How to Play WebM Files | 5 Ways🔥

Shelly updated on Nov 16, 2024 to Screen Recording Utility

How to play WebM files on Windows and Mac? This post lists five ways, including a free video player, Windows Media Player, VLC Media Player, Clipchamp, and using web browsers. You can also find ways to convert WebM to MP4.

WebM is an audiovisual media file format that provides a royalty-free alternative for HTMl5 audio and video features. It also provides an alternative to the trademarked MPEG4 and H.264 standards. Since this file format is widely used in business and non-commercial uses, several users ask how to play WebM files on Windows and Mac PCs. If you're also bothered by this issue, please read further to find a suitable way.

#1. Play WebM Files on Windows 10/11 via a Free Video Player🔥

The most efficient way to play WebM files on Windows 10/11 is by using a versatile video player like EaseUS RecExperts. This leading screen recorder supports various video file formats, including WebM, MP4, MOV, AVI, FLV, etc. With the help of EaseUS RecExperts, anyone can open a WebM or other videos in other formats. You can even set the playback speed while playing WebM files, ranging from 0.5x to 2x.

Key features:

  • Play MOV, AVI, FLV, and other video file formats files.
  • Record your computer screen with system sound and/or voice via a camera and/or micro.
  • Release full-screen recording, selected region recording, schedule recording, automatic stop, and automatic split options.
  • Provide video/audio file import, video/audio editing, video/audio to text transcription, audio extraction from videos, etc.

The steps below depict how to play WebM files on Windows using EaseUS RecExperts.

Step 1. Launch EaseUS RecExperts, and click "Recordings" on the lower left to open the media player.

Step 2. Click "Import" on the bottom right to load your media files. It allows you to import multiple files or a folder.

Step 3. Then, you can enjoy your audio or video file with different playback speeds, from 0.5X to 2.0X.

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#2. Play WebM Files on Windows via Windows Media Player

The second way is to make good use of Windows Media Player. However, if you intend to play WebM files via Windows Media Player, in that case, you will automatically receive an error message: The selected file has an extension (.webm) that is not recognized by Windows Media Player, but the Player may still be able to play it.

Thus, if you prefer to play WebM video files on Windows using Windows Media Player, you must first download and install the WebM/VP8 DirectShow filters. On the contrary, this method is useless for you.

The following clicks demonstrate how to play WebM files using Windows Media Player.

▶️Locate the WebM video you want to view > right-click on it > click Open with > select Windows Media Player.

#3. Play WebM Files on Windows/Mac via VLC Media Player

If you're unwilling to download additional WebM/VP8 DirectShow filters, you can try this versatile cross-platform multimedia player, VLC Media Player. Although this is a powerful open-source video player, it can smoothly play most multimedia files, DVDs, audio CDs, VCDs, and various streaming protocols, including WebM videos.

Let's take a Windows PC as an example.

Step 1. Download and install VLC Media Player on your Windows computer.

Step 2. After running it, click Media > select Open File to add your targeted WebM video.

Step 3. It will automatically add and play your chosen WebM video.

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#4. Play WebM Files on Windows/Mac via Clipchamp

How to play a WebM file? Some users with recording and editing needs may already have Clipchamp installed. If so, you can open and play WebM videos directly with Clipchamp. Let's show how it works on a Windows PC.

Step 1. Please ensure you've signed for or logged into the Clipchamp for personal accounts.

Step 2. Right-click on your selected WebM video > select Edit with Clipchamp.

Step 3. After entering Clipchamp, you can click the Play button to play the WebM video.

#5. Play WebM Files on Windows/Mac via a Web Browser

The last way to play WebM files is using a Web browser, such as Chrome, Edge, or Opera. Let's begin with Windows PCs using Google Chrome.

Step 1. Open a Chrome tab on your Windows.

Step 2. Please use this shortcut, Ctrl + O, to open your file browser > select your desired WebM video > click Open.

Step 3. Your opened Chrome webpage will automatically become your desired WebM video and display the file path of your added WebM video. You can click the Play button to view or stop playing it.

Since macOS Big Sur 11.3, Apple has enabled WebM playback functionality in Safari. In other words, you can watch WebM videos offline or online with Safari. Let's show how to play WebM files on Mac using Safari.

Step 1. Open Safari on your Mac > press Cmd + O to open a file browser.

Step 2. Double-click on your WebM video > view your chosen WebM video in the web browser on Mac.

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Bonus tips: How Do I Convert WebM to MP4 | 3 Ways

WebM video files can be played in most recent browsers such as Google Chrome, Edge, Opera, and Firebox because this video format is designed for Internet use. Nevertheless, if you want to play WebM videos without installing additional programs, the best way is to convert WebM to MP4.

Option 1. Use EaseUS Video Editor to Convert WebM to MP4

Suppose you don't install VLC Media Player. In that case, you can seek help from a third-party video editor, EaseUS Video Editor, because it helps you convert HD/4K videos to MP4, AVI, MOV, or other video file formats without losing quality.

Option 2. Use VLC to Convert WebM to MP4

If you've installed VLC Media Player, you can adopt it to convert WebM to MP4 directly. In addition, VLC also can help you extract audio from FLV videos.

Step 1. Launch VLC on your Windows PC > click Media > select Convert/Save.

Step 2. In the pop-up window, under the File tab, click Add to import your WebM video > select Convert/Save.

Step 3. In the Convert window, select Video – H.264 + MP3 (MP4) or Video – H.265 + MP3 (MP4) based on your needs to convert your WebM video.

Option 3. Use CloudConvert to Convert WebM to MP4 Online

If you prefer online video converters, CloudConvert can help you convert WebM to MP4 online. This online utility supports many formats, including WebM, MP4, and AVI. You can use the settings to adjust the video resolution, quality, and file size.

Conclusion

How to play WebM files on Windows or Mac? This article shows you five feasible ways. All in all, using EaseUS RecExperts is the most comprehensive due to its powerful features. If you want to convert WebM to MP4, EaseUS Video Editor, VLC Media Player, or CloudConvert is a good choice. You can select a suitable one based on your needs.

FAQs about WebM Files & Popular Video Formats

Different video file formats play different roles in our careers and daily. Thus, this section lists several topics about WebM video file formats and some popular video file formats. Please get an overview of them below.

1. What is WebM file format?

WebM is an audiovisual media file format. It intends to offer a royalty-free alternative for HTML video and audio components. Google sponsors the development of the format, and the software is distributed under a BSD license.

The WebM container is based on Matroska's profile. WebM initially supported both VP8 video and Vorbis audio streams. In 2013, it was modified to support VP9 video and Opus audio. It also supports the latest AV1 codec.

2. Is WebM better than MP4?

Your video's intended use case determines that. WebM is the superior option for video streaming and uploading because it is highly compatible with newer browsers and is widely used in HTML5. MP4 may be better for high-quality playback and compatible with a broader range of devices.

3. Why can't I play MOV files on my computer?

Your MOV files won't play if your system's installed codecs are incompatible or absent.

4. Is AVI format better than MP4?

Compared to MP4, AVI offers better video quality. The AVI format compresses data less effectively than other video formats such as MP4, MPEG, and MOV. As a result, the average video file size is enormous, ranging from 2 to 3GB each minute. Thus, it might be problematic for partial users with less storage capacity.

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