MP4v2

MP4v2 API Reference

# Public API

The public API is documented in the modules section (as seen at the top of this page). Other documentation available for C++ namespaces and classes are for internal documentation purposes and not to be used or depended-upon by code external to this project.

# Introduction

The MP4v2 library provides an API to create and modify mp4 files as defined by ISO base media file format, document number ISO/IEC 14496-12:2005(E). It is a very powerful and extensible format that can accomodate practically any type of media.

The conceptual structure of an mp4 file is that it is a container for one or more tracks of media. Each track represents exactly one type of media such as audio or video. Each track is composed of high-level structural data which describes the raw media data stream in a manner that is as generic as possible. Tracks have their own timeline, properties and samples. An example of a sample is a frame of video. Thus, the file file describes how to synchronize the timeline of the tracks.

In a self-contained file, the samples accounts for the majority of file size. For playback performance reasons, when an mp4 file contains multiple media tracks their samples (raw media data) are usually interleaved to provide optimal playback performance.

# Invocation

The mp4 library is focussed on providing an easy to use API for the mp4 file format. It has been used with an encoder, a server, a player, and a number of mp4 utilities. However, it may not be adequate for multimedia editors that wish to work directly with mp4 files. It may be used by these type of tools to export an mp4 file.

In providing a easy to use API not all the information in the mp4 file is directly exposed via the API. To accomodate applications that need access to information not otherwise available via the API there are file and track level generic get and set property routines that use arbitary string property names. To use these routines you will need to be familar with the mp4 file specification or be willing to wade through the output of a file-dump which may be produced using MP4Dump() or with some of the command-line tools bundled with MP4v2.

# Public Headers

The public libary API is defined in `<mp4v2/mp4v2.h>` which includes all the necessary dependent header files. You must never use any other header files for public API. Using other header files or symbols which are not exported via the public API is expressly not supported and may change at any time without notice.

The MP4v2 library can be used by either C or C++ programs. The calling convention is C but for convenience, if C++ is used, default function arguments have been added where appropriate.