# axiomatic-systems/Bento4

Full-featured MP4 format, MPEG DASH, HLS, CMAF SDK and tools

Repository: https://github.com/axiomatic-systems/Bento4
Canonical: https://ross.abutalabs.com/products/bento4
Homepage: http://www.bento4.com
Language: C++
License Family: other
Topics: hls, cmaf, mp4, audio, video, dash, streaming, avc, codec, aac, ac-3, ac-4, av1, hevc
Last push: 2026-06-27T10:29:30+00:00

## Health v2 (maintenance only)
Score: 72/100 (v2, computed 2026-09-03T02:20:16.233290+00:00)
- activity 89, release rhythm 35, longevity 100
- inputs: {"age_days": 4249, "days_push": 67, "days_rel": null, "gap_med": null, "n_releases_24m": 0}
- flags: no_releases, no_license
- formula: round(0.45*activity + 0.35*rhythm + 0.20*longevity); archived -> min(score, 10)

## Adoption (not part of the score)
Stars 2493, forks 526 (observed 2026-08-28T04:06:56.566018+00:00)

## What it is
Bento4 is a C++ class library and set of command-line tools for reading, writing, inspecting, encrypting, and packaging ISO-MP4 files, including MPEG DASH, HLS, and CMAF packaging. It supports a wide range of codecs and DRM encryption schemes such as CENC, PlayReady, Widevine, and Marlin.

## Use cases
- package mp4 videos for mpeg dash streaming
- create hls playlists and segments from mp4 files
- inspect mp4 file structure and track details
- encrypt mp4 with cenc for widevine or playready drm
- decrypt cenc-encrypted mp4 files with a key
- extract h264 or aac elementary streams from mp4
- fragment or split mp4 files for adaptive streaming
- edit mp4 metadata and atoms

## When to choose
- you need programmatic or CLI-level MP4 parsing, editing, or packaging in C++ or via command line
- you are building a DASH/HLS/CMAF packaging pipeline
- you need CENC encryption/decryption for DRM workflows
- you want a dependency-free, portable C++ media format SDK

## When to avoid
- you need to transcode or re-encode video/audio codecs
- you want a GUI media tool
- you need a high-level player or streaming server rather than file-level tooling

## Facets
- artifact type: library
- maturity: stable
- function: video-processing, audio-processing, parser, serialization, cryptography, cli, sdk
- domain: media, developer-tools, security
- platform: cross-platform, windows, cpp, cli
- tags: mp4, mpeg-dash, hls, cmaf, cenc, drm, streaming, h264, hevc, aac, media-packaging, iso-bmff, video, audio, linux, macos, android, ios

## Member repositories
- axiomatic-systems/Bento4 (main) score 72

## Provenance
- Observed fields: from GitHub, fetched 2026-08-28T04:06:56.566018+00:00.
- Health v2: computed from the inputs above; adoption is never an input.
- Inferred fields (summary, facets, guidance): AI-extracted, prompt v1, taxonomy v1, on 2026-08-30T02:27:18.399619+00:00, confidence not recorded.
  - readme: https://github.com/axiomatic-systems/Bento4 (fetched 2026-08-28T04:06:56.566018+00:00, sha 4a27ac06a521)
  - homepage: http://www.bento4.com (fetched 2026-08-29T10:09:38.838285+00:00, sha e373d98f0dd4)
  - site_page: https://www.bento4.com/documentation/mp4edit (fetched 2026-08-29T10:09:38.852276+00:00, sha ff12b431e99d)
  - site_page: https://www.bento4.com/documentation/mp4extract (fetched 2026-08-29T10:09:38.853803+00:00, sha d8808d43e7f4)
  - site_page: https://www.bento4.com/documentation (fetched 2026-08-29T10:09:38.847623+00:00, sha 6f3a59ac1407)
  - site_page: https://www.bento4.com/documentation/mp4info (fetched 2026-08-29T10:09:38.849397+00:00, sha 9a1f76a4f7a1)
  - site_page: https://www.bento4.com/documentation/mp4dump (fetched 2026-08-29T10:09:38.850873+00:00, sha dce21d2e2273)
  - site_page: https://www.bento4.com/documentation/mp4encrypt (fetched 2026-08-29T10:09:38.855255+00:00, sha 61b8ff388f7c)
  - site_page: https://www.bento4.com/documentation/mp4decrypt (fetched 2026-08-29T10:09:38.856695+00:00, sha 661362f573d2)
  - site_page: https://www.bento4.com/documentation/mp4dcfpackager (fetched 2026-08-29T10:09:38.858096+00:00, sha 0d13b96bf18b)
- Data as of 2026-08-30T08:39:29.467469+00:00.