media → media
Convert MOV to MP4
Convert MOV to MP4 in seconds. Free, no signup, no watermark, no file-size limit. Runs on our conversion servers.
At a glance
- Source
- MOV
- Target
- MP4
- Where it runs
- Our servers
- Cost
- Free, unlimited
- Account
- Not needed
MOV to MP4 is on the release list
The video is decoded frame by frame and re-encoded into the target codec, usually with the resolution and bitrate adjusted. That needs a full document rendering engine, so it will run on our servers rather than in your browser. It is next in the queue and it will be free.
Do it now, on your device
No MOV conversion runs on-device yet — but these do
We would rather point you at something that works than at a queue. These conversions run entirely inside your browser right now — no upload, no account, no watermark.
The details
What happens when you convert between video formats
Apple QuickTime. The format professional video cameras still record to. The video is decoded frame by frame and re-encoded into the target codec, usually with the resolution and bitrate adjusted. The result is a the standard video container. it plays on every phone, browser and television made in the last decade, produced on our conversion servers.
What survives
- The content and the duration
- The audio track, re-encoded alongside it
What changes
- The quality, because re-encoding is always lossy
- The resolution and the frame rate, if you change them
Where it goes wrong
- Converting between formats is not the way to shrink a file — re-encoding at a lower bitrate is
- The rotation metadata can be lost, so a portrait video can come out sideways
Why anyone would do this
A recording that plays on the device, the platform or the software you need it in.
About the format
Apple QuickTime.
A QuickTime container with a hierarchy of tracks and atoms, able to hold many codecs, alpha channels and timecode.
- Where it is good
- The native format of professional cameras and iPhones
- Holds ProRes, alpha channels and multiple audio tracks
- Can carry timecode and metadata that MP4 cannot
- Where it falls short
- Large files, especially in ProRes
- Not as well supported on Android and on the web
- Playing a .mov in a browser usually needs a re-encode
- You will find it on
- Cameras, iPhones, video editors, broadcast
The thing people miss
A .mov from an iPhone is usually H.264 video in a QuickTime wrapper — nearly the same as an MP4, just a different box around it.
About the target
The standard video container.
An ISO base media container with separate tracks for video and audio, plus a metadata track describing how to play them.
- Plays on iOS, Android, every modern browser and most smart TVs
- Handles 4K, HDR and multiple audio tracks
- A good container for streaming, so it does not need the whole file
Real jobs
What people are actually doing with MOV
A camera clip that has to keep its quality
A video with an alpha channel for editing
Delivering masters to a broadcaster
Specification
The details, in one table
| Source format | MOV — QuickTime video |
|---|---|
| Target format | MP4 — MP4 video |
| Typical source size | 100 MB – 10 GB |
| Runs | On our servers |
| Account needed | No |
| Watermark | None |
| File extension | .mov → .mp4 |
How to
MOV to MP4, step by step
- 01
Add your quicktime video
Drag the file onto the drop zone, or tap to browse. Only one file is needed.
- 02
Choose the MP4 settings
Set the MP4-specific options.
- 03
Download the result
The finished MP4 downloads to your device. Nothing is uploaded and nothing is retained.
Also available
MOV converts into
Queued for the servers
Questions
MOV conversion questions
What actually happens to my MOV file when I convert it to MP4?
The video is decoded frame by frame and re-encoded into the target codec, usually with the resolution and bitrate adjusted. So the MOV file is unpacked, the content is laid out, and the result is written out as MP4. The content and the duration survives unchanged.
Will converting MOV to MP4 reduce the quality?
Partly. The quality, because re-encoding is always lossy The text itself is never re-typed, so no words are lost.
Is my MOV file uploaded to a server?
This particular conversion needs a full document rendering engine, so it is processed on our servers. Your MOV file is deleted automatically within an hour of the download being ready, and it is never opened or reviewed by a person.
Do I need an account or will there be a watermark?
Neither. There is no sign-up step, no email capture and no watermark on the output. The only limits are the ones your own device imposes.
What is the most common mistake people make when converting MOV to MP4?
Converting between formats is not the way to shrink a file — re-encoding at a lower bitrate is
Why would somebody convert MOV to MP4 at all?
A recording that plays on the device, the platform or the software you need it in. In short: a camera clip that has to keep its quality
Something most people do not know about MOV?
A .mov from an iPhone is usually H.264 video in a QuickTime wrapper — nearly the same as an MP4, just a different box around it.