diff --git a/doc/APIchanges b/doc/APIchanges
index ed90be890d22eb15519d6a540d701c5f17b4fdc2..fa27007f44ce8c121b5aeea99cc57c7b5eeec0f2 100644
--- a/doc/APIchanges
+++ b/doc/APIchanges
@@ -13,6 +13,11 @@ libavutil:     2017-03-23
 
 API changes, most recent first:
 
+2017-xx-xx - xxxxxxx - lavu 56.6.0 - pixdesc.h
+  Add av_color_range_from_name(), av_color_primaries_from_name(),
+  av_color_transfer_from_name(), av_color_space_from_name(), and
+  av_chroma_location_from_name().
+
 2016-xx-xx - xxxxxxx - lavf 58.1.0 - avio.h
   Add avio_read_partial().
 
diff --git a/libavutil/pixdesc.c b/libavutil/pixdesc.c
index b168ac7d0b26a92b1f88a1e168751c64b2df6194..957f99fdaac613f1ba6922a5959af425c736a8c3 100644
--- a/libavutil/pixdesc.c
+++ b/libavutil/pixdesc.c
@@ -2013,27 +2013,91 @@ const char *av_color_range_name(enum AVColorRange range)
         color_range_names[range] : NULL;
 }
 
+int av_color_range_from_name(const char *name)
+{
+    int i;
+
+    for (i = 0; i < FF_ARRAY_ELEMS(color_range_names); i++) {
+        size_t len = strlen(color_range_names[i]);
+        if (!strncmp(color_range_names[i], name, len))
+            return i;
+    }
+
+    return AVERROR(EINVAL);
+}
+
 const char *av_color_primaries_name(enum AVColorPrimaries primaries)
 {
     return (unsigned) primaries < AVCOL_PRI_NB ?
         color_primaries_names[primaries] : NULL;
 }
 
+int av_color_primaries_from_name(const char *name)
+{
+    int i;
+
+    for (i = 0; i < FF_ARRAY_ELEMS(color_primaries_names); i++) {
+        size_t len = strlen(color_primaries_names[i]);
+        if (!strncmp(color_primaries_names[i], name, len))
+            return i;
+    }
+
+    return AVERROR(EINVAL);
+}
+
 const char *av_color_transfer_name(enum AVColorTransferCharacteristic transfer)
 {
     return (unsigned) transfer < AVCOL_TRC_NB ?
         color_transfer_names[transfer] : NULL;
 }
 
+int av_color_transfer_from_name(const char *name)
+{
+    int i;
+
+    for (i = 0; i < FF_ARRAY_ELEMS(color_transfer_names); i++) {
+        size_t len = strlen(color_transfer_names[i]);
+        if (!strncmp(color_transfer_names[i], name, len))
+            return i;
+    }
+
+    return AVERROR(EINVAL);
+}
+
 const char *av_color_space_name(enum AVColorSpace space)
 {
     return (unsigned) space < AVCOL_SPC_NB ?
         color_space_names[space] : NULL;
 }
 
+int av_color_space_from_name(const char *name)
+{
+    int i;
+
+    for (i = 0; i < FF_ARRAY_ELEMS(color_space_names); i++) {
+        size_t len = strlen(color_space_names[i]);
+        if (!strncmp(color_space_names[i], name, len))
+            return i;
+    }
+
+    return AVERROR(EINVAL);
+}
+
 const char *av_chroma_location_name(enum AVChromaLocation location)
 {
     return (unsigned) location < AVCHROMA_LOC_NB ?
         chroma_location_names[location] : NULL;
 }
 
+int av_chroma_location_from_name(const char *name)
+{
+    int i;
+
+    for (i = 0; i < FF_ARRAY_ELEMS(chroma_location_names); i++) {
+        size_t len = strlen(chroma_location_names[i]);
+        if (!strncmp(chroma_location_names[i], name, len))
+            return i;
+    }
+
+    return AVERROR(EINVAL);
+}
diff --git a/libavutil/pixdesc.h b/libavutil/pixdesc.h
index 3bb10f777a92f9051d122a1ef9cd602e4700eb88..4e8a29e60700b618db3ef63486f1676e8bf7a2ad 100644
--- a/libavutil/pixdesc.h
+++ b/libavutil/pixdesc.h
@@ -297,24 +297,49 @@ enum AVPixelFormat av_pix_fmt_swap_endianness(enum AVPixelFormat pix_fmt);
  */
 const char *av_color_range_name(enum AVColorRange range);
 
+/**
+ * @return the AVColorRange value for name or an AVError if not found.
+ */
+int av_color_range_from_name(const char *name);
+
 /**
  * @return the name for provided color primaries or NULL if unknown.
  */
 const char *av_color_primaries_name(enum AVColorPrimaries primaries);
 
+/**
+ * @return the AVColorPrimaries value for name or an AVError if not found.
+ */
+int av_color_primaries_from_name(const char *name);
+
 /**
  * @return the name for provided color transfer or NULL if unknown.
  */
 const char *av_color_transfer_name(enum AVColorTransferCharacteristic transfer);
 
+/**
+ * @return the AVColorTransferCharacteristic value for name or an AVError if not found.
+ */
+int av_color_transfer_from_name(const char *name);
+
 /**
  * @return the name for provided color space or NULL if unknown.
  */
 const char *av_color_space_name(enum AVColorSpace space);
 
+/**
+ * @return the AVColorSpace value for name or an AVError if not found.
+ */
+int av_color_space_from_name(const char *name);
+
 /**
  * @return the name for provided chroma location or NULL if unknown.
  */
 const char *av_chroma_location_name(enum AVChromaLocation location);
 
+/**
+ * @return the AVChromaLocation value for name or an AVError if not found.
+ */
+int av_chroma_location_from_name(const char *name);
+
 #endif /* AVUTIL_PIXDESC_H */
diff --git a/libavutil/version.h b/libavutil/version.h
index 5d0bb611244d444ab604d6c082522c030e35fcbc..c258968b8e2f6fa079ab9201293145086fdcd1be 100644
--- a/libavutil/version.h
+++ b/libavutil/version.h
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@
  */
 
 #define LIBAVUTIL_VERSION_MAJOR 56
-#define LIBAVUTIL_VERSION_MINOR  5
+#define LIBAVUTIL_VERSION_MINOR  6
 #define LIBAVUTIL_VERSION_MICRO  0
 
 #define LIBAVUTIL_VERSION_INT   AV_VERSION_INT(LIBAVUTIL_VERSION_MAJOR, \