How to Convert MOV to MP4: Complete Guide

Our free online converter is the easiest way to convert MOV to MP4. It works in your browser using WebAssembly technology, so your videos never leave your device.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Visit our MOV to MP4 converter
2. Click Choose Files or drag and drop your MOV file
3. Conversion starts automatically using FFmpeg.wasm
4. Wait for the progress bar to complete
5. Click Download to save your MP4 file

Advantages

Quality Settings

Our converter offers multiple quality presets:

• High Quality: Maintains original quality (larger file)
• Balanced: Good quality with smaller size (recommended)
• Compressed: Smaller file for sharing (lower quality)

VLC is a free, open-source media player that can also convert video formats. It's available for Windows, Mac, and Linux.

Installation

1. Download VLC from videolan.org
2. Install VLC on your computer
3. Launch VLC Media Player

Conversion Steps

1. Open VLC and click Media → Convert / Save
2. Click Add and select your MOV file
3. Click Convert / Save button at the bottom
4. In Profile dropdown, select Video - H.264 + MP3 (MP4)
5. Click Browse to choose output location
6. Name your file with .mp4 extension
7. Click Start to begin conversion

Custom Settings (Advanced)

For more control over quality and file size:

1. In the Convert window, click the Settings icon next to Profile
2. Go to Video codec tab
3. Adjust bitrate (higher = better quality, larger file)
4. Recommended: 2500-5000 kb/s for 1080p
5. Click Save and proceed with conversion

HandBrake is a powerful, free video converter with advanced features for quality control and batch processing.

Setup

1. Download HandBrake from handbrake.fr
2. Install and launch HandBrake

Conversion Process

1. Click Open Source and select your MOV file
2. Choose a preset from the right sidebar:
   • Fast 1080p30: Quick, good quality
   • HQ 1080p30 Surround: High quality with audio
   • Super HQ 1080p30: Best quality, larger file
3. Click Browse to set output location
4. Ensure format is set to MP4
5. Click Start Encode

Batch Conversion

Convert multiple MOV files at once:

1. Click Open Source → Open Folder
2. Select folder containing MOV files
3. Click Add to Queue for each file
4. Click Start Queue to convert all files

For iPhone/iPad

Option A: Shortcuts App (Built-in)

1. Open Shortcuts app
2. Create new shortcut
3. Add action: Select Photos
4. Add action: Encode Media
5. Set format to MP4
6. Add action: Save to Files
7. Run shortcut and select MOV video

Option B: Video Converter Apps

Recommended free apps from App Store:

• Video Converter & Compressor: Easy interface, batch conversion
• Media Converter: Multiple format support
• Video Format Factory: Fast conversion

For Android

Recommended apps from Google Play:

• Video Converter: Simple and effective
• Media Converter: Supports many formats
• VidCompact: Conversion and compression

General Mobile App Steps

1. Install app from App Store or Google Play
2. Open app and grant storage permissions
3. Select MOV file from gallery
4. Choose MP4 as output format
5. Select quality settings
6. Tap Convert
7. Save converted file to gallery

FFmpeg is a powerful command-line tool for video conversion. It offers maximum control and speed but requires technical knowledge.

Installation

Windows:

1. Download FFmpeg from ffmpeg.org
2. Extract to C:\ffmpeg
3. Add to PATH environment variable

Mac:

brew install ffmpeg

Linux:

sudo apt install ffmpeg

Basic Conversion Command

ffmpeg -i input.mov output.mp4

High Quality Conversion

ffmpeg -i input.mov -c:v libx264 -crf 18 -c:a aac -b:a 192k output.mp4

Fast Conversion (Copy Codec)

ffmpeg -i input.mov -c copy output.mp4

Batch Conversion

Windows (PowerShell):

Get-ChildItem *.mov | ForEach-Object { ffmpeg -i $_.Name ($_.BaseName + ".mp4") }

Mac/Linux (Bash):

for i in *.mov; do ffmpeg -i "$i" "${i%.*}.mp4"; done

Understanding Video Bitrate

Bitrate determines both quality and file size. Higher bitrate = better quality but larger files.

Recommended Bitrates

File Size Examples

1-minute video at 1080p:

• Low Quality (3 Mbps): ~22 MB
• Medium Quality (6 Mbps): ~45 MB
• High Quality (10 Mbps): ~75 MB

Issue: Conversion Failed

Solutions:

• Check if MOV file is corrupted (try playing it first)
• Ensure enough disk space for output file
• Try a different conversion method
• Update your conversion software

Issue: Poor Quality After Conversion

Solutions:

• Increase bitrate settings
• Use H.264 or H.265 codec
• Don't convert already compressed videos multiple times
• Match or exceed original video bitrate

Issue: Audio Out of Sync

Solutions:

• Use "copy" codec for audio if possible
• Ensure frame rate matches original
• Try different conversion software

Issue: File Size Too Large

Solutions:

• Lower bitrate settings
• Use H.265 codec (smaller files, same quality)
• Reduce resolution if acceptable
• Use 2-pass encoding for better compression