diff --git a/.github/workflows/apple.yml b/.github/workflows/apple.yml
index 257bb9c10..37768edbf 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/apple.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/apple.yml
@@ -200,8 +200,8 @@ jobs:
 
   # The iOS *device* slice is only ever link checked; nothing runs it. The
   # simulator run is the analogue of android's instrumented job and the only one
-  # that sees what a device sees — that `+load` fired, that `NSBundle` found
-  # `magic.mgc`, that a temp directory is writable inside an app container.
+  # that sees what a device sees — that `+load` fired, that `NSBundle` found the
+  # renderer assets, that a temp directory is writable inside an app container.
   test:
     needs: xcframework
     runs-on: macos-15
diff --git a/.github/workflows/build_test.yml b/.github/workflows/build_test.yml
index d2a1986b6..69abf0b57 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/build_test.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/build_test.yml
@@ -125,7 +125,6 @@ jobs:
           -DCMAKE_CXX_FLAGS="-Werror"
           -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=install
           -DODR_TEST=ON
-          -DODR_WITH_LIBMAGIC=ON
           -DODR_BUNDLE_ASSETS=ON
           ${{ matrix.bindings && '-DODR_JNI=ON -DODR_PYTHON=ON' || '' }}
 
@@ -138,7 +137,6 @@ jobs:
           -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release
           -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=install
           -DODR_TEST=ON
-          -DODR_WITH_LIBMAGIC=OFF
 
       - name: build
         run: cmake --build build --config Release
diff --git a/.github/workflows/python.yml b/.github/workflows/python.yml
index 260d81839..b73330658 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/python.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/python.yml
@@ -109,9 +109,8 @@ jobs:
           restore-keys: |
             ccache-${{ env.CACHE_FLAVOR }}-${{ matrix.host_profile }}-${{ env.CCACHE_KEY_SUFFIX }}-
 
-      # Match the dependency set that pyproject.toml enables. libmagic stays on
-      # and `bundle_assets` bridges its database path into the build so
-      # `magic.mgc` lands in `pyodr/data`.
+      # Match the dependency set that pyproject.toml enables. `bundle_assets`
+      # is what stages the renderer's css/js so they land in `pyodr/data`.
       - name: conan install
         run: >
           conan install .
diff --git a/AGENTS.md b/AGENTS.md
index f356c6096..832afffe3 100644
--- a/AGENTS.md
+++ b/AGENTS.md
@@ -18,9 +18,10 @@ bytes ─▶ magic/open_strategy ─▶ DecodedFile ─▶ Document ─▶ Eleme
          DecoderEngine)                          format)    elements)          walks public API)
 ```
 
-1. **Detect** — `internal/magic.cpp` (+ `internal/libmagic`) sniffs the file;
+1. **Detect** — `internal/magic.cpp` sniffs the head of the file;
    `internal/open_strategy.cpp` picks a `FileType` + `DecoderEngine` and builds
-   the matching `abstract::DecodedFile`.
+   the matching `abstract::DecodedFile`. `odr::mimetype` composes the two, so a
+   zip is named by what is inside it.
 2. **Decode** — a document file yields an `abstract::Document`.
 3. **Element tree** — a `Document` exposes a root `ElementIdentifier` plus an
    `abstract::ElementAdapter`. Public value-semantics handles (`Element`, `Slide`,
@@ -88,9 +89,9 @@ cmake --build cmake-build-relwithdebinfo --target translate  # CLI: file → HTM
   when really necessary.
 - **Run the test binary from the build dir** so output stays out of the repo tree.
 - **For debugging, prefer the `translate` CLI** on a single file over the suite.
-- CMake options (`CMakeLists.txt`): `ODR_TEST`, `ODR_CLI`, `ODR_WITH_LIBMAGIC`,
-  `ODR_PYTHON`, `ODR_JNI`, `ODR_APPLE`, `ODR_CLANG_TIDY`. A new `.cpp` must be
-  added to `ODR_SOURCE_FILES`.
+- CMake options (`CMakeLists.txt`): `ODR_TEST`, `ODR_CLI`, `ODR_PYTHON`,
+  `ODR_JNI`, `ODR_APPLE`, `ODR_CLANG_TIDY`. A new `.cpp` must be added to
+  `ODR_SOURCE_FILES`.
 - **Test data is fetched, not vendored**, and opt in: `-DODR_TEST_FETCH_DATA=ON`
   makes `cmake/test_data.cmake` clone the repositories pinned in
   `test/data.cmake` into `test/data/` (they were submodules until then; read
diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 6a26c63cd..73785b457 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -16,7 +16,11 @@ option(ODR_TEST_FETCH_DATA "Fetch the test data pinned in test/data.cmake" OFF)
 option(ODR_CLI "enable command line interface" ON)
 option(ODR_WITH_HTTP_SERVER "Build the HTTP server (requires cpp-httplib)" ON)
 option(ODR_CLANG_TIDY "Run clang-tidy static analysis" OFF)
-option(ODR_WITH_LIBMAGIC "Build with libmagic" ON)
+# Removed, and accepted only so a consumer still passing it keeps configuring.
+# `odr::mimetype` is our own detection now: it reads inside zip and cfb
+# containers, which libmagic cannot, and it costs neither a dependency nor the
+# 8 MB `magic.mgc` database every consumer had to ship and point us at.
+option(ODR_WITH_LIBMAGIC "Removed, does nothing (deprecated)" OFF)
 option(ODR_BUNDLE_ASSETS "Bundle assets during build and install" OFF)
 option(ODR_PYTHON "Build Python bindings" OFF)
 option(ODR_JNI "Build JNI bindings" OFF)
@@ -274,30 +278,6 @@ set(ODR_BUILD_ODR_DATA_PATH "${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/data")
 file(COPY "${odr.js_SOURCE_DIR}/" DESTINATION "${ODR_BUILD_ODR_DATA_PATH}")
 set(ODR_INSTALL_ODR_DATA_PATH "${CMAKE_INSTALL_DATADIR}")
 
-# Validate an injected data-file path before it is used to bundle assets.
-#
-# These paths (LIBMAGIC_DATABASE_PATH, ...) are consumed but
-# never discovered by CMake — they must be injected from outside via `-D...=`;
-# our conanfile.py bridges them from the dependency runenv. A consumer that
-# builds odrcore without that bridge left the variable empty, and
-# `file(COPY "${empty}/" ...)` degraded to `file(COPY "/" ...)`, i.e. an attempt
-# to recursively copy the whole root filesystem (see issue #599). This guard
-# fails fast with an actionable message instead of copying "/".
-#
-#   path  value of the externally-injected path variable (may be empty)
-#   name  name of that variable, for the diagnostic
-function(odr_require_data_path path name)
-    if (NOT path)
-        message(FATAL_ERROR
-                "ODR_BUNDLE_ASSETS is ON but ${name} is not set. Provide it "
-                "explicitly (e.g. -D${name}=<path>) or build through the conan "
-                "recipe, or disable bundling with -DODR_BUNDLE_ASSETS=OFF.")
-    endif ()
-    if (NOT EXISTS "${path}")
-        message(FATAL_ERROR "${name} points to a path that does not exist: '${path}'.")
-    endif ()
-endfunction()
-
 if (ODR_WITH_HTTP_SERVER)
     find_package(httplib REQUIRED)
     target_sources(odr
@@ -314,33 +294,10 @@ if (ODR_WITH_HTTP_SERVER)
     )
 endif ()
 if (ODR_WITH_LIBMAGIC)
-    find_package(libmagic REQUIRED)
-    target_sources(odr
-            PRIVATE
-            "src/odr/internal/libmagic/libmagic.cpp"
-    )
-    target_link_libraries(odr
-            PRIVATE
-            libmagic::libmagic
-    )
-    target_compile_definitions(odr
-            PRIVATE
-            ODR_WITH_LIBMAGIC
-    )
-
-    if (ODR_BUNDLE_ASSETS)
-        odr_require_data_path("${LIBMAGIC_DATABASE_PATH}" LIBMAGIC_DATABASE_PATH)
-
-        set(ODR_BUILD_LIBMAGIC_DATABASE_PATH "${ODR_BUILD_ODR_DATA_PATH}/magic.mgc")
-
-        file(COPY_FILE "${LIBMAGIC_DATABASE_PATH}" "${ODR_BUILD_LIBMAGIC_DATABASE_PATH}")
-
-        set(ODR_INSTALL_LIBMAGIC_DATABASE_PATH "${ODR_INSTALL_ODR_DATA_PATH}/magic.mgc")
-    else ()
-        set(ODR_BUILD_LIBMAGIC_DATABASE_PATH "${LIBMAGIC_DATABASE_PATH}")
-
-        set(ODR_INSTALL_LIBMAGIC_DATABASE_PATH "${LIBMAGIC_DATABASE_PATH}")
-    endif ()
+    message(DEPRECATION
+            "ODR_WITH_LIBMAGIC no longer does anything: libmagic is gone and "
+            "`odr::mimetype` is our own detection. Drop the option; "
+            "`GlobalParams::libmagic_database_path` is inert too.")
 endif ()
 
 configure_file("src/odr/internal/project_info.cpp.in" "src/odr/internal/project_info.cpp")
diff --git a/android/AGENTS.md b/android/AGENTS.md
index 71807c385..cfbf00b6c 100644
--- a/android/AGENTS.md
+++ b/android/AGENTS.md
@@ -66,6 +66,5 @@ calls it.
   finds the incompatibilities first.
 - The manifest stays permission-free; permissions the server needs are the
   app's call, and documented in `README.md` instead.
-- Assets keep the `core/odrcore` + `core/libmagic` layout of the droid conan
-  deployer, so an app can move between the two packagings without touching its
-  extraction code.
+- Assets keep the `core/odrcore` layout of the droid conan deployer, so an app
+  can move between the two packagings without touching its extraction code.
diff --git a/android/README.md b/android/README.md
index a1fca43a4..001de3525 100644
--- a/android/README.md
+++ b/android/README.md
@@ -9,7 +9,6 @@ odr-core-android.aar
 ├── jni/<abi>/libodr_jni.so            the bindings with the core linked in
 ├── jni/<abi>/libc++_shared.so         the c++ runtime they were built against
 ├── assets/core/odrcore/*              css/js of the html renderer
-├── assets/core/libmagic/magic.mgc     libmagic database
 └── proguard.txt                       keeps the classes JNI resolves by name
 ```
 
diff --git a/android/build.gradle.kts b/android/build.gradle.kts
index 18452d11b..24c8f2905 100644
--- a/android/build.gradle.kts
+++ b/android/build.gradle.kts
@@ -104,10 +104,10 @@ android {
         targetCompatibility = JavaVersion.VERSION_17
     }
 
