Multimedia on the web includes sound, music, videos, movies, and animations. Modern web pages use a variety of formats to create an engaging user experience.
Multimedia is any content you can hear or see. This includes:
Note : Modern browsers have come a long way! While the first browsers only supported text in a single font, today's browsers support high-definition video and immersive audio natively.
While many video formats exist, only MP4, WebM, and Ogg are officially supported by the HTML standard.
| Format | Extension | Description | Browser Support |
|---|---|---|---|
| MP4 | .mp4 | Recommended by YouTube. High quality, small size. | Full Support |
| WebM | .webm | Developed by Google and Mozilla for the web. | Full Support |
| Ogg | .ogv | Open-source format developed by Xiph.Org. | Full Support |
| MPEG | .mpg | One of the first popular web formats. | Not Support |
| AVI | .avi | Developed by Microsoft; common in cameras. | Windows Only |
| QuickTime | .mov | Developed by Apple. | Apple Only |
For audio, the HTML standard officially supports MP3, WAV, and Ogg.
| Format | Extension | Description | Browser Support |
|---|---|---|---|
| MP3 | .mp3 | The most popular format for digital music | Full Support |
| WAV | .wav | High-quality audio (uncompressed). | Full Support |
| Ogg | .ogg | Open-source alternative to MP3. | Full Support |
| MIDI | .mid | Digital notes for synthesizers (no actual sound). | Not Support |
| WMA | .wma | Developed by Microsoft. | Windows Only |
| AAC | .aac | Apple's default format for iTunes. | Apple Only |
When adding multimedia to your website, keep these best practices in mind: