What is a WebM File?
A WebM file is a video file saved in the WebM format, an open, royalty-free format created for saving and sharing videos on the web. WebM support has been built into many web browsers like Chrome, Edge, Firefox, etc. Since the format is available and 100% free, the technology is ideal for commercial and non-commercial applications.
WebM holds a similar container structure to the Matroska (.mkv) video format that can store both audio and video data. The video is usually compressed using VP8, VP9, or AV1 codecs, and the audio is compressed using Vorbis or Opus codecs. These codecs enable WebM to provide high-quality video while using less bandwidth and taking up less disk space.
However, the WebM files are less compatible with various platforms compared with other popular formats. Some web browsers still don’t support WebM and require third-party WebM plug-ins. Most portable devices cannot directly open the WebM files as well.
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What Causes the WebM File Not Playing Error?
As stated previously, the WebM format has poor compatibility with most devices, making it unplayable offline. Additionally, some web browsers that support the WebM format may still be unable to open a WebM file, even after installing the plug-in. So the causes of WebM not working can be various. The following will show the leading causes:
1. Incompatible Codecs:
The most likely cause of the WebM file not working is the incompatible codecs. No app on Apple devices comes with native support for WebM. Some WebM files encoded with advanced codecs like AV1 are not supported on Windows. Also, if the WebM file is not encoded in the standard video codec, you may still fail to open your WebM file, although Android devices support VP8, VP9, and AV1 WebM files.
2. Unsupported Media Players
This cause is similar to the reason 1 (Incompatible codecs). If the media player you are using cannot recognize and decode WebM files, you can also encounter the WebM file won’t open issue.
3. Corrupted WebM Files
If your WebM files are corrupted, then you cannot open them on any devices or web browsers. The corruption in the files may be the incomplete download, device-to-device transfer, or incorrect conversion/compression techniques.
4. Outdated OS Build Version or Web Browser
Another cause is that the current device OS build version doesn’t support WebM files. And you need to update the OS build to newer or the latest one.
If you fail to play your WebM files online, then the possible cause is the web browser you’re using are outdated or corrupted. For example, macOS Big Sur and later versions added WebM support in Safari.
After seeing the possible reasons for WebM not playing, let’s see the corresponding solutions in the following section.
How to Fix the WebM File Not Working Issue?
1. Convert WebM to Supported Format/Codec
Since the WebM file not working issue is typically caused by unrecognized video codec, a good option to fix the issue is to transcode WebM file to MP4 (H.264 + AAC) or other formats with better compatibility. To perform the conversion without hassle, you can try WonderFox Free HD Video Converter Factory, which is a free yet professional video converter that allows you to start the conversion with just a few simple clicks. With this freeware installed, you can fix any playback/import errors caused by the unsupported codecs/formats with its wide format support.
Free download this free converter and here is a simple guide for converting WebM files with it.
Step 1. Launch Free HD Video Converter Factory on your PC and enter the “Converter” module.
Step 2. Click on the “+ Add Files” button to import your WebM files. Drag-and-drop is also supported.
Step 3. Press the format image on the right side to expand the output format full list. Go to the “Video” tab and select MP4 or other formats compatible with your device.
* For the best format compatibility, you’re recommended to select the “H.264” video codec and “AAC” audio codec in the “Parameter settings” window.
Step 4. Set an output folder at the bottom of the program and then click “Run” to start conversion.
2. Install WebM Codec Pack
In case the problem is caused by unsupported codec, you can also install a codec pack to help your computer decode the video and audio codecs in WebM files. And among various codec packs, K-Lite Codec Pack is recommended with its wide video and audio codec support. It provides a simple fix to most video/audio decoding issues, and is well-liked by novice users.
You can download K-Lite Codec Pack from the official site: https://codecguide.com/download_kl.htm on your browser.
The download pages offer 4 versions for your choice and the Standard version is recommended for the average user, which contains the essential codecs needed for WebM playback.
