The web has transformed media consumption
The Open Web Platform has been the driver of the transformation of the media industry. The <audio>
and <video>
elements form the backbone of media streaming experiences on the web and have revolutionized media consumption worldwide.
Key stakeholders do media standardization at W3C to shape how media technologies on the web evolve, set the direction in which technological progress is made, reinforce core media technologies, create an interoperable ecosystem and build the future of media experiences.
Who influences how media technologies on the web evolve?
- Broadcasters
- Cable, telecom, multiple service operators
- Chipset and device manufacturers
- Browser and software vendors
- Technology providers and research labs
- Content providers and movie studios
- … and others!
What's next for media and entertainment on the Web?
- Baseline for media applications
- Audio support
- Improved media distribution
- Second screen support
- HDR (High Dynamic Range) / wide gamut color space support
- Immersive web
- Games on the web
Active groups
The groups are listed alphabetically by Working Group, then Interest Group, then Community Group. These groups are designed to reinforce core media technologies on the web, create an interoperable ecosystem and build the future of media experiences.
AudioWorking group
GPU for the WebWorking group
Immersive WebWorking group
MediaWorking group
Second ScreenWorking group
Timed TextWorking group
Web Real-Time CommunicationsWorking group
WebTransportWorking group
Media and EntertainmentInterest group
Audiovisual Media Formats for BrowsersCommunity group
Color on the WebCommunity group
Discussion forum between CSS experts, Color Management experts, and TV/Movie/Broadcast experts to explore use cases and inform W3C specification work (such as CSS Color 4 and subsequent levels). Both SDR and HDR are in scope. Wide gamut displays and the Web is in scope. Web use of ICC (v.4 and ICCMax) is in scope.
Visit the Color on the Web Community GroupGamesCommunity group
The goal of the Games Community Group is to improve the quality of open web standards that games developers rely on to create games. To achieve its goal, the Games community group will:
- Track specifications and vendor implementations related to open web games.
- Recommend new specifications to be produced and find group homes for them.
- Refine use cases to communicate specific needs of games.
- Suggest refinements or fixes to existing specifications to better meet the needs of the game development community.
- Explore capabilities —APIs, semantics, techniques for rendering, processing, personalization, customization, interoperability, etc.— that developers can leverage to localize games and guarantee that they are accessible.
- Evangelize specifications to browser vendors.
- Document how to best use open web standards for games.
- Evangelize open web standards to game developers and game development best practices to web developers.
The Games community group will not develop any normative specification. As such, there will not be any Essential Claims under the W3C Contributor License Agreement or Final Specification Agreement.
Please see the adopted charter for details.
Visit the Games Community GroupImmersive CaptionsCommunity group
Web Media APICommunity group
Media web application developers want to deploy their content on a wide and heterogeneous range of devices and platforms, e.g. televisions, set-top boxes, and mobile devices. To ensure a smooth user experience across devices, these user agents need to support a minimum set of Web technologies that developers can rely on being supported. This Community Group plans to specify such a set of Web technologies and additionally plans to provide guidance for developers and implementers e.g. on performance constraints and portability issues.
See the CG charter for more information.
Visit the Web Media API Community GroupWhy join?
Since 1994, we have been leading the World Wide Web to its full potential by developing protocols and guidelines that ensure long-term growth of the web.
By joining these groups, you have the ability to discuss and drive the standards produced by W3C. The conversations occurring in the groups concern both current and future standards, constantly aiming to make the web a better place. You have the ability to take part in guiding the future of the web.
Our values revolve around building the web for all
The social value of the web is that it enables human communication, commerce, and opportunities to share knowledge. One of W3C's primary goals is to make these benefits available to all people, whatever their hardware, software, network infrastructure, native language, culture, geographical location, or physical or mental ability.
Recent activities in the Media & Entertainment community
Find out more via recent stories, news, workshops, talks or events.
W3C Members
80 member organizations are involved in the media & entertainment ecosystem, including:
Need more information tailored to your organization?
Our Evangelists understand that every organization is different! Evangelists represent W3C in various locations and are an extension of W3C's Business Development Team. They are responsible for identifying and recruiting new W3C Members, running local events, promoting W3C Training and fostering Sponsorship.