AV2 Specification

About AV2

AV2 is the next-generation video coding specification from the Alliance for Open Media (AOMedia). Building on the foundation of AV1, AV2 is engineered to provide superior compression efficiency, enabling high-quality video delivery at significantly lower bitrates. It is optimized for the evolving demands of streaming, broadcasting, and real-time video conferencing.

This specification serves as the definitive technical reference for AV2 implementations. It outlines the bitstream syntax, semantics, and decoding processes required to ensure full conformance.

AV2 provides enhanced support for AR/VR applications, split-screen delivery of multiple programs, improved handling of screen content, and an ability to operate over a wider visual quality range.

To assist implementers, the AOMedia Video Model (AVM) serves as the official reference software.

Feedback

We welcome feedback and issue reports via email at<br>wg-codec-chair@aomedia.org,<br>or by filing an issue on the<br>AVM issue tracker.

Available Versions

AV2 specification and reference code — v1.0.0Current release

28 May 2026

The AV2 Bitstream & Decoding Process Specification, version 1.0.0, with corresponding AVM reference software.

Read Online<br>Download PDF<br>Additional Tables<br>Syntax Browser<br>Software

AV2 working draft (v13)Superseded

5 January 2026

An earlier development draft, superseded by v1.0.0. The "v13" label denotes a<br>working-draft milestone and does not indicate a version newer than 1.0.0.<br>Retained here for reference.

Read Online<br>Additional Tables<br>Syntax Browser<br>Software<br>Release Notes

Using the Specification

Full Specification

The complete AV2 coding specification document includes all sections from scope and definitions<br>through annexes. It provides comprehensive coverage of the format, syntax, semantics, and decoding process.

PDF Version

A self-contained PDF of the complete v1.0.0 specification is available for download and offline reference.

Additional Tables

The Additional Tables are extracted lookup tables from section 9 as C header files, useful for implementation reference.

Syntax Browser

The syntax browser provides a specialized view of Sections 5 (Syntax Structures) and<br>6 (Semantics) in a split-pane interface. Features include:

Side-by-side view of syntax definitions and their semantics

Clickable syntax elements for easy navigation

Search functionality across both sections

Copy-to-clipboard for syntax structures

Reference Software

The reference software, known as AVM, corresponding to this version of the specification is the v1.0.0 tag.