WebM
The WebM Project, maintained by Google, develops and freely distributes open-source, royalty-free video codecs (VP8, VP9) and the WebM container format for the web, serving browser vendors, media software projects, and video platforms worldwide.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2010
- HeadquartersMountain View, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What WebM does
The WebM Project is an open-source, royalty-free web media initiative launched in May 2010 and maintained by Google. It develops and distributes the VP8 and VP9 video codecs, the WebM container format (based on the Matroska specification), the libvpx software development kit for encoder/decoder integration, and the WebP still-image format. Project participants include engineering and product staff located in Mountain View, CA; the project itself operates at a headcount of 1-10 dedicated personnel and is supported by Google's infrastructure.
The project's core technology portfolio centers on the VP8 codec (originating from On2 Technologies, acquired by Google) and its successor VP9, which is documented as providing approximately 50% better compression than VP8 with quality comparable to HEVC/H.265. Supporting components include VP8/VP9 encoding modes (VBR, CBR, CQ), DASH adaptive streaming, alpha-channel transparency, WebM encryption, and Windows DirectShow filters. The technology is distributed as open-source BSD-licensed code with royalty-free patent assurances via the VP8 Patent Cross-License and the 2013 MPEG LA agreement.
The project has no commercial revenue model. WebM is freely available under the BSD-style license, with distribution occurring via code repositories on chromium.googlesource.com, official Google-hosted downloads, and integration into browser engines (Firefox, Chrome, Opera, Internet Explorer), media frameworks (FFmpeg, VLC, Media Player Classic), and OEM/embedded channels (hardware IP cores licensed to semiconductor vendors). The project is strategically sponsored by Google and participates in the Alliance for Open Media alongside Cisco, Intel, Microsoft, Mozilla, and Netflix. Named adopters include YouTube, the Wikimedia Foundation, Skype, and FFmpeg.
WebM firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- WebM
- Legal name
- The WebM Project
- Website
- https://webmproject.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2010
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- The WebM Project, maintained by Google, develops and freely distributes open-source, royalty-free video codecs (VP8, VP9) and the WebM container format for the web, serving browser vendors, media software projects, and video platforms worldwide.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
WebM industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Open-Source Video Codecs
- NAICS
- Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services (5182), Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content Providers (51621)
- SIC
- Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370), Services-Prepackaged Software (7372)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Codec & Format Support (HEVC/AV1/VVC, HDR, IMF, MXF) (MPAHAHAE)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- WebRTC & In-Browser Voice/Video (HDAIAHAH), DRM, License Delivery & Content Protection (Widevine/FairPlay/PlayReady) (MPAHAJAI)
Keywords
Where WebM is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Mountain View
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
WebM business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Operations, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Open-source/free distribution: WebM and VP8/VP9 codecs are freely available to everyone under open-source licenses. There is no direct revenue model; the project is supported by technology companies as a public good for the open web.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels8 records
WebM product offering
Product offeringCore offering
WebM develops and distributes open-source, royalty-free video compression technology for the web, including the VP8 and VP9 video codecs, the WebM container format (based on Matroska), and the libvpx software development kit. The project is maintained by Google as a public good for the open web and is backed by the Alliance for Open Media. Related deliverables include the WebP image format, WebM DirectShow filters for Windows, and the WebM DASH JavaScript player for adaptive streaming.
Product overview
The WebM Project is an open-source, royalty-free media project that develops video formats and codecs for the web. The core product portfolio includes the WebM container format (based on Matroska), the VP8 video codec (first generation), and the VP9 video codec (next-generation with 50% better compression). Related offerings include WebP for image compression, the libvpx SDK for application development, WebM DirectShow Filters for Windows playback, and the WebM DASH JavaScript Player for adaptive streaming. The project also maintains a VP8 Patent Cross-License program for royalty-free IP assurance and publishes the WebM Encryption specification for secure content.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- VP8: Open video codec developed by On2 Technologies and acquired by Google, forming the basis of WebM.
- VP9
- libvpx
- WebP
Products and services
- WebM Container Format Open, royalty-free media file container format based on Matroska, supporting VP8 and VP9 video codecs along with Vorbis and Opus audio codecs for web video distribution. Used by developers, content platforms, and tool makers needing a standardized web video container.
- VP8 Codec First-generation open-source video codec for web video encoding and decoding, providing high-quality video compression with royalty-free licensing. Forms the basis of the WebP image format and is deployed across major browsers, hardware chipsets, and conferencing tools.
- VP9 Codec Next-generation open-source video codec from the WebM Project offering approximately 50% better compression efficiency than VP8 and quality slightly better than HEVC/H.265. VP9 development began eighteen months prior to its 2013 launch and was finalized after a May 2013 summit and June 2013 bitstream freeze.
- libvpx SDK Software development kit providing native VP8 and VP9 encode and decode functionality for application developers. Includes encoder (vpxenc) and decoder (vpxdec) command-line tools and is distributed as open-source C code with documentation.
- WebP Image Format
Quantifiable outcome
- VP9 provides 50% better compression than VP8
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use WebM
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
WebM technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration10 records
AI capability2 records
Feature10 records
WebM partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Alliance for Open MediacoreWebM Project joined the Alliance for Open Media (AOMedia), a consortium of major technology companies including Cisco, Google, Intel, Microsoft, Mozilla, and Netflix working together on open media formats for the web.