-    // the instrumented apk carries the bindings and the 8 MB libmagic database,
-    // and pushing that onto a cold emulator outlasts ddmlib's default timeout,
-    // which surfaces as a ShellCommandUnresponsiveException rather than as a
-    // failing test
+    // the instrumented apk carries the bindings and the renderer assets, and
+    // pushing that onto a cold emulator outlasts ddmlib's default timeout, which
+    // surfaces as a ShellCommandUnresponsiveException rather than as a failing
+    // test
     installation { timeOutInMs = 10 * 60 * 1000 }
 
     sourceSets {
diff --git a/android/build_native.py b/android/build_native.py
index a11c51fff..22e34ebe9 100644
--- a/android/build_native.py
+++ b/android/build_native.py
@@ -12,7 +12,6 @@
     prebuilt/jniLibs/<abi>/libodr_jni.so     the bindings, core linked in
     prebuilt/jniLibs/<abi>/libc++_shared.so  from the NDK, see below
     prebuilt/assets/core/odrcore/*           css/js of the html renderer
-    prebuilt/assets/core/libmagic/magic.mgc  libmagic database
 
 `libc++_shared.so` has to be shipped because the android profiles build against
 the shared c++ runtime and nothing else in a consuming app pulls it in; the
@@ -99,7 +98,6 @@ def build(architecture: str, conan: str, build_profile: str, output: Path) -> No
          "-DODR_JNI=ON",
          "-DODR_CLI=OFF",
          "-DODR_TEST=OFF",
-         "-DODR_WITH_LIBMAGIC=ON",
          "-DODR_WITH_HTTP_SERVER=ON",
          "-DODR_BUNDLE_ASSETS=ON"])
     run(["cmake", "--build", cmake_dir, "--target", "odr_jni",
@@ -117,9 +115,7 @@ def build(architecture: str, conan: str, build_profile: str, output: Path) -> No
     data = cmake_dir / "data"
     assets = output / "assets" / "core"
     shutil.rmtree(assets, ignore_errors=True)
-    shutil.copytree(data, assets / "odrcore", ignore=shutil.ignore_patterns("magic.mgc"))
-    (assets / "libmagic").mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
-    shutil.copy2(data / "magic.mgc", assets / "libmagic" / "magic.mgc")
+    shutil.copytree(data, assets / "odrcore")
 
 
 def main() -> int:
diff --git a/android/src/androidTest/java/app/opendocument/core/OdrAndroidTest.kt b/android/src/androidTest/java/app/opendocument/core/OdrAndroidTest.kt
index 585c8f081..8b723c8e7 100644
--- a/android/src/androidTest/java/app/opendocument/core/OdrAndroidTest.kt
+++ b/android/src/androidTest/java/app/opendocument/core/OdrAndroidTest.kt
@@ -33,9 +33,6 @@ class OdrAndroidTest {
         assertTrue("$data is not a directory", data.isDirectory)
         assertTrue(File(data, "document.css").isFile)
         assertTrue(File(data, "document.js").isFile)
-
-        val magic = File(GlobalParams.libmagicDatabasePath())
-        assertTrue("$magic is not a file", magic.isFile)
     }
 
     @Test
@@ -46,12 +43,12 @@ class OdrAndroidTest {
     }
 
     @Test
-    fun detectsTypeWithTheBundledMagicDatabase() {
+    fun detectsTypeInsideTheContainer() {
         val directory = TestSupport.tempDir("magic")
         val odt = TestFiles.odtFile(directory)
 
-        // goes through libmagic, so it only works when the database extracted above
-        // is the one the native library actually opened
+        // naming the odt rather than the zip holding it means detection opened the
+        // container
         assertEquals("application/vnd.oasis.opendocument.text", Odr.mimetype(odt.toString()))
     }
 }
diff --git a/android/src/main/java/app/opendocument/core/android/OdrAndroid.kt b/android/src/main/java/app/opendocument/core/android/OdrAndroid.kt
index f5cdca69c..71ce46882 100644
--- a/android/src/main/java/app/opendocument/core/android/OdrAndroid.kt
+++ b/android/src/main/java/app/opendocument/core/android/OdrAndroid.kt
@@ -9,8 +9,8 @@ import java.io.FileOutputStream
 import java.io.IOException
 
 /**
- * Makes the library usable on android: the renderer reads its CSS/JS and the libmagic database as
- * plain files, and an APK holds them as assets, which are not files.
+ * Makes the library usable on android: the renderer reads its CSS/JS as plain files, and an APK
+ * holds them as assets, which are not files.
  *
  * Call [init] once before anything else touches the library:
  * ```
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ object OdrAndroid {
     /** Asset directory this AAR ships its runtime data under. */
     private const val ASSETS = "core"
 
-    /** The libmagic database alone is 8 MB, so the default 8 KB would be a lot of syscalls. */
+    /** The default 8 KB would be a lot of syscalls for assets this size. */
     private const val BUFFER_SIZE = 64 * 1024
 
     private var initialized = false
@@ -56,7 +56,6 @@ object OdrAndroid {
         }
 
         GlobalParams.setOdrCoreDataPath(File(root, "odrcore").absolutePath)
-        GlobalParams.setLibmagicDatabasePath(File(root, "libmagic/magic.mgc").absolutePath)
         initialized = true
     }
 
diff --git a/apple/AGENTS.md b/apple/AGENTS.md
index b83409372..be11a4c53 100644
--- a/apple/AGENTS.md
+++ b/apple/AGENTS.md
@@ -34,17 +34,17 @@ it — a simulator binary mistagged `IOS` is the classic
 | `macos-arm64_x86_64` | `apple-macos-armv8` + `apple-macos-x86_64` |
 
 `assemble` also fails the build if a framework is missing its headers, module
-map, `magic.mgc` or the plist's platform keys — the analogue of
+map, renderer resources or the plist's platform keys — the analogue of
 `android/build.gradle.kts`'s `checkNative`, and for the same reason: those all
 publish happily and then fail at the consumer.
 
 ## Why a dynamic framework
 
-`+load` in `src/OdrCoreBootstrap.mm` is what points odrcore at the css/js and
-`magic.mgc` in this bundle, so an app never has to. In a **static** framework
-nothing references that translation unit, the linker drops it, and the
-bootstrap never runs — and a SwiftPM binary target gives the consumer no way to
-pass `-ObjC`/`-force_load` to get it back. Two lesser reasons: `.binaryTarget`
+`+load` in `src/OdrCoreBootstrap.mm` is what points odrcore at the css/js in
+this bundle, so an app never has to. In a **static** framework nothing
+references that translation unit, the linker drops it, and the bootstrap never
+runs — and a SwiftPM binary target gives the consumer no way to pass
+`-ObjC`/`-force_load` to get it back. Two lesser reasons: `.binaryTarget`
 has no `resources:`, so the assets have to live in the bundle; and an undefined
 symbol becomes a link error here instead of a crash at the consumer.
 
@@ -130,8 +130,8 @@ which would leave the tag serving the previous version's binary.
 The iOS *device* slice is only ever link-checked — nothing runs it. The
 simulator suite is the analogue of android's instrumented job and the only
 place that sees what a device sees: that `+load` fired, that `NSBundle` found
-`magic.mgc`, that `temp_directory_path()` is writable inside an app container.
-A new binding is only covered once something in `tests/` calls it.
+the renderer assets, that `temp_directory_path()` is writable inside an app
+container. A new binding is only covered once something in `tests/` calls it.
 
 `tests/Fixtures/mixed-layout.odt` is 9 KB of `odt/` from OpenDocument.test,
 carried here because `test/data/` is fetched by `cmake/test_data.cmake` and a
diff --git a/apple/CMakeLists.txt b/apple/CMakeLists.txt
index ca150c402..cb54fc50d 100644
--- a/apple/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/apple/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -17,8 +17,8 @@ if (BUILD_SHARED_LIBS)
 endif ()
 if (NOT ODR_BUNDLE_ASSETS)
     message(FATAL_ERROR
-            "ODR_APPLE needs ODR_BUNDLE_ASSETS=ON: the renderer's css/js and "
-            "the libmagic database ship as bundle resources")
+            "ODR_APPLE needs ODR_BUNDLE_ASSETS=ON: the renderer's css/js ship "
+            "as bundle resources")
 endif ()
 
 enable_language(OBJCXX)
@@ -64,8 +64,7 @@ set(ODR_APPLE_PUBLIC_HEADERS
         "include/OdrCoreObjC/ODRTable.h"
 )
 
-# The renderer data the root build already staged, plus the libmagic database
-# `ODR_BUNDLE_ASSETS` copied in beside it.
+# The renderer's css/js, as the root build staged them.
 file(GLOB ODR_APPLE_RESOURCES "${ODR_BUILD_ODR_DATA_PATH}/*")
 if (NOT ODR_APPLE_RESOURCES)
     message(FATAL_ERROR "no resources in ${ODR_BUILD_ODR_DATA_PATH}")
diff --git a/apple/README.md b/apple/README.md
index aeb885d68..ed89e64e9 100644
--- a/apple/README.md
+++ b/apple/README.md
@@ -32,8 +32,8 @@ for view in service.views {
 }
 ```
 
-Nothing needs configuring first. The framework points odrcore at the css, JS and
-libmagic database it carries before `main` runs — that is what the `+load` in
+Nothing needs configuring first. The framework points odrcore at the css and JS
+it carries before `main` runs — that is what the `+load` in
 `OdrCoreBootstrap.mm` is for. Override it with `GlobalParams` from
 `application(_:didFinishLaunchingWithOptions:)` if you relocated the resources.
 
