DVD authoring is the process of creating a DVD video that can be played on a DVD player. DVD authoring software must conform to the specifications set by the DVD Forum group in 1995. The specifications are complicated due to the number of companies that were involved in creating them.

Strictly speaking, DVD authoring is a separate process from MPEG encoding, but most modern DVD authoring software has a built-in encoder (though separate encoders are still used when better quality or finer control over compression settings is required).

Most authoring applications are for video DVDs only, and do not support the creation of DVD-Audio discs.

Stand-alone DVD recorder units generally have basic authoring functions, though the creator of the DVD has little or no control over the layout of the DVD menus, which generally differ between models and brands.