What is “WebM” video file format?

WebM video, whose extension name is .webm, is an open and free multimedia file format. Designed for direct use on the web, WebM is compatible with Mozilla Firefox, Opera and Google Chrome, Internet Explorer, and since 2021 also with Safari under macOS.

Google regularly works on numerous improvements and optimizations to provide faster and better coding.

A brief history of the WebM format.

Developed by Google IO and launched in May 2010, the WebM video file format is based on the Matroska derived container, or .mkv.  Initially, the WebM allows working with VP8 video and audio streams encoded in Vorbis.

Originally thought of as a free alternative, WebM allows you to use HTML5 video and HTML5 audio elements. Conceived as a set of online multimedia proposals, the WebM project is developed in parallel with the WebP project, whose «p» is for «pictures», for a content of compression and decompression images of type JPEG, PNG and GIF.

In 2013, an update was made on WebM to be able to also manage the VP9 video encoder and the Opius audio encoder.

How to read and export a WebM video?

To play a WebM video, you have several possibilities: by direct integration on your internet browser or by using software on your computer.

It is integrated directly into Internet browsers like Google Chrome, Internet Explorer, Firefox or Opera that will read your .webm without the need to add an extension.

If you are on Apple, whether it is your iPhone, iPad, or if you are on the Safari browser, you will need to install a plugin. The same goes for Microsoft Edge which requires an extension.

VLC-Player is a software to install that works for any operating system.

Exporting a .webm ensures good video and audio quality, with high definition content thanks to its H.264 codec. Designed and designed for streaming applications, file export is fast, requires few resources and its file weight is optimized.

On which media can we upload a WebM file?

You can upload your WebM file to hosting platforms like Youtube, Dailymotion or Vimeo to keep your content HD.

For social networks, TikTok and Linkedin allow uploading your .webm file.    For the rest, you will need to convert your file to mp4, the format most recommended by networks.