The WebM format is a popular and open video format and is primarily used for video delivery on the web. WebM is designed to provide high-quality video compression while maintaining low file sizes. WebM files typically use specific video and audio codecs that ensure compatibility and performance.
Compatible Video Codecs for WebM
Below are the compatible video codecs for WebM:
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VP8
VP8 is a video codec developed by On2 Technologies and was later acquired by Google. It's designed to provide high-quality video compression and is widely used in WebM files.
VP8 is supported by all major web browsers and platforms that support WebM.
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VP9
VP9 is an advanced version of VP8, also developed by Google. It offers better compression efficiency and higher quality at lower bitrates compared to VP8.
Supported by modern web browsers and platforms. It is becoming more common for web streaming, especially for higher resolution videos.
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AV1
AV1 is a newer, royalty-free video codec developed by the Alliance for Open Media (AOMedia). It is designed to provide even better compression efficiency than VP9.
Supported by newer web browsers and platforms, but not as universally supported as VP8 and VP9 yet unfortunately.
Compatible Audio Codecs for WebM
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Vorbis
Vorbis is an open-source audio codec that is commonly used in WebM files. It provides high-quality audio compression.
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Opus
Opus is a versatile audio codec designed for both speech and general audio. It offers high-quality audio at various bitrates and is widely used in WebRTC applications. TestingBot for example uses this to stream audio from devices to the user.
Example Command to Convert a Video to WebM Format
You can use ffmpeg which is a widely-used open-source multimedia framework to convert videos to WebM format. See below for an example command:
ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -c:v libvpx-vp9 -b:v 1M -c:a libopus output.webm