = require('child_process')
 var electron = require('electron')
 
 var app = electron.app
@@ -13,6 +12,7 @@ var log = require('./log')
 var menu = require('./menu')
 var windows = require('./windows')
 var shortcuts = require('./shortcuts')
+var vlc = require('./vlc')
 
 // has to be a number, not a boolean, and undefined throws an error
 var powerSaveBlockID = 0
@@ -93,44 +93,38 @@ function init () {
   })
 
   ipcMain.on('vlcVersion', function (e) {
-    cp.exec('vlc --version', function (e, stdout, stderr) {
-      var version
-      if (e) {
-        version = null
-      } else {
-        // Prints several lines, starting with eg: VLC media player 2.7.0
-        if (!stdout.startsWith('VLC media player')) version = 'unknown'
-        else version = stdout.split(' ')[3]
-      }
+    vlc.getInstalledVersion(function (version) {
       windows.main.send('vlcVersion', version)
     })
   })
 
   ipcMain.on('vlcPlay', function (e, url) {
-    // TODO: cross-platform VLC detection
-    var command = 'vlc'
     var args = ['--play-and-exit', '--quiet', url]
-    console.log('Running ' + command + ' ' + args.join(' '))
+    console.log('Running vlc ' + args.join(' '))
 
-    vlcProcess = cp.spawn(command, args)
+    vlc.spawn(args, function (err, proc) {
+      if (err) windows.main.send('dispatch', 'vlcNotFound')
+      vlcProcess = proc
 
-    // If it works, close the modal after a second
-    var closeModalTimeout = setTimeout(() => windows.main.send('dispatch', 'exitModal'), 1000)
+      // If it works, close the modal after a second
+      var closeModalTimeout = setTimeout(() =>
+        windows.main.send('dispatch', 'exitModal'), 1000)
 
-    vlcProcess.on('close', function (code) {
-      clearTimeout(closeModalTimeout)
-      if (!vlcProcess) return // Killed
-      console.log('VLC exited with code ', code)
-      if (code === 0) {
-        windows.main.send('dispatch', 'backToList')
-      } else {
-        windows.main.send('dispatch', 'vlcNotFound')
-      }
-      vlcProcess = null
-    })
+      vlcProcess.on('close', function (code) {
+        clearTimeout(closeModalTimeout)
+        if (!vlcProcess) return // Killed
+        console.log('VLC exited with code ', code)
+        if (code === 0) {
+          windows.main.send('dispatch', 'backToList')
+        } else {
+          windows.main.send('dispatch', 'vlcNotFound')
+        }
+        vlcProcess = null
+      })
 
-    vlcProcess.on('error', function (e) {
-      console.log('VLC error', e)
+      vlcProcess.on('error', function (e) {
+        console.log('VLC error', e)
+      })
     })
   })
 
diff --git a/main/vlc.js b/main/vlc.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..125e0b03
--- /dev/null
+++ b/main/vlc.js
@@ -0,0 +1,82 @@
+module.exports = {
+  getInstalledVersion,
+  spawn
+}
+
+var cp = require('child_process')
+var fs = require('fs')
+var path = require('path')
+
+// Runs vlc --version. Calls back with the currently installed version of VLC
+// or null if VLC is not installed. (Or 'unknown' if VLC runs and produces bad
+// output, but that should never happen.)
+function getInstalledVersion (cb) {
+  exec(['--version'], function (e, stdout, stderr) {
+    var version
+    if (e) {
+      version = null
+    } else {
+      // Prints several lines, starting with eg: VLC media player 2.7.0
+      if (!stdout.startsWith('VLC media player')) version = 'unknown'
+      else version = stdout.split(' ')[3]
+    }
+    cb(version)
+  })
+}
+
+// TODO: make this its own module, to avoid duplicating code with webtorrent-cli
+// Finds if VLC is installed on Mac, Windows, or Linux and runs it
+function exec (args, cb) {
+  execOrSpawn(args, true, cb)
+}
+
+// Finds if VLC is installed on Mac, Windows, or Linux.
+// Uses child_process.spawn() to return a ChildProcess object
+// Calls back with (err, childProcess)
+function spawn (args, cb) {
+  execOrSpawn(args, false, cb)
+}
+
+function execOrSpawn (args, isExec, cb) {
+  if (process.platform === 'win32') {
+    var Registry = require('winreg')
+
+    var key
+    if (process.arch === 'x64') {
+      key = new Registry({
+        hive: Registry.HKLM,
+        key: '\\Software\\Wow6432Node\\VideoLAN\\VLC'
+      })
+    } else {
+      key = new Registry({
+        hive: Registry.HKLM,
+        key: '\\Software\\VideoLAN\\VLC'
+      })
+    }
+
+    key.get('InstallDir', function (err, item) {
+      if (err) return cb(err)
+      var vlcPath = item.value + path.sep + 'vlc'
+      if (isExec) cp.execFile(vlcPath, args, cb)
+      else cb(null, cp.spawn(vlcPath, args))
+    })
+  } else {
+    var macRoot = '/Applications/VLC.app/Contents/MacOS/VLC'
+    var macHome = (process.env.HOME || '') + root
+    var locations = [macRoot, macHome, '/usr/bin/vlc']
+    var found = false
+    var failed = 0
+    locations.forEach(function (loc) {
+      fs.stat(loc, function (err) {
+        if (err) {
+          if (++failed === locations.length) cb(new Error('Can\'t find VLC'))
+          return
+        }
+        if (found) return
+        found = true
+        if (isExec) cp.execFile(loc, args, cb)
+        else cb(null, cp.spawn(loc, args))
+      })
+    })
+  }
+}
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 19350a77..8b9c1ec6 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@
     "srt-to-vtt": "^1.1.1",
     "virtual-dom": "^2.1.1",
     "webtorrent": "0.x",
-    "winreg": "^1.1.1"
+    "winreg": "^1.2.0"
   },
   "devDependencies": {
     "cross-zip": "^2.0.1",