VP9

What it means

VP9 is a video codec Google developed as a free alternative to HEVC. It reaches similar efficiency, meaning good quality at lower bitrates than H.264, without licensing fees. It is usually stored in the WebM container, though other containers can carry it too.

Most people use VP9 without knowing it. YouTube serves many videos in VP9 to browsers and devices that support it, especially at higher resolutions, and switches to other codecs elsewhere. It was the stepping stone between older web codecs and its successor, AV1.

Cameras almost never record VP9, so for creators it is mainly a delivery and playback format rather than something you shoot.

How it works in practice

You may meet VP9 when downloading your own videos back from a platform, exporting from browser-based tools, or recording screen captures. Some editing apps import it smoothly, others need a plugin or convert it first. If editing feels sluggish, transcoding to an editing-friendly format helps.

For uploads you rarely need VP9 yourself. Platforms accept H.264 or HEVC at a solid Bitrate and create their own VP9 and AV1 versions during recompression. Sending a high-quality H.264 or HEVC master gives the platform the best starting point.

Hardware support for VP9 decoding is widespread in recent devices, so playback is usually efficient, but encoding it is slower than H.264 on many machines.

What to watch out for

Do not treat a platform download as an original. A VP9 file pulled back from a streaming site has already been compressed for streaming, often heavily, and re-editing it means compressing it again. Always keep your camera originals and editing masters.

Compatibility also varies outside browsers. Some TVs, older phones and professional editing tools handle VP9 poorly, especially inside the WebM container. When you need a file that plays everywhere, H.264 in an MP4 remains the safest choice, even if it is a little larger. Check the file on the device it is meant for before sending it to a client or a friend.