diff --git a/apple/build_xcframework.py b/apple/build_xcframework.py
index d9050f837..e1a18d601 100755
--- a/apple/build_xcframework.py
+++ b/apple/build_xcframework.py
@@ -110,7 +110,6 @@ def build(profile: str, conan: str, build_profile: str) -> None:
          "-DODR_TEST=OFF",
          "-DODR_JNI=OFF",
          "-DODR_PYTHON=OFF",
-         "-DODR_WITH_LIBMAGIC=ON",
          "-DODR_WITH_HTTP_SERVER=ON",
          "-DODR_BUNDLE_ASSETS=ON"])
     run(["cmake", "--build", cmake_dir, "--target", "odr_apple",
@@ -159,7 +158,6 @@ def assert_contents(framework: Path) -> None:
     required = [
         root / "Headers" / f"{FRAMEWORK}.h",
         root / "Modules" / "module.modulemap",
-        resources / "magic.mgc",
         resources / "document.css",
     ]
     missing = [path for path in required if not path.exists()]
diff --git a/apple/exported_symbols.txt b/apple/exported_symbols.txt
index 6371a7d36..ed9ca00e9 100644
--- a/apple/exported_symbols.txt
+++ b/apple/exported_symbols.txt
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 # The framework's entire public surface is its ObjC classes, so export those
-# and nothing else. Everything linked in — cryptopp, libmagic, all of `odr::` —
+# and nothing else. Everything linked in — cryptopp, pugixml, all of `odr::` —
 # becomes private-extern, which keeps an app that links its own copy of any of
 # them from binding against ours.
 #
diff --git a/apple/include/OdrCoreObjC/ODRFile.h b/apple/include/OdrCoreObjC/ODRFile.h
index b3d3f2626..e0a8430ef 100644
--- a/apple/include/OdrCoreObjC/ODRFile.h
+++ b/apple/include/OdrCoreObjC/ODRFile.h
@@ -56,6 +56,23 @@ typedef NS_ENUM(NSInteger, ODRFileType) {
 
   ODRFileTypeTruetypeFont,
   ODRFileTypeOpentypeFont,
+
+  ODRFileTypeWebp,
+  ODRFileTypeTaggedImageFileFormat,
+  ODRFileTypeHighEfficiencyImageFormat,
+  ODRFileTypeAv1ImageFileFormat,
+
+  ODRFileTypeMpegAudio,
+  ODRFileTypeMpeg4Audio,
+  ODRFileTypeOggAudio,
+  ODRFileTypeWaveformAudio,
+  ODRFileTypeFreeLosslessAudioCodec,
+
+  ODRFileTypeMpeg4Video,
+  ODRFileTypeQuicktimeVideo,
+  ODRFileTypeThirdGenerationPartnershipVideo,
+  ODRFileTypeMatroskaVideo,
+  ODRFileTypeAudioVideoInterleave,
 } NS_SWIFT_NAME(FileType);
 
 typedef NS_ENUM(NSInteger, ODRFileCategory) {
@@ -65,6 +82,8 @@ typedef NS_ENUM(NSInteger, ODRFileCategory) {
   ODRFileCategoryArchive,
   ODRFileCategoryDocument,
   ODRFileCategoryFont,
+  ODRFileCategoryAudio,
+  ODRFileCategoryVideo,
 } NS_SWIFT_NAME(FileCategory);
 
 typedef NS_ENUM(NSInteger, ODRFileLocation) {
diff --git a/apple/include/OdrCoreObjC/ODRGlobalParams.h b/apple/include/OdrCoreObjC/ODRGlobalParams.h
index 47f94e9cf..0c348d50e 100644
--- a/apple/include/OdrCoreObjC/ODRGlobalParams.h
+++ b/apple/include/OdrCoreObjC/ODRGlobalParams.h
@@ -4,21 +4,25 @@ NS_ASSUME_NONNULL_BEGIN
 
 /// Where odrcore looks for the files it needs at runtime.
 ///
-/// The framework points these at its own bundle before `main` runs, so an app
-/// that ships this framework unmodified never has to call anything here. Set
-/// them only to override that — from `application:didFinishLaunching...`, which
-/// is late enough to win.
+/// The framework points `odrCoreDataPath` at its own bundle before `main` runs,
+/// so an app that ships this framework unmodified never has to call anything
+/// here. Set it only to override that — from
+/// `application:didFinishLaunching...`, which is late enough to win.
 NS_SWIFT_NAME(GlobalParams)
 @interface ODRGlobalParams : NSObject
 
 /// The css and js of the HTML renderer.
 @property(class, nonatomic, copy) NSString *odrCoreDataPath;
 /// The libmagic database (`magic.mgc`).
+///
+/// Deprecated and inert: libmagic is gone and nothing reads this. It still
+/// returns whatever is set, so a caller that sets it keeps working — detection
+/// is odrcore's own now and needs no database.
 @property(class, nonatomic, copy) NSString *libmagicDatabasePath;
 
-/// Points the paths above at this framework's bundle. Runs automatically at
+/// Points `odrCoreDataPath` at this framework's bundle. Runs automatically at
 /// load; public because a consumer who relocated the resources — or reset the
-/// paths and wants the defaults back — needs a way to redo it.
+/// path and wants the default back — needs a way to redo it.
 + (void)bootstrapFromFrameworkBundle;
 
 - (instancetype)init NS_UNAVAILABLE;
diff --git a/apple/src/ODRFile.mm b/apple/src/ODRFile.mm
index 2df888cf7..abbddfc95 100644
--- a/apple/src/ODRFile.mm
+++ b/apple/src/ODRFile.mm
@@ -61,6 +61,26 @@
 ODR_SAME_ENUM(ODRFileTypeStarviewMetafile, odr::FileType::starview_metafile);
 ODR_SAME_ENUM(ODRFileTypeTruetypeFont, odr::FileType::truetype_font);
 ODR_SAME_ENUM(ODRFileTypeOpentypeFont, odr::FileType::opentype_font);
+ODR_SAME_ENUM(ODRFileTypeWebp, odr::FileType::webp);
+ODR_SAME_ENUM(ODRFileTypeTaggedImageFileFormat,
+              odr::FileType::tagged_image_file_format);
+ODR_SAME_ENUM(ODRFileTypeHighEfficiencyImageFormat,
+              odr::FileType::high_efficiency_image_format);
+ODR_SAME_ENUM(ODRFileTypeAv1ImageFileFormat,
+              odr::FileType::av1_image_file_format);
+ODR_SAME_ENUM(ODRFileTypeMpegAudio, odr::FileType::mpeg_audio);
+ODR_SAME_ENUM(ODRFileTypeMpeg4Audio, odr::FileType::mpeg4_audio);
+ODR_SAME_ENUM(ODRFileTypeOggAudio, odr::FileType::ogg_audio);
+ODR_SAME_ENUM(ODRFileTypeWaveformAudio, odr::FileType::waveform_audio);
+ODR_SAME_ENUM(ODRFileTypeFreeLosslessAudioCodec,
+              odr::FileType::free_lossless_audio_codec);
+ODR_SAME_ENUM(ODRFileTypeMpeg4Video, odr::FileType::mpeg4_video);
+ODR_SAME_ENUM(ODRFileTypeQuicktimeVideo, odr::FileType::quicktime_video);
+ODR_SAME_ENUM(ODRFileTypeThirdGenerationPartnershipVideo,
+              odr::FileType::third_generation_partnership_video);
+ODR_SAME_ENUM(ODRFileTypeMatroskaVideo, odr::FileType::matroska_video);
+ODR_SAME_ENUM(ODRFileTypeAudioVideoInterleave,
+              odr::FileType::audio_video_interleave);
 
 ODR_SAME_ENUM(ODRFileCategoryUnknown, odr::FileCategory::unknown);
 ODR_SAME_ENUM(ODRFileCategoryText, odr::FileCategory::text);
@@ -68,6 +88,8 @@
 ODR_SAME_ENUM(ODRFileCategoryArchive, odr::FileCategory::archive);
 ODR_SAME_ENUM(ODRFileCategoryDocument, odr::FileCategory::document);
 ODR_SAME_ENUM(ODRFileCategoryFont, odr::FileCategory::font);
+ODR_SAME_ENUM(ODRFileCategoryAudio, odr::FileCategory::audio);
+ODR_SAME_ENUM(ODRFileCategoryVideo, odr::FileCategory::video);
 
 ODR_SAME_ENUM(ODRFileLocationMemory, odr::FileLocation::memory);
 ODR_SAME_ENUM(ODRFileLocationDisk, odr::FileLocation::disk);
diff --git a/apple/src/ODRGlobalParams.mm b/apple/src/ODRGlobalParams.mm
index db59af83f..e33afbdef 100644
--- a/apple/src/ODRGlobalParams.mm
+++ b/apple/src/ODRGlobalParams.mm
@@ -46,13 +46,6 @@ + (void)bootstrapFromFrameworkBundle {
   if (resources != nil) {
     ODRGlobalParams.odrCoreDataPath = resources;
   }
-
-  // Only the path is recorded here; `magic_load` stays lazy, so the 8 MB
-  // database is not read until something asks for a mimetype.
-  NSString *const magic = [bundle pathForResource:@"magic" ofType:@"mgc"];
-  if (magic != nil) {
-    ODRGlobalParams.libmagicDatabasePath = magic;
-  }
 }
 
 @end
diff --git a/apple/tests/OdrCoreTests.swift b/apple/tests/OdrCoreTests.swift
index 9d00ceb4d..8a4e7184f 100644
--- a/apple/tests/OdrCoreTests.swift
+++ b/apple/tests/OdrCoreTests.swift
@@ -35,13 +35,6 @@ final class BootstrapTests: XCTestCase {
       "\(path) does not contain the renderer's css")
   }
 
-  func testLibmagicDatabaseIsBundled() {
-    let path = GlobalParams.libmagicDatabasePath
-    XCTAssertTrue(
-      FileManager.default.fileExists(atPath: path),
-      "libmagic database missing at \(path)")
-  }
-
   func testLibraryIdentifiesItself() {
     XCTAssertFalse(Odr.identification.isEmpty)
     XCTAssertFalse(Odr.commitHash.isEmpty)
diff --git a/conan.lock b/conan.lock
index 36313d6e1..ff0ff7189 100644
--- a/conan.lock
+++ b/conan.lock
@@ -11,7 +11,6 @@
         "pugixml/1.15#979e88f4fafbfe3585d2c0510a071cc7%1739435725.483",
         "nlohmann_json/3.12.0#2d634ab0ec8d9f56353e5ccef6d6612c%1744735883.94",
         "miniz/3.0.2#bfbce07c6654293cce27ee24129d2df7%1743673472.805",
-        "libmagic/5.45#791d5bad38d33272bb120994a198b1ac%1727273086.09",
         "gtest/1.14.0#f8f0757a574a8dd747d16af62d6eb1b7%1743410807.169",
         "cryptopp/8.9.0#7a51e0038756b21bc3a6b82d681d5906%1758206597.119",
         "cpp-httplib/0.16.3#7aa89fbb81ffd19539a49fc132502966%1748426320.106",
@@ -24,7 +23,6 @@
         "xz_utils/5.8.3#a8432fead347c69d8b2737c35f936132%1775752656.4",
         "m4/1.4.19#34c4bbc3eeebe98ca6edf2f52d602e7d%1777282960.259",
         "libtool/2.4.7#14e7739cc128bc1623d2ed318008e47e%1755679003.847",
-        "libmagic/5.45#791d5bad38d33272bb120994a198b1ac%1727273086.09",
         "gnu-config/cci.20210814#466e9d4d7779e1c142443f7ea44b4284%1762363589.329",
         "cmake/4.3.2#5bae0b181463ca4dc3e924a981367ee6%1779785720.872",
         "cmake/3.31.12#173a926abc2b77f03c826b6fd6539426%1779785723.158",
diff --git a/conanfile.py b/conanfile.py
index 99d846c97..100abcc4d 100644
--- a/conanfile.py
+++ b/conanfile.py
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 from conan import ConanFile
 from conan.tools.build import check_min_cppstd
 from conan.tools.cmake import CMakeToolchain, CMakeDeps, CMake
-from conan.tools.env import Environment
 
