AVB (Audio Video Bridging) is a set of open technical standards (IEEE) for transmitting audio and video synchronously and with low latency over standard Ethernet networks.

AVB was designed to be a non-proprietary and interoperable Audio over IP (AoIP) solution. Unlike some systems that require a dedicated network, AVB traffic can coexist with the common data traffic of an IT network.

Its main differentiators are:

1. Bandwidth Reservation: In a network with AVB-compatible switches, it is possible to "reserve" a slice of the network bandwidth exclusively for audio and video traffic. This ensures that A/V does not suffer interruptions or delays due to other network activities (such as emails or downloads).

2. Precise Synchronization: AVB uses a high-precision timing protocol (gPTP) to ensure that all devices on the network are perfectly synchronized, which is crucial for multichannel audio and video.

3. Service Classes: The standard defines different priorities for data traffic, ensuring latency:
   Class A (Professional): Maximum guaranteed latency of 2 ms.
   Class B (Consumer): Maximum guaranteed latency of 50 ms.

To ensure interoperability between equipment from different manufacturers, the AVnu Alliance is the organization responsible for certifying products that comply with the AVB standard.