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How to convert MOV to MP4

Updated

MOV and MP4 are close relatives. Most of the time, “converting” only means repackaging the same video, which is instant and lossless.

MOV and MP4 are nearly the same thing

MP4 was based on Apple’s QuickTime format, which uses the .mov extension. Both are containers, boxes that hold compressed video and audio, and both commonly hold H.264 or HEVC video with AAC audio. When that is the case, the streams can be copied from one box to the other without being decoded. Nothing about the picture changes.

Convert in three steps

  1. Open the converter and add your MOV file.
  2. Choose MP4 and leave the method on Fastest possible.
  3. Press Convert video. For an H.264 or HEVC MOV this takes seconds, whatever the length.

The HEVC catch

Since 2017, iPhones record in HEVC (H.265) by default, under the “High Efficiency” camera setting. HEVC in an MP4 plays on Apple devices, recent Android phones and most modern browsers, but older Windows PCs and some editing apps can’t decode it without an extra codec. The file opens, but shows a black screen or an error.

To check, run the file through the metadata viewer: the video codec will read hevc. To make it play everywhere, convert again with Always re-encode. This turns it into H.264, which is universal, at the cost of a slower conversion and a somewhat larger file.

Other things to know

  • Rotation: phone MOVs often rely on a rotation flag. A stream copy keeps the flag. If the MP4 plays sideways in some app, re-encode it or use Rotate and flip.
  • ProRes: MOV files from professional cameras may use ProRes, which MP4 can’t hold. These are always re-encoded to H.264, and the MP4 will be much smaller.
  • Size: a stream copy produces almost exactly the same size. To make it smaller, compress it afterwards.

Will the MP4 be smaller than the MOV?

With a stream copy, no: the video and audio data are moved, not re-encoded, so the file is within a few kilobytes of the original. That is the point of the fast method: it changes the container and nothing else. Sizes only drop when the video is actually re-encoded, which happens in two cases: the source uses a codec MP4 cannot hold (ProRes, and some unusual audio tracks), or you choose Always re-encode to force H.264.

If your goal is a smaller file rather than a different container, converting is not the tool. Use the compressor on the original: it reduces resolution and quality in one deliberate step. Converting first and compressing second re-encodes twice and costs more quality than doing it once.

When MP4 is not the right target

  • You need transparency. MP4’s H.264 cannot store an alpha channel. For a logo animation with a transparent background, keep WebM (VP9) or use a sequence of PNGs.
  • You are editing in Final Cut or Premiere. ProRes in MOV is a better editing format than H.264: it is faster to scrub and loses less through repeated renders. Convert to MP4 for delivery, not for editing.
  • You need chapters or multiple audio tracks. MP4 supports them in theory, but many players ignore them. This rarely matters for a clip that will be watched on a phone.

Converting several clips

Batch conversion accepts several files at once and returns them in a ZIP, which is faster than repeating the steps for each clip. Keep the originals until you have checked the results: a conversion that looks fine in a thumbnail can still turn out sideways or silent when played.

Checking the result before you delete the original

  1. Play the MP4 on the device that will actually show it, not only on the computer that converted it.
  2. Check the sound. A stream copy keeps audio, but a file with several audio tracks may open with the wrong one selected.
  3. Check the orientation on a phone.
  4. Run it through the metadata viewer if you need to confirm the codec is now H.264.

What about the date and the other metadata?

A stream copy usually keeps the creation date, and re-encoding may reset it to the conversion date. If you rely on that information, check the result in the metadata viewer before deleting the original. For files that will be shared publicly, removing the date and the device name is usually desirable: a video that says exactly when and with which phone it was filmed can reveal more than the picture does.