 
 class OpenDocumentCoreConan(ConanFile):
@@ -17,6 +16,8 @@ class OpenDocumentCoreConan(ConanFile):
     options = {
         "shared": [True, False],
         "fPIC": [True, False],
+        # removed and inert, kept only so a consumer still passing it does not
+        # hard-fail on an unknown option; see CMakeLists.txt
         "with_libmagic": [True, False],
         "with_http_server": [True, False],
         "with_cli": [True, False],
@@ -28,7 +29,7 @@ class OpenDocumentCoreConan(ConanFile):
     default_options = {
         "shared": False,
         "fPIC": True,
-        "with_libmagic": True,
+        "with_libmagic": False,
         "with_http_server": True,
         "with_cli": True,
         "with_python": False,
@@ -55,8 +56,6 @@ def requirements(self):
         if self.options.get_safe("with_http_server", False):
             self.requires("cpp-httplib/0.16.3")
         self.requires("argon2/20190702-odr")
-        if self.options.get_safe("with_libmagic", False):
-            self.requires("libmagic/5.45")
         if self.options.get_safe("with_python", False):
             self.requires("pybind11/2.13.6")
 
@@ -75,6 +74,8 @@ def generate(self):
         tc = CMakeToolchain(self)
         tc.variables["CMAKE_PROJECT_VERSION"] = self.version
         tc.variables["ODR_TEST"] = False
+        # forwarded only so the CMake deprecation warning reaches a consumer
+        # who still sets it; neither end does anything with it
         tc.variables["ODR_WITH_LIBMAGIC"] = self.options.get_safe("with_libmagic", False)
         tc.variables["ODR_WITH_HTTP_SERVER"] = self.options.get_safe("with_http_server", False)
         tc.variables["ODR_CLI"] = self.options.get_safe("with_cli", True)
@@ -83,14 +84,6 @@ def generate(self):
         tc.variables["ODR_APPLE"] = self.options.get_safe("with_apple", False)
         tc.variables["ODR_BUNDLE_ASSETS"] = self.options.get_safe("bundle_assets", False)
 
-        # Get runenv info, exported by package_info() of dependencies
-        # We need to obtain MAGIC
-        runenv_info = Environment()
-        for dep in self.dependencies.host.topological_sort.values():
-            runenv_info.compose_env(dep.runenv_info)
-        envvars = runenv_info.vars(self)
-        tc.variables["LIBMAGIC_DATABASE_PATH"] = envvars.get("MAGIC")
-
         tc.generate()
 
         deps = CMakeDeps(self)
diff --git a/docs/design/README.md b/docs/design/README.md
index d2908ec66..c0144ed7b 100644
--- a/docs/design/README.md
+++ b/docs/design/README.md
@@ -95,5 +95,11 @@
 
 ### Open tasks
 
+- drop the last inert traces of libmagic once consumers have moved off them:
+  `GlobalParams::libmagic_database_path` and its java, python and objc mirrors
+  still store and return a path nothing reads, and `ODR_WITH_LIBMAGIC` /
+  the conan `with_libmagic` option are still accepted so a build that sets one
+  keeps configuring. Removing them is the breaking change this deliberately
+  is not.
 - collect additional pdf files via the translate cli and capture the ones that break
 - exercise editing across all formats (odp editing appears broken via an HTML issue)
diff --git a/jni/README.md b/jni/README.md
index d8072bcb9..dff3307ff 100644
--- a/jni/README.md
+++ b/jni/README.md
@@ -74,8 +74,8 @@ standalone against an installed `odrcore` package.
 
 Rendering uses shipped assets (CSS/JS). Point the library at them via
 `GlobalParams.setOdrCoreDataPath(...)` or the `ODR_CORE_DATA_PATH` environment
-variable (the tests read it; for in-tree builds it is `build/data`). The
-optional libmagic backend has its own path on `GlobalParams`.
+variable (the tests read it; for in-tree builds it is `build/data`). Detection
+needs no runtime data of its own.
 
 ## Notes
 
diff --git a/jni/java/app/opendocument/core/FileCategory.java b/jni/java/app/opendocument/core/FileCategory.java
index 975d9861f..f77654c81 100644
--- a/jni/java/app/opendocument/core/FileCategory.java
+++ b/jni/java/app/opendocument/core/FileCategory.java
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 
 /** Mirrors {@code odr::FileCategory}; constant order must match the C++ declaration. */
 public enum FileCategory {
-  UNKNOWN, TEXT, IMAGE, ARCHIVE, DOCUMENT, FONT;
+  UNKNOWN, TEXT, IMAGE, ARCHIVE, DOCUMENT, FONT, AUDIO, VIDEO;
 
   static FileCategory fromNative(int code) {
     return code < 0 ? null : values()[code];
diff --git a/jni/java/app/opendocument/core/FileType.java b/jni/java/app/opendocument/core/FileType.java
index eab8ef0cd..4e1c77aff 100644
--- a/jni/java/app/opendocument/core/FileType.java
+++ b/jni/java/app/opendocument/core/FileType.java
@@ -11,7 +11,11 @@ public enum FileType {
   COMMA_SEPARATED_VALUES, JAVASCRIPT_OBJECT_NOTATION, MARKDOWN, ZIP,
   COMPOUND_FILE_BINARY_FORMAT, PORTABLE_NETWORK_GRAPHICS,
   GRAPHICS_INTERCHANGE_FORMAT, JPEG, BITMAP_IMAGE_FILE, STARVIEW_METAFILE,
-  TRUETYPE_FONT, OPENTYPE_FONT;
+  TRUETYPE_FONT, OPENTYPE_FONT, WEBP, TAGGED_IMAGE_FILE_FORMAT,
+  HIGH_EFFICIENCY_IMAGE_FORMAT, AV1_IMAGE_FILE_FORMAT, MPEG_AUDIO, MPEG4_AUDIO,
+  OGG_AUDIO, WAVEFORM_AUDIO, FREE_LOSSLESS_AUDIO_CODEC, MPEG4_VIDEO,
+  QUICKTIME_VIDEO, THIRD_GENERATION_PARTNERSHIP_VIDEO, MATROSKA_VIDEO,
+  AUDIO_VIDEO_INTERLEAVE;
 
   static FileType fromNative(int code) {
     return code < 0 ? null : values()[code];
diff --git a/jni/java/app/opendocument/core/GlobalParams.java b/jni/java/app/opendocument/core/GlobalParams.java
index 614cb5d19..e8fb53dca 100644
--- a/jni/java/app/opendocument/core/GlobalParams.java
+++ b/jni/java/app/opendocument/core/GlobalParams.java
@@ -8,10 +8,19 @@ public final class GlobalParams {
 
   public static native String odrCoreDataPath();
 
+  /**
+   * @deprecated Inert: libmagic is gone and nothing reads this. It still returns whatever was set,
+   *     so a caller that sets it keeps working — detection is our own now and needs no database.
+   */
+  @Deprecated
   public static native String libmagicDatabasePath();
 
   public static native void setOdrCoreDataPath(String path);
 
+  /**
+   * @deprecated See {@link #libmagicDatabasePath()}.
+   */
+  @Deprecated
   public static native void setLibmagicDatabasePath(String path);
 
   private GlobalParams() {}
diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index 939660729..6c40e8a64 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -61,12 +61,9 @@ ODR_PYTHON = "ON"
 ODR_CLI = "OFF"
 ODR_TEST = "OFF"
 BUILD_SHARED_LIBS = "OFF"
-# libmagic's database is just a data file, so it can ship: `ODR_BUNDLE_ASSETS`
-# copies `magic.mgc` next to the odr.js assets, `python/CMakeLists.txt` installs
-# that directory as `pyodr/data`, and `pyodr/__init__.py` points `GlobalParams`
-# at the installed copy. Costs ~0.4 MB of wheel (the database deflates to that
-# from 8.5 MB) and buys real MIME detection instead of odr's 12-byte sniffing.
-ODR_WITH_LIBMAGIC = "ON"
+# Stages the renderer's css/js so `python/CMakeLists.txt` can install them as
+# `pyodr/data`. The wheel used to carry `magic.mgc` here too (~0.4 MB deflated
+# of 8.5 MB); libmagic is gone and `mimetype` needs no database.
 ODR_BUNDLE_ASSETS = "ON"
 
