WebM
WebM is an open, royalty-free video container developed for the web, typically pairing VP8/VP9 video with Vorbis or Opus audio. It's built into every modern browser and favored for its smaller file sizes.
Extensions
.webm
MIME type(s)
video/webm
Compression
Lossy
Transparency
Not supported
Advantages
- Open and royalty-free, with no licensing costs
- Smaller file sizes than MP4 at comparable quality for web delivery
- Plays natively in every modern browser without plugins
Disadvantages
- Less universal support than MP4 outside of browsers — some phones, editors, and older devices don't recognize it
- Not the default recording format for phone or camera video
Common uses
- Embedded video on websites
- Smaller video files for faster page loads
- Open-source and privacy-focused projects that avoid licensed codecs
How to open a WebM file
Plays natively in every modern browser (Chrome, Firefox, Edge, and current Safari). Older software or some non-browser media players may need VLC or a similar player with WebM support.