YouTube, Vimeo, and Facebook all recommend MP4 as the preferred container. MP4 is also capable, but more importantly, it is the most widely recognized file format for videos. This is the most efficient and popular codec for high-definition videos and is almost twice as good as MPEG-4 for compressing videos.Ĭhoose MP4 as the container. The codec is the encoder/decoder that turns the video into bytes, whereas the container is the file format that determines compatibility with different devices and services.Ĭhoose H.264 as the codec. To reduce the size, you pick the most efficient codec and container. The video should be shot using the highest quality video codec and container. If you’re converting video where music is the primary element, choose a higher bitrate (256 or 320). In Bitrate, select 160 by default for most videos. Even for concerts or other similar videos, you can choose one of these lossy formats and sample it at a higher bitrate. These are lossy compressed audio file formats that are sufficient enough for most cases. If it’s a video you made, the first track will probably be the correct one. If it’s a movie, look for the “English” audio or whatever language you prefer. For any video where human speech is important, or music isn’t a priority, follow these steps:Ĭheck to see if there is more than one audio track. Start by heading over to the “Audio” tab in Handbrake you may be surprised by how much space audio channels take up. Do note that the Handbrake does a better job of encoding and converting videos. The tool is completely free and works the same on Windows, Mac, and Linux.įor those using Windows, there is also the Freemake Video Converter, which has an even easier interface. Handbrake is the most useful and powerful cross-platform media converter out there. Here’s how to reduce size without compromising quality:įor this task, it’s ideal to use a computer, not a tablet or a smartphone. However, unless you change the right settings, you will lose the video quality. Luckily, it’s relatively easy to reduce video file sizes.

But that file size can grow pretty quickly, causing your memory card to max out or making it difficult to upload to the Internet. It’s quite easy to shoot a high-quality, high-resolution video on your smartphone, DSLR camera, or GoPro these days.

Online mp4 bitrate converter