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This registry defines the byte stream formats for use with the Media Source Extensions™ specification [MEDIA-SOURCE].
This registry is non-normative.
This section describes the status of this document at the time of its publication. A list of current W3C publications and the latest revision of this technical report can be found in the W3C standards and drafts index.
The working group maintains a list of all bug reports that the editors have not yet tried to address; there may also be related open bugs in the GitHub repository of the Media Source Extensions™ specification.
This document was published by the Media Working Group as an Editor's Draft.
Publication as an Editor's Draft does not imply endorsement by W3C and its Members.
This is a draft document and may be updated, replaced, or obsoleted by other documents at any time. It is inappropriate to cite this document as other than a work in progress.
This document was produced by a group operating under the W3C Patent Policy. W3C maintains a public list of any patent disclosures made in connection with the deliverables of the group; that page also includes instructions for disclosing a patent. An individual who has actual knowledge of a patent that the individual believes contains Essential Claim(s) must disclose the information in accordance with section 6 of the W3C Patent Policy.
This document is governed by the 18 August 2025 W3C Process Document.
This registry is intended to enhance interoperability among implementations and users of SourceBuffer objects described in the
Media Source Extensions™ specification. In particular, this registry provides the means (1) to identify
and avoid MIME-type collisions among byte stream formats, and (2) to disclose information about byte stream formats accepted by MSE
implementations to promote interoperability.
The registry maintains a mapping between MIME-type/subtype pairs and byte stream format specifications. The byte stream format specifications describe the
structure and semantics of byte streams accepted by SourceBuffer objects
created with the associated MIME-type/subtype pair.
This registry is not intended to include any information on whether a byte stream format is encumbered by intellectual property claims. Implementors and users are advised to seek appropriate legal counsel in this matter if they intend to implement or use a specific byte stream format.
To register an entry, file an issue in the Media Source Extensions Byte Stream Format Registry GitHub issue tracker so it can be discussed and evaluated for compliance before being added to the registry.
The Media Working Group may seek expertise from outside the Working Group as part of its evaluation, e.g., from the byte stream format specification editors or relevant standards group. If the byte stream format specification is not publicly available, it must be made available to the Working Group for evaluation. For the entry to be included, there needs to be interest from at least one implementer in the Working Group. If the Media Working Group reaches consensus to accept the candidate, send a pull request (either by editors or by the party requesting the candidate registration) that meets the following requirements:
[[generate timestamps flag]] value that must be used by
SourceBuffer when handling the byte stream format.Once consensus is reached by the Working Group, the registry editors will review and merge the pull request.
If a registration fails to satisfy a mandatory requirement specified above, then it may be removed from the registry (without prejudice). Existing entries cannot be deleted or deprecated otherwise.
Existing entries may be changed after being published through the same process as candidate entries. Possible changes include modification of the link to the publically available specification.
| MIME type/subtype | Public Specification(s) | Generate Timestamps Flag |
|---|---|---|
|
audio/webm video/webm |
WebM Byte Stream Format [MSE-BYTE-STREAM-FORMAT-WEBM] | false |
|
audio/mp4 video/mp4 |
ISO BMFF Byte Stream Format [MSE-BYTE-STREAM-FORMAT-ISOBMFF] | false |
|
audio/mp2t video/mp2t |
MPEG-2 TS Byte Stream Format [MSE-BYTE-STREAM-FORMAT-MP2T] | false |
|
audio/mpeg audio/aac |
MPEG Audio Byte Stream Format [MSE-BYTE-STREAM-FORMAT-MPEG-AUDIO] | true |