diff --git a/DOCS/man/options.rst b/DOCS/man/options.rst
index 2c8cd07c2f3bf..97e7058a7bd58 100644
--- a/DOCS/man/options.rst
+++ b/DOCS/man/options.rst
@@ -7204,16 +7204,6 @@ Miscellaneous
     This does not affect playlist expansion, redirection, or other loading of
     referenced files like with ordered chapters.
 
-``--record-file=<file>``
-    Deprecated, use ``--stream-record``, or the ``dump-cache`` command.
-
-    Record the current stream to the given target file. The target file will
-    always be overwritten without asking.
-
-    This was deprecated because it isn't very nice to use. For one, seeking
-    while this is enabled will be directly reflected in the output, which was
-    not useful and annoying.
-
 ``--stream-record=<file>``
     Write received/read data from the demuxer to the given output file. The
     output file will always be overwritten without asking. The output format
diff --git a/options/options.c b/options/options.c
index 9667d666c99d6..f080657e00ff8 100644
--- a/options/options.c
+++ b/options/options.c
@@ -784,9 +784,6 @@ static const m_option_t mp_opts[] = {
         .flags = M_OPT_FILE},
     {"screenshot-sw", OPT_BOOL(screenshot_sw)},
 
-    {"record-file", OPT_STRING(record_file), .flags = M_OPT_FILE,
-        .deprecation_message = "use --stream-record or the dump-cache command"},
-
     {"", OPT_SUBSTRUCT(resample_opts, resample_conf)},
 
     {"", OPT_SUBSTRUCT(input_opts, input_config)},
diff --git a/options/options.h b/options/options.h
index 576649e090dcd..f820a0cbc0b7d 100644
--- a/options/options.h
+++ b/options/options.h
@@ -201,7 +201,6 @@ typedef struct MPOpts {
 
     bool untimed;
     char *stream_dump;
-    char *record_file;
     bool stop_playback_on_init_failure;
     int loop_times;
     int loop_file;
diff --git a/player/command.c b/player/command.c
index fda2be9d40108..b604eecb7122b 100644
--- a/player/command.c
+++ b/player/command.c
@@ -7042,9 +7042,6 @@ void mp_option_change_callback(void *ctx, struct m_config_option *co, int flags,
         mp_wakeup_core(mpctx);
     }
 
-    if (opt_ptr == &opts->record_file)
-        open_recorder(mpctx, false);
-
     if (opt_ptr == &opts->vf_settings)
         set_filters(mpctx, STREAM_VIDEO, opts->vf_settings);
 
diff --git a/player/core.h b/player/core.h
index 0f63f13474fde..c8c6ee850b16c 100644
--- a/player/core.h
+++ b/player/core.h
@@ -145,9 +145,6 @@ struct track {
     struct vo_chain *vo_c;
     struct ao_chain *ao_c;
     struct mp_pin *sink;
-
-    // For stream recording (remuxing mode).
-    struct mp_recorder_sink *remux_sink;
 };
 
 // Summarizes video filtering and output.
@@ -425,8 +422,6 @@ typedef struct MPContext {
     // playback rate. Used to avoid showing it multiple times.
     bool drop_message_shown;
 
-    struct mp_recorder *recorder;
-
     struct screenshot_ctx *screenshot_ctx;
     struct command_ctx *command_ctx;
     struct encode_lavc_context *encode_lavc_ctx;
@@ -539,9 +534,6 @@ void autoload_external_files(struct MPContext *mpctx, struct mp_cancel *cancel);
 struct track *select_default_track(struct MPContext *mpctx, int order,
                                    enum stream_type type);
 void prefetch_next(struct MPContext *mpctx);
-void close_recorder(struct MPContext *mpctx);
-void close_recorder_and_error(struct MPContext *mpctx);
-void open_recorder(struct MPContext *mpctx, bool on_init);
 void update_lavfi_complex(struct MPContext *mpctx);
 
 // main.c
diff --git a/player/loadfile.c b/player/loadfile.c
index 6c39f8e03add3..7fe7284e772c2 100644
--- a/player/loadfile.c
+++ b/player/loadfile.c
@@ -44,7 +44,6 @@
 #include "options/m_property.h"
 #include "common/common.h"
 #include "common/encode.h"
-#include "common/recorder.h"
 #include "common/stats.h"
 #include "input/input.h"
 #include "misc/language.h"
@@ -217,7 +216,6 @@ static void uninit_demuxer(struct MPContext *mpctx)
         assert(!track->dec && !track->d_sub);
         assert(!track->vo_c && !track->ao_c);
         assert(!track->sink);
-        assert(!track->remux_sink);
 
         // Demuxers can be added in any order (if they appear mid-stream), and
         // we can't know which tracks uses which, so here's some O(n^2) trash.
@@ -797,8 +795,6 @@ void mp_switch_track_n(struct MPContext *mpctx, int order, enum stream_type type
         uninit_sub(mpctx, current);
 
     if (current) {
-        if (current->remux_sink)
-            close_recorder_and_error(mpctx);
         current->selected = false;
         reselect_demux_stream(mpctx, current, false);
     }
@@ -1832,8 +1828,6 @@ static void play_current_file(struct MPContext *mpctx)
 
     update_internal_pause_state(mpctx);
 