- GooglecoreGoogle provides primary sponsorship and infrastructure support for the WebM Project, hosting code repositories and providing engineering resources.
- MatroskacoreThe WebM container format is based on Matroska technology. Matroska provides foundational container specification for WebM.
- Xiph.Org FoundationcoreXiph.Org Foundation contributes to WebM by providing Vorbis audio codec support, which is used alongside VP8/VP9 video in WebM containers.
- YouTubecoreYouTube has broadly supported WebM in its HTML5 player since launch in May 2010 and participated in VP9 development summits.
- KalturaminorCollaborated with Wikimedia Foundation on developing the HTML5 media player with WebM support deployed across Wikipedia sites.
- Xiph FoundationcoreProvides Vorbis audio DirectShow filters required for WebM audio playback on Windows.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
WebM competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- x264 / x265 (open-source H.264/H.265 encoders): Open-source reference encoders for the H.264 and HEVC standards, widely used in FFmpeg and commercial pipelines. Directly comparable as open-source codec implementations competing for the same encoding/transcoding workloads that VP8/VP9 target.
- Alliance for Open Media: The industry consortium that WebM joined in 2015, developing AV1 as a royalty-free successor codec with overlapping membership (Google, Mozilla, Cisco, Intel, Microsoft, Netflix). Directly comparable as an open-codec standards effort, and AV1 represents the most direct successor/cannibalization risk to VP9.
- MainConcept GmbH: Commercial codec and transcoding vendor offering H.264/HEVC/AV1 implementations for professional video workflows. Comparable as a codec-vendor peer offering the proprietary-license alternative that WebM's royalty-free model competes against.
Emerging players
- Zencoder (Brightcove): Cloud-based video transcoding and encoding API service supporting WebM (via libvpx) alongside H.264/HEVC. Comparable as a downstream commercial service built on top of WebM codec technology.
- Bitmovin: Video streaming infrastructure provider supporting WebM/VP9 in its cloud encoder and player SDKs. Comparable as an ecosystem peer operating in the same per-title encoding and adaptive streaming space WebM enables.
- Encoding.com: Cloud video encoding service offering WebM/VP8/VP9 transcoding alongside proprietary codec formats. Comparable as a downstream SaaS consumer of WebM codec technology.
- V-Nova: Developer of MPEG-5 LCEVC enhancement-layer compression technology and related codec IP. Comparable as a next-generation codec technology vendor competing in the same compression-efficiency landscape that VP9/AV1 address.
Broad incumbents
- MPEG LA: Licensing administrator for the H.264/HEVC patent pools that WebM was explicitly designed to circumvent. Comparable as the institutional counterparty in the VP8 cross-license settlement and as the broader royalty-licensing regime WebM challenges.
- Cisco (Thor codec / AOMedia contribution): Cisco contributed its Thor video codec to the Alliance for Open Media, where it underpins AV1 development. Comparable as a large incumbent contributing codec technology into the same open-media consortium WebM participates in.
- Fraunhofer Heinrich Hertz Institute (HHI): Key contributor and IP holder behind the H.264/HEVC/H.266 standards, including VVC. Comparable as the leading institutional developer of the proprietary codec stack that WebM's royalty-free approach competes against.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
WebM social profiles
Digital presenceWebM compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
WebM financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
WebM leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
WebM funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
WebM M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about WebM
What does WebM do?
WebM develops and distributes open-source, royalty-free video compression technology for the web, including the VP8 and VP9 video codecs, the WebM container format (based on Matroska), and the libvpx software development kit. The project is maintained by Google as a public good for the open web and is backed by the Alliance for Open Media. Related deliverables include the WebP image format, WebM DirectShow filters for Windows, and the WebM DASH JavaScript player for adaptive streaming.
Is WebM a public or private company?
WebM is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was WebM founded?
WebM was founded in 2010. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is WebM based?
WebM is headquartered in Mountain View, United States, in the North America region.
How does WebM make money?
One revenue line is on record: open-source/free distribution.
Who are WebM's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are x264 / x265 (open-source H.264/H.265 encoders), Alliance for Open Media and MainConcept GmbH. Emerging players are Zencoder (Brightcove), Bitmovin, Encoding.com and V-Nova. Broad incumbents are MPEG LA, Cisco (Thor codec / AOMedia contribution) and Fraunhofer Heinrich Hertz Institute (HHI).
Does WebM have an API?
Yes. The WebM Codec SDK (libvpx) provides a software development kit for encoding and decoding VP8 and VP9 video. The SDK includes APIs for video encoding/decoding, bitstream manipulation, and container format handling. It is available as open-source C code with documentation at the WebM project site. Developer documentation is at www.webmproject.org/docs/vp8-sdk.
What industry is WebM in?
WebM's product category is Open-Source Video Codecs. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAHAHAE, Codec & Format Support (HEVC/AV1/VVC, HDR, IMF, MXF), with a secondary code of HDAIAHAH, WebRTC & In-Browser Voice/Video. Its NAICS code is 5182 and its SIC code is 7370.