 # Section must exist for setuptools-scm to pick up its pyproject config.
diff --git a/python/AGENTS.md b/python/AGENTS.md
index 1baa74880..e870f8610 100644
--- a/python/AGENTS.md
+++ b/python/AGENTS.md
@@ -35,9 +35,8 @@ pybind11 bindings for the public C++ API (`src/odr/*.hpp`), packaged as
   returning `bytes`/`str` via `std::ostringstream`.
 - New public C++ API? Extend the matching `bind_*.cpp` and add a pytest.
 - C++ sources follow the repo clang-format; python is formatted with `black`.
-- Tests must stay hermetic: build inputs inline in `tests/conftest.py`;
+- Tests must stay hermetic: build inputs inline in `tests/conftest.py`, and
   HTML-rendering tests take the `core_data_path` fixture (skips when assets are
-  missing), and tests needing libmagic skip on `_libmagic_database()` in
-  `tests/test_meta.py` (empty when the build has no database).
+  missing).
 - Build/test loop: see `python/README.md`; CI lives in
   `.github/workflows/python.yml`.
diff --git a/python/README.md b/python/README.md
index e588a8cb6..fef1bfc78 100644
--- a/python/README.md
+++ b/python/README.md
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ PYTHONPATH=build/python ODR_CORE_DATA_PATH=build/data python -m pytest python/te
 `pip install .` from the repository root builds a wheel via scikit-build-core
 (see the root `pyproject.toml`); run `conan install` first and point
 `CMAKE_ARGS` at the generated `conan_toolchain.cmake` so the C++ dependencies
-resolve. Wheels bundle libmagic's database, so match that option:
+resolve, and match the wheel's asset bundling:
 
 ```bash
 conan install . -o '&:with_python=True' -o '&:bundle_assets=True' --build missing
@@ -42,14 +42,13 @@ CMAKE_ARGS="-DCMAKE_TOOLCHAIN_FILE=$PWD/conan_toolchain.cmake" pip install .
 
 ## Runtime data
 
-Rendering uses shipped assets (CSS/JS), and MIME detection uses libmagic's
-compiled database (`magic.mgc`). Wheels bundle both under `pyodr/data` and pick
-them up automatically. For in-tree builds set `ODR_CORE_DATA_PATH` (the tests
-read it) and, if needed, `ODR_LIBMAGIC_DATABASE_PATH`, or call
-`pyodr.GlobalParams.set_odr_core_data_path(...)` /
-`set_libmagic_database_path(...)`.
-
-Neither is fatal when missing: without the assets, rendering fails on the
-individual resource; without the database, odrcore tries the system database and
-then falls back to its own magic sniffing (which sees an `.odt` as
-`application/zip` rather than the ODF type).
+Rendering uses shipped assets (CSS/JS). Wheels bundle them under `pyodr/data`
+and pick them up automatically; for in-tree builds set `ODR_CORE_DATA_PATH` (the
+tests read it) or call `pyodr.GlobalParams.set_odr_core_data_path(...)`. Missing
+assets are not fatal — rendering then fails on the individual resource.
+
+MIME detection needs no runtime data: `mimetype` runs the open strategy, so it
+names what is *inside* a zip or a compound file. `libmagic_database_path()` and
+`set_libmagic_database_path(...)` are deprecated leftovers of the libmagic
+backend that used to answer this and could only say `application/zip` for an
+`.odt`; they still store and return a path, but nothing reads it.
diff --git a/python/pyodr/__init__.py b/python/pyodr/__init__.py
index 18160528c..3ca918b71 100644
--- a/python/pyodr/__init__.py
+++ b/python/pyodr/__init__.py
@@ -26,10 +26,10 @@
 
 
 def _is_configured(path: str) -> bool:
-    # The compiled-in defaults are install-relative guesses ("share",
-    # "share/magic.mgc"). Resolving those against the process working directory
-    # would make the outcome depend on where the interpreter was launched, so
-    # only an absolute path that exists counts as already configured.
+    # The compiled-in default is an install-relative guess ("share"). Resolving
+    # that against the process working directory would make the outcome depend
+    # on where the interpreter was launched, so only an absolute path that
+    # exists counts as already configured.
     return bool(path) and os.path.isabs(path) and os.path.exists(path)
 
 
@@ -47,24 +47,6 @@ def _init_odr_core_data_path() -> None:
         _core.GlobalParams.set_odr_core_data_path(str(_BUNDLED_DATA_PATH))
 
 
-def _init_libmagic_database_path() -> None:
-    # Same resolution order for libmagic's compiled database, which is a file
-    # rather than a directory. Leaving it unresolved is not fatal: odrcore then
-    # tries the system database and finally falls back to its own sniffing.
-    if _is_configured(_core.GlobalParams.libmagic_database_path()):
-        return
-    env_path = os.environ.get("ODR_LIBMAGIC_DATABASE_PATH")
-    if env_path:
-        _core.GlobalParams.set_libmagic_database_path(env_path)
-        return
-    database_path = _BUNDLED_DATA_PATH / "magic.mgc"
-    if database_path.is_file():
-        _core.GlobalParams.set_libmagic_database_path(str(database_path))
-
-
-def _init_data_paths() -> None:
-    _init_odr_core_data_path()
-    _init_libmagic_database_path()
-
-
-_init_data_paths()
+# `GlobalParams.libmagic_database_path` is left alone: libmagic is gone, so
+# there is no database to resolve and nothing that would read one.
+_init_odr_core_data_path()
diff --git a/python/src/bind_core.cpp b/python/src/bind_core.cpp
index e65b1a9f9..b11063e0d 100644
--- a/python/src/bind_core.cpp
+++ b/python/src/bind_core.cpp
@@ -25,6 +25,8 @@ void odr_python::bind_core(py::module_ &m) {
   py::class_<odr::GlobalParams>(m, "GlobalParams",
                                 "Global resource paths of the library.")
       .def_static("odr_core_data_path", &odr::GlobalParams::odr_core_data_path)
+      // the two libmagic paths are deprecated and inert: libmagic is gone, so
+      // nothing reads back what they store
       .def_static("libmagic_database_path",
                   &odr::GlobalParams::libmagic_database_path)
       .def_static("set_odr_core_data_path",
diff --git a/python/src/bind_file.cpp b/python/src/bind_file.cpp
index c9003af7c..826da09c0 100644
--- a/python/src/bind_file.cpp
+++ b/python/src/bind_file.cpp
@@ -55,7 +55,25 @@ void odr_python::bind_file(py::module_ &m) {
       .value("bitmap_image_file", odr::FileType::bitmap_image_file)
       .value("starview_metafile", odr::FileType::starview_metafile)
       .value("truetype_font", odr::FileType::truetype_font)
-      .value("opentype_font", odr::FileType::opentype_font);
+      .value("opentype_font", odr::FileType::opentype_font)
+      .value("webp", odr::FileType::webp)
+      .value("tagged_image_file_format",
+             odr::FileType::tagged_image_file_format)
+      .value("high_efficiency_image_format",
+             odr::FileType::high_efficiency_image_format)
+      .value("av1_image_file_format", odr::FileType::av1_image_file_format)
+      .value("mpeg_audio", odr::FileType::mpeg_audio)
+      .value("mpeg4_audio", odr::FileType::mpeg4_audio)
+      .value("ogg_audio", odr::FileType::ogg_audio)
+      .value("waveform_audio", odr::FileType::waveform_audio)
+      .value("free_lossless_audio_codec",
+             odr::FileType::free_lossless_audio_codec)
+      .value("mpeg4_video", odr::FileType::mpeg4_video)
+      .value("quicktime_video", odr::FileType::quicktime_video)
+      .value("third_generation_partnership_video",
+             odr::FileType::third_generation_partnership_video)
+      .value("matroska_video", odr::FileType::matroska_video)
+      .value("audio_video_interleave", odr::FileType::audio_video_interleave);
 
   py::enum_<odr::FileCategory>(m, "FileCategory")
       .value("unknown", odr::FileCategory::unknown)
@@ -63,7 +81,9 @@ void odr_python::bind_file(py::module_ &m) {
       .value("image", odr::FileCategory::image)
       .value("archive", odr::FileCategory::archive)
       .value("document", odr::FileCategory::document)
-      .value("font", odr::FileCategory::font);
+      .value("font", odr::FileCategory::font)
+      .value("audio", odr::FileCategory::audio)
+      .value("video", odr::FileCategory::video);
 
   py::enum_<odr::FileLocation>(m, "FileLocation")
       .value("memory", odr::FileLocation::memory)
diff --git a/python/tests/test_meta.py b/python/tests/test_meta.py
index 963f0edb2..01cde621f 100644
--- a/python/tests/test_meta.py
+++ b/python/tests/test_meta.py
@@ -1,16 +1,6 @@
-import os
-
-import pytest
-
 import pyodr
 
 
-def _libmagic_database() -> str:
-    """The resolved libmagic database, or "" when this build has none."""
-    path = pyodr.GlobalParams.libmagic_database_path()
-    return path if path and os.path.isfile(path) else ""
-
-
 def test_version():
     # A dev build carries no project version; only assert consistency.
     assert isinstance(pyodr.version(), str)
@@ -130,14 +120,9 @@ def test_decoded_file_capabilities(odt_path):
 
 def test_global_params():
     assert isinstance(pyodr.GlobalParams.odr_core_data_path(), str)
-    assert isinstance(pyodr.GlobalParams.libmagic_database_path(), str)
 
 
-@pytest.mark.skipif(
-    not _libmagic_database(),
-    reason="built without libmagic, or its database was not bundled",
-)
-def test_mimetype_uses_libmagic(odt_path):
-    # odr's own sniffing only reaches the ZIP container ("application/zip");
-    # recognising the ODF mimetype entry stored inside it is what libmagic adds.
+def test_mimetype_names_what_is_inside_the_container(odt_path):
+    # An ODF file is a ZIP, and the answer worth having is the one from inside
+    # it. Detection opens the container to get there.
     assert pyodr.mimetype(str(odt_path)) == "application/vnd.oasis.opendocument.text"
diff --git a/scripts/run-with-env.sh b/scripts/run-with-env.sh
index 4a5fa8441..f44735949 100755
--- a/scripts/run-with-env.sh
+++ b/scripts/run-with-env.sh
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env bash
 # Load the Conan runtime env from .vscode/.env (see gen-vscode-env.py) and exec
 # the given command with it. Used by VS Code tasks so the test binary and CLI
-# tools can find the libmagic database.
