All about OGM files

OGM stands for OGG Media and is a container format for video files (similar to MP4 or MKV). Unlike pure audio formats, OGM can also combine video, audio, subtitles and chapter markers in a single file. OGM was created in 2002 as an unofficial extension of the Ogg container and was widely used in the file-sharing scene of the early 2000s.

History and development of OGM

OGM was developed by Tobias Waldvogel, as the official Ogg format from the Xiph.Org Foundation did not yet support video in 2002. AVI, the standard format for video at the time, also had many limitations, as it lacked, amongst other things, proper support for Ogg Vorbis audio and variable bitrates. Waldvogel subsequently developed DirectShow filters (DS filters) that enabled the use of any video codec (particularly DIVX or Xvid) alongside Vorbis audio in OGM files.

The format quickly gained popularity as it provided features that had previously been lacking, such as chapter markers, multiple audio tracks for different languages, and subtitles. Tools such as VirtualDubMod made it easy to create and edit OGM files. Waldvogel’s DS filters enabled playback simply using Windows Media Player (WMP) or other DS-based players. Today, VLC and MPlayer support OGM without DS filters.

Technically speaking, OGM is a ‘hack’, i.e. an unofficial extension that broke with the official Ogg specification. Although Waldvogel later joined^[1] the Xiph.Org team, OGM never became part of the Ogg specification. Later, Xiph.Org introduced its own video standard, OGV.

Technical details

OGM files typically contain:

• Video: MPEG-4 ASP (DivX, Xvid), less commonly other codecs
• Audio: Ogg Vorbis, AC-3 (Dolby Digital) or MP3
• Subtitles: Text-based, similar to SRT
• Chapters: Jump markers as on DVDs

The file extension is .ogm and the MIME type (not IANA-registered) used is video/x-ogm or video/x-ogm+ogg. ^[2]

To play files on Windows, a DirectShow splitter is required, such as the original OggDS by Waldvogel (now obsolete), the Haali Media Splitter (or the RadLight Ogg Media Filter). Alternatively, players with built-in OGM support, such as VLC or MPlayer, will work.

Why OGM is hardly relevant today

OGM has largely been superseded by MKV (Matroska). MKV offers all the features of OGM, is officially specified, is actively being developed and has established itself as the standard. Although playing OGM files usually poses no difficulties today, converting them to MP4 or MKV increases compatibility and ensures they will remain playable in the future.

Sources

[1] Doom9 forum post about Waldvogel joining Xiph.org (IRC chat)
[2] VLC MIME types

Last updated on 16. March 2026 by Sören with the experience of more than 127,961,204 converted files since 2013.