Files with the .MXF extension contain audio and video multimedia data as well as metadata describing these media. This is a container format developed by the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers – SMPTE for short. MXF files are used by audio and video applications and can be converted to other standardized formats such as AVI or MOV. In order to play them, as in the case of other media files, appropriate codecs are required.

The MXF format is designed to improve the efficiency of data flow between different platforms, such as digital cameras, digital editing equipment, and servers. The format is based on a subset of the Advanced Authoring Format (AAF) designed to support the standardisation of video exchange between different platforms and hardware suppliers.