# What is AV1?

AV1 is a modern royalty-free video codec that offers strong compression efficiency compared with older codecs at similar quality.

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Last modified: 2026-05-11T00:00:00+00:00

**Definition**
AV1 is an open, royalty-free video codec developed by the Alliance for Open Media.

**Who made it and why**
AV1 was designed by major industry members (AOMedia) to provide high compression efficiency for web and streaming delivery without per-stream royalty complexity.

**Why teams adopt AV1**
- Better compression efficiency than many older codecs
- Strong fit for web delivery and bandwidth-sensitive workflows
- Growing browser and hardware support

**Compatibility caveat**
Encode/decode availability depends on browser version, hardware acceleration, and OS support.

**Use it in Subclip**
Use AV1 conversion routes when you need smaller outputs with modern codec efficiency, then fall back to MP4/H.264 for maximum compatibility.

**Related converters**
[MP4 to AV1](/tools/convert-video-format/mp4-to-av1), [AV1 to MP4](/tools/convert-video-format/av1-to-mp4).

**Related FAQs**
[How do I open AV1 files?](/faq/how-to-open-av1-files), [AVI vs AV1: what is the difference?](/faq/avi-vs-av1-whats-the-difference).

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