+# tools run against the dependency runtime the build was configured with.
 #
 # Usage: scripts/run-with-env.sh <command> [args...]
 set -euo pipefail
diff --git a/src/odr/file.cpp b/src/odr/file.cpp
index 96e78e7d0..085822ef1 100644
--- a/src/odr/file.cpp
+++ b/src/odr/file.cpp
@@ -58,8 +58,8 @@ std::vector<FileType> DecodedFile::list_file_types(const std::string &path,
 }
 
 std::string_view DecodedFile::mimetype(const std::string &path,
-                                       [[maybe_unused]] const Logger &logger) {
-  return internal::magic::mimetype(path);
+                                       const Logger &logger) {
+  return internal::magic::mimetype(path, logger);
 }
 
 DecodedFile::DecodedFile(std::shared_ptr<internal::abstract::DecodedFile> impl)
diff --git a/src/odr/file.hpp b/src/odr/file.hpp
index 9a983b30a..d370ab731 100644
--- a/src/odr/file.hpp
+++ b/src/odr/file.hpp
@@ -89,6 +89,42 @@ enum class FileType {
   truetype_font,
   // https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OpenType
   opentype_font,
+
+  // Detection only, like `word_perfect` above: the media formats a viewer is
+  // regularly handed alongside documents. Naming them is the point - a caller
+  // that knows a file is a video hands it to a player instead of asking us to
+  // translate it, and without a name the text fallback would call it plain
+  // text. New entries go at the end: the bindings mirror this enum by ordinal.
+  // https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WebP
+  webp,
+  // https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TIFF
+  tagged_image_file_format,
+  // https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_Efficiency_Image_File_Format
+  high_efficiency_image_format,
+  // https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AVIF
+  av1_image_file_format,
+
+  // https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MP3
+  mpeg_audio,
+  // https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MP4_file_format
+  mpeg4_audio,
+  // https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ogg
+  ogg_audio,
+  // https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WAV
+  waveform_audio,
+  // https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FLAC
+  free_lossless_audio_codec,
+
+  // https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MP4_file_format
+  mpeg4_video,
+  // https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/QuickTime_File_Format
+  quicktime_video,
+  // https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3GP_and_3G2
+  third_generation_partnership_video,
+  // https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matroska
+  matroska_video,
+  // https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Audio_Video_Interleave
+  audio_video_interleave,
 };
 
 /// @brief Collection of file categories.
@@ -99,6 +135,9 @@ enum class FileCategory {
   archive,
   document,
   font,
+  // appended rather than sorted in, for the same reason as `FileType`
+  audio,
+  video,
 };
 
 /// @brief Collection of file locations.
diff --git a/src/odr/global_params.cpp b/src/odr/global_params.cpp
index 83983c99c..d7a5c11cc 100644
--- a/src/odr/global_params.cpp
+++ b/src/odr/global_params.cpp
@@ -26,9 +26,9 @@ void GlobalParams::set_libmagic_database_path(const std::string &path) {
   instance().m_libmagic_database_path = path;
 }
 
+// `m_libmagic_database_path` starts empty: nothing reads it, and there is no
+// longer a database path to default it to.
 GlobalParams::GlobalParams()
-    : m_odr_core_data_path{internal::project_info::odr_data_path()},
-      m_libmagic_database_path{
-          internal::project_info::libmagic_database_path()} {}
+    : m_odr_core_data_path{internal::project_info::odr_data_path()} {}
 
 } // namespace odr
diff --git a/src/odr/global_params.hpp b/src/odr/global_params.hpp
index c53214182..1db36dd07 100644
--- a/src/odr/global_params.hpp
+++ b/src/odr/global_params.hpp
@@ -7,9 +7,13 @@ namespace odr {
 class GlobalParams final {
 public:
   static const std::string &odr_core_data_path();
+  /// @deprecated Inert: libmagic is gone and nothing reads this. It still
+  /// stores and returns whatever is set, so a caller that sets it keeps
+  /// working — detection is our own now, and looks at nothing outside the file.
   static const std::string &libmagic_database_path();
 
   static void set_odr_core_data_path(const std::string &path);
+  /// @deprecated See @ref libmagic_database_path.
   static void set_libmagic_database_path(const std::string &path);
 
 private:
diff --git a/src/odr/internal/file_type_table.cpp b/src/odr/internal/file_type_table.cpp
index 549ea8d50..1a5716e45 100644
--- a/src/odr/internal/file_type_table.cpp
+++ b/src/odr/internal/file_type_table.cpp
@@ -162,6 +162,59 @@ constexpr std::array otf_mimetypes{"font/otf"sv, "application/x-font-otf"sv,
                                    "application/x-font-opentype"sv,
                                    "application/vnd.ms-opentype"sv};
 
+constexpr std::array webp_extensions{"webp"sv};
+constexpr std::array webp_mimetypes{"image/webp"sv};
+
+constexpr std::array tiff_extensions{"tif"sv, "tiff"sv};
+constexpr std::array tiff_mimetypes{"image/tiff"sv, "image/x-tiff"sv};
+
+constexpr std::array heif_extensions{"heic"sv, "heif"sv, "hif"sv};
+constexpr std::array heif_mimetypes{"image/heic"sv, "image/heif"sv,
+                                    "image/heic-sequence"sv,
+                                    "image/heif-sequence"sv};
+
+constexpr std::array avif_extensions{"avif"sv, "avifs"sv};
+constexpr std::array avif_mimetypes{"image/avif"sv, "image/avif-sequence"sv};
+
+constexpr std::array mp3_extensions{"mp3"sv};
+constexpr std::array mp3_mimetypes{"audio/mpeg"sv, "audio/mp3"sv,
+                                   "audio/x-mpeg"sv};
+
+constexpr std::array m4a_extensions{"m4a"sv, "m4b"sv};
+constexpr std::array m4a_mimetypes{"audio/mp4"sv, "audio/x-m4a"sv,
+                                   "audio/m4a"sv};
+
+constexpr std::array ogg_extensions{"ogg"sv, "oga"sv, "opus"sv};
+constexpr std::array ogg_mimetypes{"audio/ogg"sv, "application/ogg"sv,
+                                   "audio/opus"sv};
+
+constexpr std::array wav_extensions{"wav"sv, "wave"sv};
+constexpr std::array wav_mimetypes{"audio/wav"sv, "audio/x-wav"sv,
+                                   "audio/wave"sv, "audio/vnd.wave"sv};
+
+constexpr std::array flac_extensions{"flac"sv};
+constexpr std::array flac_mimetypes{"audio/flac"sv, "audio/x-flac"sv};
+
+constexpr std::array mp4_extensions{"mp4"sv, "m4v"sv};
+constexpr std::array mp4_mimetypes{"video/mp4"sv, "video/x-m4v"sv};
+
+constexpr std::array mov_extensions{"mov"sv, "qt"sv};
+constexpr std::array mov_mimetypes{"video/quicktime"sv};
+
+constexpr std::array third_gpp_extensions{"3gp"sv, "3g2"sv};
+constexpr std::array third_gpp_mimetypes{"video/3gpp"sv, "video/3gpp2"sv,
+                                         "audio/3gpp"sv};
+
+// one type for the whole EBML container: matroska and webm are the same bytes
+// until the DocType element, which sits deeper than a signature reaches
+constexpr std::array mkv_extensions{"mkv"sv, "webm"sv, "mka"sv};
+constexpr std::array mkv_mimetypes{"video/x-matroska"sv, "video/webm"sv,
+                                   "audio/x-matroska"sv, "audio/webm"sv};
+
+constexpr std::array avi_extensions{"avi"sv};
+constexpr std::array avi_mimetypes{"video/x-msvideo"sv, "video/avi"sv,
+                                   "video/msvideo"sv};
+
 // The single source of truth behind every public format lookup. `odr_test`
 // asserts that it covers each `FileType` exactly once and that the capability
 // bits agree with what the engines actually do.
@@ -420,6 +473,109 @@ constexpr std::array table{
         FileCategory::font,
         DocumentType::unknown,
         {.detect_by_content = true, .open = true, .translate_html = true}},
+
+    // Named but not decoded, so `detect_by_content` is the only capability
+    // they carry - see the comment on these in `FileType`.
+    Row{FileType::webp,
+        "webp"sv,
+        webp_extensions,
+        webp_mimetypes,
+        FileCategory::image,
+        DocumentType::unknown,
+        {.detect_by_content = true}},
+    Row{FileType::tagged_image_file_format,
+        "tiff"sv,
+        tiff_extensions,
+        tiff_mimetypes,
+        FileCategory::image,
+        DocumentType::unknown,
+        {.detect_by_content = true}},
+    Row{FileType::high_efficiency_image_format,
+        "heif"sv,
+        heif_extensions,
+        heif_mimetypes,
+        FileCategory::image,
+        DocumentType::unknown,
+        {.detect_by_content = true}},
+    Row{FileType::av1_image_file_format,
+        "avif"sv,
+        avif_extensions,
+        avif_mimetypes,
+        FileCategory::image,
+        DocumentType::unknown,
+        {.detect_by_content = true}},
+
+    Row{FileType::mpeg_audio,
+        "mp3"sv,
+        mp3_extensions,
+        mp3_mimetypes,
+        FileCategory::audio,
+        DocumentType::unknown,
+        {.detect_by_content = true}},
+    Row{FileType::mpeg4_audio,
+        "m4a"sv,
+        m4a_extensions,
+        m4a_mimetypes,
+        FileCategory::audio,
+        DocumentType::unknown,
+        {.detect_by_content = true}},
+    Row{FileType::ogg_audio,
+        "ogg"sv,
+        ogg_extensions,
+        ogg_mimetypes,
+        FileCategory::audio,
+        DocumentType::unknown,
+        {.detect_by_content = true}},
+    Row{FileType::waveform_audio,
+        "wav"sv,
+        wav_extensions,
+        wav_mimetypes,
+        FileCategory::audio,
+        DocumentType::unknown,
+        {.detect_by_content = true}},
+    Row{FileType::free_lossless_audio_codec,
+        "flac"sv,
+        flac_extensions,
+        flac_mimetypes,
+        FileCategory::audio,
+        DocumentType::unknown,
+        {.detect_by_content = true}},
+
+    Row{FileType::mpeg4_video,
+        "mp4"sv,
+        mp4_extensions,
