How to reduce a MOV file size.
Learn how to reduce a video’s file size to make it easier to edit or view on certain devices, while still maintaining its quality and dimensions.
Short for movie, an MOV file is an excellent format for recording and editing high-quality films and videos. You may quickly realize, though, that an MOV file takes up a significant amount of space on your computer. Due to its large file size, sharing or uploading an MOV file can be less than ideal too. Let’s dive into how to reduce the size of your MOV to make it more workable.
How to compress an MOV file to a smaller size.
If you want to send an MOV file by email or upload it to a social media site such as Instagram, Facebook, or YouTube, you’ll first need to compress your file to make it compatible with website limits.
You can search online for websites that compress MOV files for free. These websites, however, may not give you total control over the technology being used, so keep this in mind when searching for the best fit. These sites may also have file-upload limits.
You can also easily compress video file size with a media encoder, which results in minimal quality loss and gives you more control over the process.
How to convert an MOV file to MP4.
If compressing your MOV file doesn’t make it small enough for your needs, another option is to convert it to an MP4. You can do this with editing software or with an online converter. When you convert to an MP4, the resulting file size can be as small as one-tenth of the original size.
You shouldn’t notice a significant difference in viewing your video in the MP4 format. However, if you are still editing, it’s best to keep the format in MOV before converting it.
Discover more video editing tips and techniques — and explore everything you can do with Premiere Pro as you begin editing and sharing your videos.