The Alliance for Open Media (AOMedia), the international consortium comprising tech giants like Google, Apple, Netflix, Amazon, Intel, NVIDIA, and Microsoft, has announced the release of its next major standard: AV2, the natural evolution of AV1 expected to launch in late 2025. The announcement coincides with the tenth anniversary of the alliance, which since 2015 has been working to promote open media standards, royalty-free and designed to meet the growing global demand for online video.
The new codec promises significantly higher compression efficiency than AV1, with a special focus on emerging scenarios like , multi-screen content, and 8K or higher streaming.
AV2: a generational leap toward immersive video
The streaming video market accounts for over 80% of global Internet traffic, and every improvement in compression directly impacts infrastructure costs and user experience. In this context, AV2 is positioned as a codec ready for the next decade.
Its key improvements include:
- More efficient compression: reducing bitrate compared to AV1 while maintaining or improving visual quality.
- Enhanced support for AR/VR and immersive content, where latency and quality are critical.
- Better management of screen content: user interface videos, streaming games, or screen recordings.
- Advanced support for multiple simultaneous streams (split-screen and PiP).
- Wide quality range: prepared for resolutions from low-definition up to 8K and beyond.
Comparison with the leading codecs
AOMedia hasn’t announced AV2 in a vacuum: the codec landscape is filled with established standards such as H.264/AVC, H.265/HEVC, VP9, and the very AV1.
| Codec | Year | License | Compression efficiency | Current adoption | Use cases |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| H.264/AVC | 2003 | Proprietary (MPEG LA) | Good, but surpassed | Universal (browsers, cameras, TV) | Streaming, video calls, digital TV |
| H.265/HEVC | 2013 | Proprietary (fragmented licenses) | 25–50% better than H.264 | 4K UHD, Blu-ray, some OTT | Ultra HD, premium TV |
| VP9 | 2013 | Free (Google) | Similar to HEVC | Browsers, YouTube, Android | Web streaming, WebRTC |
| AV1 | 2018 | Free (AOMedia) | ~30% better than VP9/HEVC | Netflix, YouTube, Android, modern browsers | OTT, social media, mobile apps |
| AV2 | 2025 | Free (AOMedia) | Superior to AV1, optimized for 8K and AR/VR | In adoption phase | Mass streaming, AR/VR, cloud gaming |
The advantage of open standards
One of AV2’s defining factors, as was the case with AV1 before it, is that it is developed under a royalty-free model. This contrasts with HEVC, whose adoption was hindered by license fragmentation and associated costs.
The backing of members like Netflix, YouTube, Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV+, Meta, and Microsoft ensures that AV2 will have a faster global rollout than previous generations. Moreover, its open nature removes barriers for hardware manufacturers, media startups, or emerging platforms.
Expected adoption
According to an AOMedia survey, 53% of its members plan to implement AV2 within 12 months after standardization, and 88% will do so within the next two years. This means that, starting in 2026, we could see the codec in smart TVs, mobiles, browsers, and top-tier OTT services.
The first sectors to adopt will be:
- Premium streaming platforms seeking to reduce bandwidth costs.
- Cloud gaming services where every millisecond of latency counts.
- AR/VR applications for education, entertainment, and the metaverse.
- Telecommunications companies interested in optimizing 5G and 6G video transmission.
Competitors to AV1 or natural successor?
While AV1 is still expanding—support in Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Safari, Android, and platforms like YouTube or Netflix—AV2 is conceived as its natural evolutionary and complementary step. Over the coming years, both will coexist, with AV1 solidifying in Full HD and standard 4K resolutions, while AV2 focuses on high-demand scenarios (8K, VR, streaming gaming).
Meanwhile, H.264 will remain the universal compatibility codec, and HEVC will stay in specific niches like UHD Blu-ray and pay TV systems.
Conclusion
The launch of AV2 represents more than a technical advance: it is a strategic move in the global race for control over digital video, where efficiency, cost, and openness will shape the future of audiovisual distribution.
While AV1 paved the way for royalty-free codecs in global streaming, AV2 aims to establish an open standard prepared for the challenges of the next decade: immersive video, ultra-high definition, and artificial intelligence applications applied to multimedia content.
Frequently Asked Questions
What improvements does AV2 bring over AV1?
AV2 offers greater compression efficiency, better support for AR/VR, improved management of screen content, and the ability to transmit multiple videos simultaneously.
Why is it important that AV2 is royalty-free?
Because it removes costly, fragmented licensing barriers, enabling faster and broader adoption across platforms, devices, and streaming services.
When will AV2 be available on commercial devices?
The standard will be released in late 2025, with widespread adoption expected between 2026 and 2027 across streaming platforms, browsers, and TVs.
What impact will AV2 have on Internet usage?
By improving compression, it will reduce bandwidth consumption in video streaming, benefiting providers and users alike, especially for 4K, 8K, and immersive experiences.