+        mp4_mimetypes,
+        FileCategory::video,
+        DocumentType::unknown,
+        {.detect_by_content = true}},
+    Row{FileType::quicktime_video,
+        "mov"sv,
+        mov_extensions,
+        mov_mimetypes,
+        FileCategory::video,
+        DocumentType::unknown,
+        {.detect_by_content = true}},
+    Row{FileType::third_generation_partnership_video,
+        "3gp"sv,
+        third_gpp_extensions,
+        third_gpp_mimetypes,
+        FileCategory::video,
+        DocumentType::unknown,
+        {.detect_by_content = true}},
+    Row{FileType::matroska_video,
+        "mkv"sv,
+        mkv_extensions,
+        mkv_mimetypes,
+        FileCategory::video,
+        DocumentType::unknown,
+        {.detect_by_content = true}},
+    Row{FileType::audio_video_interleave,
+        "avi"sv,
+        avi_extensions,
+        avi_mimetypes,
+        FileCategory::video,
+        DocumentType::unknown,
+        {.detect_by_content = true}},
 };
 
 /// Finds the row whose list, selected by @p list, contains @p needle.
diff --git a/src/odr/internal/libmagic/libmagic.cpp b/src/odr/internal/libmagic/libmagic.cpp
deleted file mode 100644
index 4c2bc2126..000000000
--- a/src/odr/internal/libmagic/libmagic.cpp
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,50 +0,0 @@
-#include <odr/internal/libmagic/libmagic.hpp>
-
-#include <odr/global_params.hpp>
-
-#include <memory>
-
-#include <magic.h>
-
-namespace odr::internal {
-
-namespace {
-
-void magic_deleter(const magic_t magic_cookie) {
-  if (magic_cookie != nullptr) {
-    magic_close(magic_cookie);
-  }
-}
-
-magic_t get_magic_cookie() {
-  using Holder =
-      std::unique_ptr<std::remove_pointer_t<magic_t>, decltype(&magic_deleter)>;
-  static Holder magic_cookie(nullptr, &magic_deleter);
-
-  if (magic_cookie != nullptr) {
-    return magic_cookie.get();
-  }
-
-  magic_cookie = Holder(magic_open(MAGIC_MIME_TYPE), &magic_deleter);
-  if (magic_cookie == nullptr) {
-    throw std::runtime_error("magic_open failed");
-  }
-  if (magic_load(magic_cookie.get(),
-                 GlobalParams::libmagic_database_path().c_str()) == 0) {
-    return magic_cookie.get();
-  }
-  if (magic_load(magic_cookie.get(), nullptr) == 0) {
-    return magic_cookie.get();
-  }
-  magic_cookie.reset();
-  throw std::runtime_error("magic_load failed");
-}
-
-} // namespace
-
-const char *libmagic::mimetype(const std::string &path) {
-  const magic_t magic_cookie = get_magic_cookie();
-  return magic_file(magic_cookie, path.c_str());
-}
-
-} // namespace odr::internal
diff --git a/src/odr/internal/libmagic/libmagic.hpp b/src/odr/internal/libmagic/libmagic.hpp
deleted file mode 100644
index 17f5a7c9a..000000000
--- a/src/odr/internal/libmagic/libmagic.hpp
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,7 +0,0 @@
-#pragma once
-
-#include <string>
-
-namespace odr::internal::libmagic {
-const char *mimetype(const std::string &path);
-}
diff --git a/src/odr/internal/magic.cpp b/src/odr/internal/magic.cpp
index 1bf1ba071..4a288939d 100644
--- a/src/odr/internal/magic.cpp
+++ b/src/odr/internal/magic.cpp
@@ -1,12 +1,19 @@
 #include <odr/internal/magic.hpp>
 
+#include <odr/exceptions.hpp>
 #include <odr/file.hpp>
 #include <odr/odr.hpp>
 
 #include <odr/internal/abstract/file.hpp>
-#include <odr/internal/libmagic/libmagic.hpp>
+#include <odr/internal/common/file.hpp>
+#include <odr/internal/open_strategy.hpp>
 #include <odr/internal/util/string_util.hpp>
 
+#include <array>
+#include <istream>
+#include <memory>
+#include <vector>
+
 namespace odr::internal {
 
 namespace {
@@ -28,6 +35,54 @@ bool match_magic(const std::string &head, const std::string &pattern) {
   return true;
 }
 
+/// The four byte tag at @p offset, or empty if the head stops short of it.
+std::string_view tag_at(const std::string &head, const std::size_t offset) {
+  return head.size() < offset + 4 ? std::string_view{}
+                                  : std::string_view(head).substr(offset, 4);
+}
+
+/// Which format a `RIFF` container holds, from its form tag.
+FileType riff_file_type(const std::string &head) {
+  const std::string_view form = tag_at(head, 8);
+  if (form == "WEBP") {
+    return FileType::webp;
+  }
+  if (form == "WAVE") {
+    return FileType::waveform_audio;
+  }
+  if (form == "AVI ") {
+    return FileType::audio_video_interleave;
+  }
+  return FileType::unknown;
+}
+
+/// Which format an ISO base media container holds, from its major brand.
+///
+/// The brands are open ended and every writer adds its own, so this names the
+/// ones that mean something other than video and lets the rest - `isom`,
+/// `mp41`, `mp42`, `avc1`, `dash` and whatever comes next - fall through to
+/// what the container almost always is.
+FileType iso_base_media_file_type(const std::string &head) {
+  const std::string_view brand = tag_at(head, 8);
+  if (brand == "qt  ") {
+    return FileType::quicktime_video;
+  }
+  if (brand.starts_with("3g")) {
+    return FileType::third_generation_partnership_video;
+  }
+  if (brand == "avif" || brand == "avis") {
+    return FileType::av1_image_file_format;
+  }
+  if (brand.starts_with("hei") || brand.starts_with("hev") || brand == "mif1" ||
+      brand == "msf1") {
+    return FileType::high_efficiency_image_format;
+  }
+  if (brand.starts_with("M4A") || brand.starts_with("M4B")) {
+    return FileType::mpeg4_audio;
+  }
+  return FileType::mpeg4_video;
+}
+
 } // namespace
 
 FileType magic::file_type(const std::string &magic) {
@@ -74,16 +129,52 @@ FileType magic::file_type(const std::string &magic) {
       match_magic(magic, "74 74 63 66")) { // 'ttcf' — TrueType Collection
     return FileType::truetype_font;
   }
+
+  // the media formats below are named, not decoded: see `FileType`
+  if (match_magic(magic, "52 49 46 46")) { // 'RIFF'
+    if (const FileType file_type = riff_file_type(magic);
+        file_type != FileType::unknown) {
+      return file_type;
+    }
+  }
+  if (match_magic(magic, "?? ?? ?? ?? 66 74 79 70")) { // 'ftyp' box
+    return iso_base_media_file_type(magic);
+  }
+  if (match_magic(magic, "49 49 2A 00") || // little endian
+      match_magic(magic, "4D 4D 00 2A")) { // big endian
+    return FileType::tagged_image_file_format;
+  }
+  if (match_magic(magic, "1A 45 DF A3")) { // EBML
+    return FileType::matroska_video;
+  }
+  if (match_magic(magic, "4F 67 67 53")) { // 'OggS'
+    return FileType::ogg_audio;
+  }
+  if (match_magic(magic, "66 4C 61 43")) { // 'fLaC'
+    return FileType::free_lossless_audio_codec;
+  }
+  if (match_magic(magic, "49 44 33") || // 'ID3' tag
+      match_magic(magic, "FF FB") ||    // frame sync, no crc
+      match_magic(magic, "FF F3") ||    //
+      match_magic(magic, "FF F2") ||    //
+      match_magic(magic, "FF FA")) {    // frame sync, with crc
+    return FileType::mpeg_audio;
+  }
+
   return FileType::unknown;
 }
 
 FileType magic::file_type(std::istream &in) {
-  static constexpr auto max_head_size = 12;
+  static constexpr std::size_t max_head_size = 12;
 
-  char head[max_head_size];
-  in.read(head, sizeof(head));
+  // value initialized, and cut back to what was actually read: a file shorter
+  // than the longest signature would otherwise be matched against whatever the
+  // stack held behind it
+  std::array<char, max_head_size> head{};
+  in.read(head.data(), head.size());
 
-  return file_type(std::string(head, max_head_size));
+  return file_type(
+      std::string(head.data(), static_cast<std::size_t>(in.gcount())));
 }
 
 FileType magic::file_type(const abstract::File &file) {
@@ -94,12 +185,19 @@ FileType magic::file_type(const File &file) {
   return file_type(*file.stream());
 }
 
-std::string_view magic::mimetype(const std::string &path) {
-#ifdef ODR_WITH_LIBMAGIC
-  return libmagic::mimetype(path);
-#else
-  return odr::mimetype_by_file_type(magic::file_type(path));
-#endif
+std::string_view magic::mimetype(const std::string &path,
+                                 const Logger &logger) {
+  // the signature table above is not enough on its own: a zip and a compound
+  // file binary say nothing about which document they hold, and the answer for
+  // those only comes out of opening them. that is what `list_file_types` does,
+  // and it reports the container first and what was decoded from it after
+  const std::vector<FileType> file_types =
+      open_strategy::list_file_types(std::make_shared<DiskFile>(path), logger);
+  if (file_types.empty()) {
+    throw UnknownFileType();
+  }
+
+  return odr::mimetype_by_file_type(file_types.back());
 }
 
 } // namespace odr::internal
diff --git a/src/odr/internal/magic.hpp b/src/odr/internal/magic.hpp
index 85fb4e8e4..14e23f58e 100644
--- a/src/odr/internal/magic.hpp
+++ b/src/odr/internal/magic.hpp
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 namespace odr {
 enum class FileType;
 class File;
+class Logger;
 } // namespace odr
 
 namespace odr::internal::abstract {
@@ -18,5 +19,7 @@ FileType file_type(std::istream &in);
 FileType file_type(const abstract::File &file);
 FileType file_type(const File &file);
 
-std::string_view mimetype(const std::string &path);
+/// Opens the file to tell what a container holds, so it needs a logger like the
+/// rest of the open strategy.
+std::string_view mimetype(const std::string &path, const Logger &logger);
 } // namespace odr::internal::magic
diff --git a/src/odr/internal/project_info.cpp.in b/src/odr/internal/project_info.cpp.in
index 9b463e284..0712cf25f 100644
--- a/src/odr/internal/project_info.cpp.in
+++ b/src/odr/internal/project_info.cpp.in
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 
 namespace odr::internal {
 
-const char *project_info::version() noexcept {
+std::string_view project_info::version() noexcept {
   return "${CMAKE_PROJECT_VERSION}";
 }
 
@@ -14,20 +14,8 @@ bool project_info::is_debug() noexcept {
 #endif
 }
 
-bool project_info::has_libmagic() noexcept {
-#ifdef ODR_WITH_LIBMAGIC