-    open_recorder(mpctx, true);
-
     playback_start = mp_time_sec();
     mpctx->error_playing = 0;
     mpctx->in_playloop = true;
@@ -1860,8 +1854,6 @@ static void play_current_file(struct MPContext *mpctx)
 
     process_hooks(mpctx, "on_unload");
 
-    close_recorder(mpctx);
-
     // time to uninit all, except global stuff:
     reinit_complex_filters(mpctx, true);
     uninit_audio_chain(mpctx);
@@ -2073,94 +2065,3 @@ void mp_set_playlist_entry(struct MPContext *mpctx, struct playlist_entry *e)
         mpctx->stop_play = e ? PT_CURRENT_ENTRY : PT_STOP;
     mp_wakeup_core(mpctx);
 }
-
-static void set_track_recorder_sink(struct track *track,
-                                    struct mp_recorder_sink *sink)
-{
-    if (track->d_sub)
-        sub_set_recorder_sink(track->d_sub, sink);
-    if (track->dec)
-        track->dec->recorder_sink = sink;
-    track->remux_sink = sink;
-}
-
-void close_recorder(struct MPContext *mpctx)
-{
-    if (!mpctx->recorder)
-        return;
-
-    for (int n = 0; n < mpctx->num_tracks; n++)
-        set_track_recorder_sink(mpctx->tracks[n], NULL);
-
-    mp_recorder_destroy(mpctx->recorder);
-    mpctx->recorder = NULL;
-}
-
-// Like close_recorder(), but also unset the option. Intended for use on errors.
-void close_recorder_and_error(struct MPContext *mpctx)
-{
-    close_recorder(mpctx);
-    talloc_free(mpctx->opts->record_file);
-    mpctx->opts->record_file = NULL;
-    m_config_notify_change_opt_ptr(mpctx->mconfig, &mpctx->opts->record_file);
-    MP_ERR(mpctx, "Disabling stream recording.\n");
-}
-
-void open_recorder(struct MPContext *mpctx, bool on_init)
-{
-    if (!mpctx->playback_initialized)
-        return;
-
-    close_recorder(mpctx);
-
-    char *target = mpctx->opts->record_file;
-    if (!target || !target[0])
-        return;
-
-    struct sh_stream **streams = NULL;
-    int num_streams = 0;
-
-    for (int n = 0; n < mpctx->num_tracks; n++) {
-        struct track *track = mpctx->tracks[n];
-        if (track->stream && track->selected && (track->d_sub || track->dec))
-            MP_TARRAY_APPEND(NULL, streams, num_streams, track->stream);
-    }
-
-    struct demux_attachment **attachments = talloc_array(NULL, struct demux_attachment*, mpctx->demuxer->num_attachments);
-    for (int n = 0; n < mpctx->demuxer->num_attachments; n++) {
-        attachments[n] = &mpctx->demuxer->attachments[n];
-    }
-
-    mpctx->recorder = mp_recorder_create(mpctx->global, mpctx->opts->record_file,
-                                         streams, num_streams,
-                                         attachments, mpctx->demuxer->num_attachments);
-
-    if (!mpctx->recorder) {
-        talloc_free(streams);
-        talloc_free(attachments);
-        close_recorder_and_error(mpctx);
-        return;
-    }
-
-    if (!on_init)
-        mp_recorder_mark_discontinuity(mpctx->recorder);
-
-    int n_stream = 0;
-    for (int n = 0; n < mpctx->num_tracks; n++) {
-        struct track *track = mpctx->tracks[n];
-        if (n_stream >= num_streams)
-            break;
-        // (We expect track->stream not to be reused on other tracks.)
-        if (track->stream == streams[n_stream]) {
-            struct mp_recorder_sink * sink =
-                mp_recorder_get_sink(mpctx->recorder, streams[n_stream]);
-            assert(sink);
-            set_track_recorder_sink(track, sink);
-            n_stream++;
-        }
-    }
-
-    talloc_free(streams);
-    talloc_free(attachments);
-}
-
diff --git a/player/playloop.c b/player/playloop.c
index dc74e6b8493fa..b88f4426efdd0 100644
--- a/player/playloop.c
+++ b/player/playloop.c
@@ -32,7 +32,6 @@
 #include "common/encode.h"
 #include "common/msg.h"
 #include "common/playlist.h"
-#include "common/recorder.h"
 #include "common/stats.h"
 #include "demux/demux.h"
 #include "filters/f_decoder_wrapper.h"
@@ -373,8 +372,6 @@ static void mp_seek(MPContext *mpctx, struct seek_params seek)
         clear_audio_output_buffers(mpctx);
 
     reset_playback_state(mpctx);
-    if (mpctx->recorder)
-        mp_recorder_mark_discontinuity(mpctx->recorder);
 
     demux_block_reading(mpctx->demuxer, false);
     for (int t = 0; t < mpctx->num_tracks; t++) {