After downloading the .exe file, run the installer and follow the on-screen instructions to install it.
But note that unauthorized third-party WebM codec packs may contain malware or adware, causing some playback issues on your computer or even software conflicts.
3. Try Other WebM Player
Another direct way to solve the WebM file not playing issue is to try another media player that supports WebM playback. If the default media player on your device only supports a limited range of video formats and codecs, installing a third-party media player with more format support can help you avoid various media file not playing issues.
Here, VLC media player is highly recommended for you since it is a free, open-source, and cross-platform media player that can help you play WebM files without issue on Windows, Mac, iPhone, Android, etc.
4. Download DirectShow Filters
If you fail to play WebM files in Windows Media Player and don’t want to install any third-party tools, you can also fix the problem by installing DirectShow filters since Windows Media Player is a DirectShow-based player.
Steps for downloading DirectShow filters:
Step 1. Visit this site: https://www.webmproject.org/tools/, and find the DirectShow filters.
Step 2. Enter the download page and select the latest WebM DirectShow .zip archive with the “webmdshow” file name to download.
Step 3. Open the zip file. Locate the “install-webmshow.exe” file and run it. It will launch a step-by-step installer and add the DirectShow filters to enable Windows Media Player to play VP8 and VP9 WebM files.
Note: The official WebM DirectShow filters lack the OGG Vorbis codec for WebM audio playback. So you also need to install the OGG codec. You can install the Xiph.org Open Codec (https://xiph.org/dshow/) to get the OGG codec.
5. Update the OS Build Version
Although Android support WebM file playback, you may still encounter the WebM file playback issue. In this circ*mstance, try to update the OS build to a new or the newest version may help since the update always offers some fixes and additional support for better performance, including the WebM decoding. But for some older models, it may not work.
6. Update Web Browser
Besides updating the OS build version, updating the web browser is also needed if you fail to play WebM in the web browser. Although some web browser support WebM file playback, if you are using the outdated version, then you may encounter the playback issue. Also, Apple has added the WebM playback support in Safari since macOS Big Sur and iOS 15. So you need to update your Safari for WebM playback on Apple devices. If the built-in web browser on your device can’t open WebM files, you can first check the updates or using the latest version of some third-party browsers like Chrome, Firefox, UC Browser, etc.
* You can usually find the update information in the “Help” page of the browser.
Other Tips for Solving WebM Not Working Issue
1. Check the MIME Type
If the WebM files are still not working in the web browsers, then it may because there is an error message about the MIME type. You need check that the server is transmitting the correct MIME type when displaying WebM files. Wrong MIME type will also result in the WebM not working errors in web browsers like Chrome, Firefox, Safari, etc.
2. Check the Hardware
The highly-compressed codecs (VP8, VP9, and AV1) in the WebM files requires a lot of resources to decode. Without direct hardware support, the WebM decoding will result in excessive CPU/RAM utilization, thus may causing the freezing and choppy WebM playback, especially if your WebM files are in 4K quality or higher. So on low-end computers, you can disable the VP9 when the hardware acceleration is not available. But this also means you can’t access most 4K videos online since they are using the VP9 decoder.
3. Clear the Temporary Files and Caches
If your files don’t work properly, like the WebM not playing, an easy solution is to delete the cache and temporary files. Deleting these useless files will improve the performance of devices and applications, fix the problem of video playing and excessive buffering times, and more.
Bottom Line
With the above methods, as long as your WebM files are not corrupted, you will be able to smoothly play WebM files on various devices, players, and web browsers without issue. You can also try to repair the files with a competent data repair tool or re-download the WebM files if they are damaged or incomplete downloaded. Among the various listed solutions, I highly recommend you to convert WebM to MP4 (H.264/AAC) with WonderFox Free HD Video Converter Factory since the MP4 files hold the best compatibility with all devices, applications, and web browsers.
Well, that’s it! Hope the mentioned methods in this post can solve the WebM not playing issue for you guys. Thanks for reading till the end. Have a nice day!