-  return true;
-#else
-  return false;
-#endif
-}
-
-const char *project_info::odr_data_path() noexcept {
+std::string_view project_info::odr_data_path() noexcept {
   return "${ODR_INSTALL_ODR_DATA_PATH}";
 }
 
-const char *project_info::libmagic_database_path() noexcept {
-  return "${ODR_INSTALL_LIBMAGIC_DATABASE_PATH}";
-}
-
 } // namespace odr::internal
diff --git a/src/odr/internal/project_info.hpp b/src/odr/internal/project_info.hpp
index a99cc7bb4..4183979be 100644
--- a/src/odr/internal/project_info.hpp
+++ b/src/odr/internal/project_info.hpp
@@ -1,13 +1,12 @@
 #pragma once
 
+#include <string_view>
+
 namespace odr::internal::project_info {
 
-const char *version() noexcept;
+std::string_view version() noexcept;
 bool is_debug() noexcept;
 
-bool has_libmagic() noexcept;
-
-const char *odr_data_path() noexcept;
-const char *libmagic_database_path() noexcept;
+std::string_view odr_data_path() noexcept;
 
 } // namespace odr::internal::project_info
diff --git a/src/odr/odr.cpp b/src/odr/odr.cpp
index dbb250af7..7a19f201e 100644
--- a/src/odr/odr.cpp
+++ b/src/odr/odr.cpp
@@ -17,7 +17,9 @@ using odr::internal::file_type_table::Row;
 namespace table = odr::internal::file_type_table;
 } // namespace
 
-std::string odr::version() { return internal::project_info::version(); }
+std::string odr::version() {
+  return std::string(internal::project_info::version());
+}
 
 std::string odr::commit_hash() { return internal::git_info::commit_hash(); }
 
@@ -90,6 +92,10 @@ std::string odr::file_category_to_string(const FileCategory type) {
     return "text";
   case FileCategory::font:
     return "font";
+  case FileCategory::audio:
+    return "audio";
+  case FileCategory::video:
+    return "video";
   default:
     return "unnamed";
   }
diff --git a/test/src/internal/magic_test.cpp b/test/src/internal/magic_test.cpp
index 00607b67c..f3c3a95ea 100644
--- a/test/src/internal/magic_test.cpp
+++ b/test/src/internal/magic_test.cpp
@@ -1,24 +1,27 @@
 #include <odr/file.hpp>
+#include <odr/logger.hpp>
 
 #include <odr/internal/magic.hpp>
-#include <odr/internal/project_info.hpp>
 
 #include <test_util.hpp>
 
 #include <gtest/gtest.h>
 
+#include <sstream>
+
 using namespace odr;
 using namespace odr::internal;
 using namespace odr::test;
 
+// the mimetype comes from the open strategy: the signature table names the
+// container, and opening it names what is inside
+
 TEST(magic, odt) {
   const File file(TestData::test_file_path("odr-public/odt/about.odt"));
   EXPECT_EQ(magic::file_type(*file.impl()), FileType::zip);
 
-  if (project_info::has_libmagic()) {
-    EXPECT_EQ(magic::mimetype(file.disk_path().value()),
-              "application/vnd.oasis.opendocument.text");
-  }
+  EXPECT_EQ(magic::mimetype(file.disk_path().value(), Logger::null()),
+            "application/vnd.oasis.opendocument.text");
 }
 
 TEST(magic, doc) {
@@ -26,28 +29,24 @@ TEST(magic, doc) {
   EXPECT_EQ(magic::file_type(*file.impl()),
             FileType::compound_file_binary_format);
 
-  if (project_info::has_libmagic()) {
-    EXPECT_EQ(magic::mimetype(file.disk_path().value()), "application/msword");
-  }
+  EXPECT_EQ(magic::mimetype(file.disk_path().value(), Logger::null()),
+            "application/msword");
 }
 
 TEST(magic, svm) {
   const File file(TestData::test_file_path("odr-public/svm/chart-1.svm"));
   EXPECT_EQ(magic::file_type(*file.impl()), FileType::starview_metafile);
 
-  if (project_info::has_libmagic()) {
-    EXPECT_EQ(magic::mimetype(file.disk_path().value()),
-              "application/octet-stream");
-  }
+  EXPECT_EQ(magic::mimetype(file.disk_path().value(), Logger::null()),
+            "application/x-starview-metafile");
 }
 
 TEST(magic, odf) {
   const File file(TestData::test_file_path("odr-private/pdf/sample.pdf"));
   EXPECT_EQ(magic::file_type(*file.impl()), FileType::portable_document_format);
 
-  if (project_info::has_libmagic()) {
-    EXPECT_EQ(magic::mimetype(file.disk_path().value()), "application/pdf");
-  }
+  EXPECT_EQ(magic::mimetype(file.disk_path().value(), Logger::null()),
+            "application/pdf");
 }
 
 TEST(magic, wpd) {
@@ -55,8 +54,89 @@ TEST(magic, wpd) {
       TestData::test_file_path("odr-public/wpd/Sync3 Sample Page.wpd"));
   EXPECT_EQ(magic::file_type(*file.impl()), FileType::word_perfect);
 
-  if (project_info::has_libmagic()) {
-    EXPECT_EQ(magic::mimetype(file.disk_path().value()),
-              "application/vnd.wordperfect");
-  }
+  EXPECT_EQ(magic::mimetype(file.disk_path().value(), Logger::null()),
+            "application/vnd.wordperfect");
+}
+
+namespace {
+
+FileType detect(const std::string &head) {
+  std::istringstream in(head);
+  return magic::file_type(in);
+}
+
+} // namespace
+
+// The media formats are named from their head alone and never opened, so a
+// synthetic signature is the whole input the detection ever sees.
+TEST(magic, riff_container) {
+  using namespace std::string_literals;
+
+  EXPECT_EQ(detect("RIFF\x24\x00\x00\x00WEBP"s), FileType::webp);
+  EXPECT_EQ(detect("RIFF\x24\x00\x00\x00WAVE"s), FileType::waveform_audio);
+  EXPECT_EQ(detect("RIFF\x24\x00\x00\x00"
+                   "AVI "s),
+            FileType::audio_video_interleave);
+  // a RIFF holding something we do not name is still not a text file
+  EXPECT_EQ(detect("RIFF\x24\x00\x00\x00RMID"s), FileType::unknown);
+}
+
+TEST(magic, iso_base_media_container) {
+  using namespace std::string_literals;
+
+  EXPECT_EQ(detect("\x00\x00\x00\x18"
+                   "ftypisom"s),
+            FileType::mpeg4_video);
+  EXPECT_EQ(detect("\x00\x00\x00\x18"
+                   "ftypmp42"s),
+            FileType::mpeg4_video);
+  EXPECT_EQ(detect("\x00\x00\x00\x14"
+                   "ftypqt  "s),
+            FileType::quicktime_video);
+  EXPECT_EQ(detect("\x00\x00\x00\x18"
+                   "ftyp3gp4"s),
+            FileType::third_generation_partnership_video);
+  EXPECT_EQ(detect("\x00\x00\x00\x18"
+                   "ftypheic"s),
+            FileType::high_efficiency_image_format);
+  EXPECT_EQ(detect("\x00\x00\x00\x18"
+                   "ftypmif1"s),
+            FileType::high_efficiency_image_format);
+  EXPECT_EQ(detect("\x00\x00\x00\x18"
+                   "ftypavif"s),
+            FileType::av1_image_file_format);
+  EXPECT_EQ(detect("\x00\x00\x00\x18"
+                   "ftypM4A "s),
+            FileType::mpeg4_audio);
+  // an unknown brand is a video, which is what the container nearly always is
+  EXPECT_EQ(detect("\x00\x00\x00\x18"
+                   "ftypxxxx"s),
+            FileType::mpeg4_video);
+}
+
+TEST(magic, standalone_media_signatures) {
+  using namespace std::string_literals;
+
+  EXPECT_EQ(detect("II*\x00"s), FileType::tagged_image_file_format);
+  EXPECT_EQ(detect("MM\x00*"s), FileType::tagged_image_file_format);
+  EXPECT_EQ(detect("\x1a\x45\xdf\xa3"s), FileType::matroska_video);
+  EXPECT_EQ(detect("OggS"s), FileType::ogg_audio);
+  EXPECT_EQ(detect("fLaC"s), FileType::free_lossless_audio_codec);
+  EXPECT_EQ(detect("ID3\x04"s), FileType::mpeg_audio);
+  EXPECT_EQ(detect("\xff\xfb\x90\x00"s), FileType::mpeg_audio);
+  // still a jpeg, not an mp3 frame sync
+  EXPECT_EQ(detect("\xff\xd8\xff\xdb"s), FileType::jpeg);
+}
+
+TEST(magic, short_stream) {
+  // a file shorter than the head buffer may only be matched against what was
+  // actually read from it, never against what happened to sit behind it
+  std::istringstream empty("");
+  EXPECT_EQ(magic::file_type(empty), FileType::unknown);
+
+  std::istringstream one_byte("P");
+  EXPECT_EQ(magic::file_type(one_byte), FileType::unknown);
+
+  std::istringstream two_bytes("BM");
+  EXPECT_EQ(magic::file_type(two_bytes), FileType::bitmap_image_file);
 }
diff --git a/test/src/odr_test.cpp b/test/src/odr_test.cpp
index ede7c43b7..6644ff7b9 100644
--- a/test/src/odr_test.cpp
+++ b/test/src/odr_test.cpp
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ namespace {
 std::vector<FileType> every_file_type() {
   std::vector<FileType> result;
   for (auto i = static_cast<std::size_t>(FileType::unknown);
-       i <= static_cast<std::size_t>(FileType::opentype_font); ++i) {
+       i <= static_cast<std::size_t>(FileType::audio_video_interleave); ++i) {
     result.push_back(static_cast<FileType>(i));
   }
   return result;
diff --git a/test/src/test_info.cpp.in b/test/src/test_info.cpp.in
index 0653221b6..58b58b604 100644
--- a/test/src/test_info.cpp.in
+++ b/test/src/test_info.cpp.in
@@ -2,14 +2,10 @@
 
 namespace odr::test {
 
-const char *info::odr_data_path() noexcept {
+std::string_view info::odr_data_path() noexcept {
   return "${ODR_BUILD_ODR_DATA_PATH}";
 }
 
-const char *info::libmagic_database_path() noexcept {
-  return "${ODR_BUILD_LIBMAGIC_DATABASE_PATH}";
-}
-
-const char *info::odr_test_data_path() noexcept { return "${ODR_TEST_DATA_DIRECTORY}"; }
+std::string_view info::odr_test_data_path() noexcept { return "${ODR_TEST_DATA_DIRECTORY}"; }
 
 } // namespace odr::test
diff --git a/test/src/test_info.hpp b/test/src/test_info.hpp
index 8f5d89d3b..1bdc5f238 100644
--- a/test/src/test_info.hpp
+++ b/test/src/test_info.hpp
@@ -1,10 +1,11 @@
 #pragma once
 
+#include <string_view>
+
 namespace odr::test::info {
 
-const char *odr_data_path() noexcept;
-const char *libmagic_database_path() noexcept;
+std::string_view odr_data_path() noexcept;
 
-const char *odr_test_data_path() noexcept;
+std::string_view odr_test_data_path() noexcept;
 
 } // namespace odr::test::info
diff --git a/test/src/test_util.cpp b/test/src/test_util.cpp
index f9bc53007..93f557c5c 100644
--- a/test/src/test_util.cpp
+++ b/test/src/test_util.cpp
@@ -22,8 +22,7 @@ namespace fs = std::filesystem;
 namespace odr {
 
 void test::set_global_params() {
-  GlobalParams::set_odr_core_data_path(info::odr_data_path());
-  GlobalParams::set_libmagic_database_path(info::libmagic_database_path());
+  GlobalParams::set_odr_core_data_path(std::string(info::odr_data_path()));
 }
 
 } // namespace odr