diff --git a/include/vlc/libvlc_media_player.h b/include/vlc/libvlc_media_player.h
index f047c4ddf6..85b0155424 100644
--- a/include/vlc/libvlc_media_player.h
+++ b/include/vlc/libvlc_media_player.h
@@ -1967,6 +1967,39 @@ LIBVLC_API float libvlc_audio_equalizer_get_amp_at_index( libvlc_equalizer_t *p_
  */
 LIBVLC_API int libvlc_media_player_set_equalizer( libvlc_media_player_t *p_mi, libvlc_equalizer_t *p_equalizer );
 
+/**
+ * Media player roles.
+ *
+ * See \ref libvlc_media_player_set_role()
+ */
+typedef enum libvlc_media_player_role {
+    libvlc_role_Music=1 /**< Music (or radio) playback */,
+    libvlc_role_Video /**< Video playback */,
+    libvlc_role_Communication /**< Speech, real-time communication */,
+    libvlc_role_Game /**< Video game */,
+    liblvc_role_Notification /**< User interaction feedback */,
+    libvlc_role_Animation /**< Embedded animation (e.g. in web page) */,
+    libvlc_role_Production /**< Audio editting/production */,
+    libvlc_role_Accessibility /**< Accessibility */,
+    libvlc_role_Test /** Testing */,
+} libvlc_media_player_role_t;
+
+/**
+ * Gets the media role.
+ *
+ * \return the media player role (\ref libvlc_media_player_role_t)
+ */
+LIBVLC_API int libvlc_media_player_get_role(libvlc_media_player_t *);
+
+/**
+ * Sets the media role.
+ *
+ * \param role the media player role (\ref libvlc_media_player_role_t)
+ * \return 0 on success, -1 on error
+ */
+LIBVLC_API int libvlc_media_player_set_role(libvlc_media_player_t *,
+                                            unsigned role);
+
 /** @} audio */
 
 /** @} media_player */
diff --git a/lib/libvlc.sym b/lib/libvlc.sym
index 816025da07..d644863eea 100644
--- a/lib/libvlc.sym
+++ b/lib/libvlc.sym
@@ -165,6 +165,7 @@ libvlc_media_player_get_media
 libvlc_media_player_get_nsobject
 libvlc_media_player_get_position
 libvlc_media_player_get_rate
+libvlc_media_player_get_role
 libvlc_media_player_get_state
 libvlc_media_player_get_time
 libvlc_media_player_get_title
@@ -192,6 +193,7 @@ libvlc_media_player_set_media
 libvlc_media_player_set_nsobject
 libvlc_media_player_set_position
 libvlc_media_player_set_rate
+libvlc_media_player_set_role
 libvlc_media_player_set_time
 libvlc_media_player_set_title
 libvlc_media_player_set_xwindow
diff --git a/lib/media_player.c b/lib/media_player.c
index e56f63f7fb..e740705e77 100644
--- a/lib/media_player.c
+++ b/lib/media_player.c
@@ -677,6 +677,7 @@ libvlc_media_player_new( libvlc_instance_t *instance )
     var_Create (mp, "volume", VLC_VAR_FLOAT);
     var_Create (mp, "corks", VLC_VAR_INTEGER);
     var_Create (mp, "audio-filter", VLC_VAR_STRING);
+    var_Create (mp, "role", VLC_VAR_STRING | VLC_VAR_DOINHERIT);
     var_Create (mp, "amem-data", VLC_VAR_ADDRESS);
     var_Create (mp, "amem-setup", VLC_VAR_ADDRESS);
     var_Create (mp, "amem-cleanup", VLC_VAR_ADDRESS);
@@ -1962,3 +1963,42 @@ int libvlc_media_player_set_equalizer( libvlc_media_player_t *p_mi, libvlc_equal
 
     return 0;
 }
+
+static const char roles[][16] =
+{
+    [libvlc_role_Music] =         "music",
+    [libvlc_role_Video] =         "video",
+    [libvlc_role_Communication] = "communication",
+    [libvlc_role_Game] =          "game",
+    [liblvc_role_Notification] =  "notification",
+    [libvlc_role_Animation] =     "animation",
+    [libvlc_role_Production] =    "production",
+    [libvlc_role_Accessibility] = "accessibility",
+    [libvlc_role_Test] =          "test",
+};
+
+int libvlc_media_player_set_role(libvlc_media_player_t *mp, unsigned role)
+{
+    if (role >= ARRAY_SIZE(roles)
+     || var_SetString(mp, "role", roles[role]) != VLC_SUCCESS)
+        return -1;
+    return 0;
+}
+
+int libvlc_media_player_get_role(libvlc_media_player_t *mp)
+{
+    int ret = -1;
+    char *str = var_GetString(mp, "role");
+    if (str == NULL)
+        return 0;
+
+    for (size_t i = 0; i < ARRAY_SIZE(roles); i++)
+        if (!strcmp(roles[i], str))
+        {
+            ret = i;
+            break;
+        }
+
+    free(str);
+    return ret;
+}