words Alexa Wang
Does MP4 video take up much hard drive space? Or does the large file size not allow uploading it to video hosting? Don’t know how to compress MP4? Read the article below.
In the modern world, we always shoot videos on our smartphones or cameras. Videos and gadgets have become an integral part of our lives. If several years ago users were limited to watching films and videos on the Internet, now the same users create video content themselves in such an amount that even Hollywood studios couldn’t dream of. Moreover, video is also one of the most usual ways of entertainment. We shoot videos; we watch videos; we edit videos; we share videos. Videos, videos, videos…
Thanks to modern devices and software, it has become as easy as possible to work with videos (edit files, convert them from one format to another, compress them). It’s enough to make just several clicks, and a user doesn’t need to have extensive knowledge of the technical part of the process itself. How to compress an MP4 file, what it is, and why we need it at all, we are going to talk about it in this article.
What is MP4?
MP4 is perhaps the most popular digital video content format. MP4 files can contain video, audio, graphics, and subtitles. Typically, a file with this extension is a video or film. Less commonly, MP4 files contain audio recordings such as music, audiobooks, and podcasts, as well as still images and photos.
When you save files in MP4 format, video and audio segments are compressed, resulting in high-quality videos that can be easily transferred between devices or uploaded to websites. The advantages of the format include a relatively small file size with acceptable video quality. But there are situations when you need to use some MP4 compressor additionally.
Where Is the MP4 Format Used?
As was mentioned above, the MP4 is one of the most popular formats today. It’s widely used for streaming video over the Internet and sharing mobile media content.
This file type is commonly used by mobile device manufacturers. It allows you to use audio, still images, or video (audiobooks, songs, films, clips, photos, and podcasts). MP4 is a format commonly used in online video streaming, and it can be downloaded as well.
Thus, to upload a video to YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, or any other social network, it’s best to store files in MP4 format. However, while uploading, you may face the need to compress MP4 videos.
What Do We Need to Compress MP4 Files for?
Compression is the modification of video file data that makes it smaller. This is usually connected with color rendering (the difference isn’t noticeable to the viewer) or removing still frames in dynamic scenes (this doesn’t affect the clarity but greatly reduces the size).
Let’s say you are editing a video in some kind of video editor. The resulting MP4 video is already compressed to the optimal quality-to-size ratio. However, the parameters that come out after editing are often quite large.
Such heavy files present us with some difficulties. Often there isn’t enough space on the device or cloud; videos aren’t suitable for e-mail and can’t be sent via messengers; when viewed, they load for a very long time.
In such cases, users are faced with the task of additionally compressing MP4 files. And modern MP4 video compressors can help cope with it.
1. 3 Ways to Compress an MP4 File
As we have already found out, problems often arise with large video files. For instance, they may take a long time to load on sites or be too large for a USB flash drive. You can correct the situation and adjust the clip parameters in the special MP4 compressor on your PC, online, or in smartphone apps. Let’s take a closer look at each of the methods.
Desktop MP4 compressor. This method offers the most features. It allows not only compressing MP4 files but editing video and audio as well. Compressing MP4 on a PC is the most convenient option.
You just need to install the program on your computer and start compressing MP4. The method is ideal for those who have a large number of files and who regularly work with videos. A good MP4 video compressor enables you to upload large files and compress them without much loss in quality. Furthermore, the compression speed in such programs is usually much higher, and the ready video is equal to the original (except in size).
2. Online MP4 video compressor. Various services are available to compress MP4 online without losing video quality. Such compressors don’t require downloading or installation and work directly from the browser. They are suitable for one-time use or a small number of files. However, online tools have their limitations in many aspects: maximum file size, lack of batch compression, low processing speed; they don’t offer video editing features.
3. Mobile MP4 compressor. You can compress MP4 with a mobile app if needed. This requires a special Android or iPhone app.
There are a lot of apps available on Google Play and AppStore that can compress MP4 videos. Such applications allow you to change the size of one or more video clips at the same time and select the output resolution. The only downside is that most of the free mobile MP4 video compressors require in-app purchases to hide ads or unlock all features. However, such applications are convenient for users, as they are always at hand and are suitable for compressing videos uploaded to social networks or blogs.
Modern devices’ video performance has increased sharply. And shooting in 30 frames per second (Full HD) is already a standard and even a requirement for any digital camera. All flagship smartphones shoot in Full HD, practically with the same quality as SLR cameras.
If the video file size is too large, there may be multiple problems. For instance, your media player spends tens of minutes or more loading it; the video also takes up a lot of space. However, now you know how to compress MP4 files. We wish you all the best and high-quality videos!
