Everything you need to know about AVI files - What is an AVI file?

The AVI file format, developed by Microsoft, is a popular video file format that people can easily encounter while working or studying. Although it's a larger file type, potentially taking up more storage space on a user's computer or cloud system, it maintains high quality through multiple saves and edits. This video file format can be used to share videos on social media platforms or through a company's website.

This article explains what an AVI file is , how to open it on any device, and how to convert it to MP4, MP3, GIF, and other formats so that it can be opened by your system.

What is an AVI file?

An abbreviation for Audio Video Interleave, a file with the AVI file extension is a file format commonly developed by Microsoft to store both video and audio data in a single file.

This format is based on the Resource Interchange File Format (RIFF), a container format used to store multimedia data. AVI is generally less compressed than other popular formats like MOV and MPEG, meaning the video will be larger than the same file in one of those compressed formats.

How to play AVI files

People may encounter problems opening AVI files because they can be encoded using various video and audio codecs. One AVI file might play normally, but another might not, as they can only play if the correct codec is installed.

Windows Media Player is included in most versions of Windows and easily plays most AVI files by default. If not, install the free K-Lite Codec Pack.

VLC media player, ALLPlayer, Kodi, and DivX Player are some other free AVI players that people can try if WMP doesn't work. If you're using a phone or tablet, try the VLC mobile app.

Most web-based hosting services will also play this format when hosted there. Google Drive is one of many examples. Some simple video editors that work with this format include Avidemux, VirtualDub, and Wax.

How to convert an AVI file

Sometimes people can convert a file simply by opening it in a viewer and then saving it to a different format, but this may not work with most AVI players.

Instead, the easiest and most effective conversion method is a free video file converter. One of the best converters, Any Video Converter, saves AVI to MP4, FLV, WMV, and several other formats.

Another option, for smaller files, is to use an online converter such as Zamzar, FileZigZag, or Online-Convert.com. After uploading the file, users can convert it to various formats such as 3GP, WEBM, MOV, or MKV, including audio formats (MP3, AAC, M4A, WAV, etc.).