OpenMAX (Open Media Acceleration) is a royalty-free, cross-platform set of C-language programming interfaces that provides abstractions for routines especially useful for audio, video, and still images. It's intended for devices that process large amounts of multimedia data in predictable ways.

OpenMAX provides three layers of interfaces: Application Layer (AL), Integration Layer (IL) and Development Layer (DL). OpenMAX is managed by the non-profit technology consortium Khronos Group.

OpenMAX AL is the interface between multimedia applications, such as a media player, and the platform media framework. It allows companies that develop applications to easily migrate their applications to different platforms (customers) that support the OpenMAX AL API.

OpenMAX IL is the interface between media framework such as DirectShow or GStreamer and a set of multimedia components (such as an audio or video codecs). It allows companies that build platforms (for example an MP3 player) to easily change components like MP3 decoders and Equalizer effects and buy components for their platform from different vendors.