When Was libvpx-vp9 Released for Public Use

This article provides the exact release date of the libvpx-vp9 video codec library, detailing its public debut, the specific software version that introduced it, and its role in the evolution of modern online video streaming.

The libvpx library officially introduced support for the VP9 video coding format on June 17, 2013. This milestone was marked by the public release of libvpx version 1.3.0, code-named “Gorilla.”

Developed by the Google-sponsored WebM Project, VP9 was designed as a royalty-free, open-source successor to the VP8 codec. It was created to compete directly with the High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC/H.265) standard, offering comparable video quality at significantly reduced bitrates.

While the definition of the VP9 profile 0 was finalized earlier in June 2013, the release of libvpx v1.3.0 on June 17 provided developers and the public with the actual software library needed to encode and decode VP9 video. Following this release, major web browsers, including Google Chrome and Firefox, quickly integrated VP9 support, paving the way for its widespread adoption across platforms like YouTube.