Apple recently joined the Alliance for Open Media as a founding member, according to an updated member list first noticed by CNET.

The Alliance for Open Media, according to its website, was formed to "define and develop media codecs, media formats, and related technologies to address marketplace demand for an open standard for video compression and delivery over the web."

allianceforopenmedia
The Alliance is developing a royalty-free video codec known as AOMedia Video 1 (AV1), which is designed to compress video before it's stored or sent over a network. Apple's move to join the Alliance for Open Media is notable because implementing such technology requires it to be widely supported, and Apple was one of the only major companies not participating.

AV1 continues to be a work in progress, with the Alliance for Open Media planning to release the first version of in the near future. Mozilla supports an early version of AV1 and has said that it reduces file sizes by 25 to 35 percent compared to HEVC, which Apple implemented support for in macOS High Sierra and iOS 11.

Other members of the Alliance for Open Media include Amazon, Cisco, Facebook, ARM, Google, IBM, Intel, Microsoft, Mozilla, Netflix, Hulu, NVIDIA, and more.

Top Rated Comments

jhiesey Avatar
98 months ago
I'm so glad this happened. Apple is one of the companies who have the most to gain from royalties for HEVC (aka H.265), so up to now they haven't supported open and royalty-free codecs like VP9 or AV1.

Hopefully this means that AV1 will be supported on every major platform, avoiding the need to support different codecs for different devices and operating systems.
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
superduperultra Avatar
98 months ago
The first step towards 4K YouTube in Safari and tvOS.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
modulusshift Avatar
98 months ago
Yes! This is such good news! Just last month someone was hinting that Apple might not be opposed to supporting it, but this was well beyond what I was expecting. I wonder how quickly they'll add hardware decode support? The bitstream is supposed to freeze this month. I think 2019 iPhones will have it.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
69Mustang Avatar
98 months ago
I’ve been watching 4K YouTube videos on my 5K iMac through Safari for a couple years now. Haven’t you been able to?
There's some confusion with people regarding 4K YouTube. You can, in fact, watch some 4K YT in Safari. The caveat being 4K video uploaded before Dec 2016 or 4K YT embedded video. Google started broadcasting the majority of the 4K video on the YT site using VP9 at some point early Dec. '16. Apple doesn't support the VP9 codec so for all intensive purpo- hahahahahahahahaha sorry, couldn't help that-:oops: intents and purposes you can't get 4K YT in Safari or on the ATV.

AV1 will hopefully kill two birds with one stone. Content for customers and savings for the companies in the alliance.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
lunarworks Avatar
98 months ago
Yay. Another standard. Can't wait for the next one in 5 years, and its hardware support in 10.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
simonmet Avatar
98 months ago
I’m more impressed with the 25 to 30% smaller file size compared to HEVC/h265! That’s pretty amazing! Royalty free might translate to a quick way into set top boxes and broadcast industry. Could you imagine 4K on every cable channel and still a 20%+ reduction in bandwidth requirements!
Are you not the least bit skeptical of a big claim like that? I’d prefer to see the evidence and comparisons first, but I’d be hugely surprised if it’s anywhere near that in the majority of cases. Google and VP9 liked to talk the big talk in order to push their standard too, but their efficiency wasn’t significantly greater than H.264 or H.265 as far as I’m aware.

I didn’t think there were any magic bullets left that can result in such substantial gains, but who knows, I could be wrong. What I do know is I was taught and have learnt to be skeptical about claims - especially in a commercial environment - until they’re independently tested and verified, so I wouldn’t go getting too excited just yet.

Now, encoding speed for a given quality and compression ratio is what I’m more interested in.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

ios 19 messages app

Apple Sues Jon Prosser Over iOS 26 Leaks

Thursday July 17, 2025 8:40 pm PDT by
Earlier this year, YouTuber Jon Prosser shared multiple videos showing off what he claimed to be re-created renderings of what was then presumed to be called iOS 19 and which was eventually unveiled by Apple as iOS 26 at WWDC in June. In his first video back in January, Prosser showed off a Camera app redesign with a simpler set of buttons for moving between photo and video modes, and he...
iOS 26 on Three iPhones

Here's When to Expect the iOS 26 Public Beta

Tuesday July 15, 2025 11:07 am PDT by
Apple previously announced that a public beta of iOS 26 would be available in July, and now a more specific timeframe has surfaced. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman today said that Apple's public betas should be released on or around Wednesday, July 23. In other words, expect the public betas of iOS 26, iPadOS 26, macOS 26, and more to be available at some point next week. Apple will be releasing...
iPhone 17 Colors

All 15 New iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Pro Colors Revealed in Latest Leak

Wednesday July 16, 2025 6:50 am PDT by
We may finally have a definitive list of all color options for the iPhone 17 series, ahead of the devices launching in September. MacRumors concept In a report for Macworld today, Filipe Espósito said he obtained an "internal document" that allegedly reveals all of the color options for the upcoming iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max models. The report includes ...
iPhone 17 Pro Dark Blue and Orange

Ranked: The Best Features Rumored for the iPhone 17 Lineup

Wednesday July 16, 2025 4:17 pm PDT by
We have just under two months to go until the debut of Apple's iPhone 17 models, and rumors have been ramping up in recent weeks. We went through everything we know so far, pulling out the most exciting rumors and highlighting some other changes that aren't going to be so great. Top Tier Ultra Thin iPhone 17 Air - The iPhone 17 Air is 2025's most exciting iPhone rumor, because it's the...
Apple Watch Ultra 2 Complications

Apple Watch Ultra 3: What to Expect

Sunday July 13, 2025 10:30 am PDT by
The long wait for an Apple Watch Ultra 3 is nearly over, and a handful of new features and changes have been rumored for the device. Below, we recap what to expect from the Apple Watch Ultra 3:Satellite connectivity for sending and receiving text messages when Wi-Fi and cellular coverage is unavailable 5G support, up from LTE on the Apple Watch Ultra 2 Likely a wide-angle OLED display that ...
Foldable iPhone 2023 Feature Homescreen

Foldable iPhone's Thickness and Price Range Detailed in New Reports

Wednesday July 16, 2025 11:31 am PDT by
Apple's long-rumored foldable iPhone will likely have a starting price between $1,800 and $2,000 in the U.S., analysts at investment banking firm UBS said this week. If so, the foldable iPhone would cost more than a MacBook Pro, which starts at $1,599. With a starting price of at least $1,800, the foldable iPhone would be the most expensive iPhone model ever released, topping the Pro Max at...
iPhone 17 Pro in Hand Feature Lowgo

iPhone 17 Pro Coming Soon With These 16 New Features

Friday July 11, 2025 12:40 pm PDT by
Apple's next-generation iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are only two months away, and there are plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models. Latest Rumors These rumors surfaced in June and July:A redesigned Dynamic Island: It has been rumored that all iPhone 17 models will have a redesigned Dynamic Island interface — it might ...
Apple Hornsby

Apple Store Near Sydney Permanently Closing Later This Year

Monday July 14, 2025 6:14 pm PDT by
Apple today said its store at the Westfield Hornsby shopping mall, in Hornsby, Australia, will be permanently closing in October. Apple Hornsby In a statement shared with Australian tech news website EFTM (via Reddit), Apple said that it has decided not to renew its lease at Westfield Hornsby. Apple said all affected retail employees will be given the opportunity to work at Apple's nearby...