The type attribute on a <source> tag specifies the media type of the source file.
A media type indicates the format and nature of the file.
Two <source> elements with a type attribute. The type value specifies the media type (formerly MIME type) of the video files.
<video width="320" height="240" controls>
<source type="video/mp4" src="/media/movie.mp4">
<source type="video/ogg" src="/media/movie.ogg">
</video>
A media type, formerly known as a MIME type, indicates the format and nature of a file.
Browsers don't look at a file extension, but rather what media type it is.
A list with common media types is available on this site.
Tip: The IANA organization maintains a full list of official media types.
There are hundreds of media types.
These are some common types that are used on the web.
| Media Type | Description |
|---|---|
| text/html | HTML |
| image/png | PNG |
| application/pdf | |
| application/vnd.ms-excel | Excel |
| text/csv | Comma Separated Values |
| video/mp4 | MP4 |
Tip: Check our HTTP Media Types Reference for a more complete list of common media types.
<source type="media-type">
| Value | Description |
|---|---|
| media-type | The media type of the source file. |
Here is when type support started for each browser:
 Chrome
|
4.0 | Jan 2010 |
 Firefox
|
3.5 | Jun 2009 |
 IE/Edge
|
9.0 | Mar 2011 |
 Opera
|
10.5 | Mar 2010 |
 Safari
|
4.0 | Jun 2009 |
