Videos can take up a lot of storage space, especially high definition and 4K videos. A short 5 minute video in 4K format can easily be over 500MB in size. This can quickly eat up storage on your phone, computer, or other devices.
If you need to send a video via email or text, upload it online, or just want to save space, converting the video to a smaller file size is a good option. Compressing and downsizing a video file reduces the MBs and maintains good quality.
There are several ways to convert and compress large video files to smaller MB sizes. In this article, we’ll go over the main methods and options for reducing video file sizes.
Why Compress Video Files?
Here are some of the main reasons you may want to compress and convert video files to smaller sizes:
- Send videos via email or messaging apps – Large files over 25MB may not send
- Upload videos to social media sites that limit file size
- Post videos on blogs or other sites that max out on MBs
- Save space on your phone, computer, external drives
- Faster uploading and downloading of smaller files
- Easier sharing and transferring of compressed videos
The purpose is to maintain good video quality while significantly reducing the file size. Compressed videos with smaller MB sizes are easier to store, transfer, and share online.
Video Codecs for Compression
When looking to reduce video file sizes, one of the main factors is the video codec. A codec is the algorithm that encodes and decodes a digital media file such as a video.
Some popular video codecs include:
- H.264 – Offers good compression while maintaining high quality. Widely supported.
- H.265 (HEVC) – Newer than H.264, compresses even better at similar quality.
- VP9 – Open source codec created by Google. Similar compression as H.264.
- AV1 – Royalty free codec that compresses better than H.265 with good quality.
H.264 and H.265 are two of the most efficient codecs and widely used for video compression. The newer H.265 can compress up to 50% smaller than H.264 with similar quality. AV1 is a newer codec that is gaining support and can compress even better.
Using one of these efficient codecs will help significantly reduce the file size versus an uncompressed or less optimized codec. The codec plays a major role in retaining quality while lowering file size.
Video Resolution
In addition to the codec, the video resolution is also a key factor in the file size. Higher resolution videos take up much more space.
Some common video resolutions are:
- 4K (3840 x 2160) – Very large files
- 1440p (2560 x 1440)
- 1080p HD (1920 x 1080) – Standard HD
- 720p HD (1280 x 720)
- 480p (720 x 480)
- 360p (640 x 360) – Lower quality but very small files
4K and 1440p videos produce very large file sizes, while 720p and below are much smaller. The resolution can be reduced to decrease file size. This will lower the quality, but 720p or 1080p is sufficient for many uses, especially online viewing or social media sharing.
Video Bitrate Settings
The video bitrate determines the amount of data used per second of video to store information like colors and resolution. A higher bitrate equals better quality and larger files.
Bitrate is measured in kilobits per second (Kbps). Recommended bitrates for different resolutions:
- 4K video: 16,000 to 20,000+ Kbps
- 1440p video: 8,000 to 12,000 Kbps
- 1080p HD video: 5,000 to 10,000 Kbps
- 720p HD video: 3,000 to 5,000 Kbps
- 480p video: 1,500 to 2,500 Kbps
- 360p video: 400 to 1,000 Kbps
Lowering the bitrate reduces file size, but will lower the video quality if taken too far. Finding the optimal balance between bitrate and resolution is key to maximizing compression while retaining quality.
How to Compress and Convert Video Files
Now we’ll look at some of the main ways to convert and reduce video file sizes:
Online Video Compressors
There are many free online video compressor tools and websites. These provide an easy option without having to download any software.
Some popular online video compressors include:
- Online Video Compressor – Simple and easy to use.
- YouCompress – Offers range of compression options.
- Clipchamp Video Compressor – Allows editing before compressing.
- UniConverter – Compresses with 300+ output formats.
The files can be compressed right in your web browser. Just upload the video, adjust settings like resolution and codec, then download the compressed file. Easy and fast.
Desktop Video Compression Software
For more advanced compression options, using desktop video compressor programs is preferable. These give you full control over the encoding settings.
Some of the best video compression software options include:
- Handbrake – Free open source video transcoder for Windows, Mac and Linux.
- Shutter Encoder – Fast video converter for Windows and Mac.
- FFmpeg – Command line tool for compressing, converting, streaming videos.
- WinX HD Video Converter – Compresses large video files for Windows.
- Movavi Video Converter – Compresses video with 180+ output formats.
These programs give you precise control over video settings like resolution, codec selection, frame rates, bitrates and more for maximum compression and optimization.
Video Converter Software
Video converter software like WinX and Movavi also include excellent compression capabilities. They can convert between formats while reducing file size.
Key features include:
- Support all popular video formats – MP4, AVI, WMV, MOV, FLV, MKV, etc.
- Built-in compression presets optimized for different devices
- Customizable resolution, codec, frame rates and bitrates
- Batch compress multiple videos
- Retain high quality and smooth playback
- Fast compressing and converting speed
- Simple and intuitive interface
Video converters streamline the entire process into an easy program with no learning curve required. Load the videos, pick a compression preset optimized for the target playback device, and convert to a smaller size seamlessly.
Media Players
Certain media players like VLC Media Player and 5KPlayer also include video compression capabilities.
In VLC, you can go to Media > Convert/Save and select compression settings to downsize videos. 5KPlayer also allows converting and compressing videos with various presets.
While not as full-featured as dedicated video compression software, these media players can provide a quick way to reduce video file sizes.
Online Video Resolutions
When preparing videos for online use, most social media sites and platforms provide recommended resolutions and sizes to optimize for their services. Targeting those resolutions when compressing can help reduce file sizes while maintaining quality.
Some examples include:
- YouTube – 720p or 1080p HD, MP4 format, 16:9 aspect ratio
- Facebook – Up to 4K, MP4 or MOV, up to 4GB
- Twitter – 512 x 512 pixels, up to 512MB
- Instagram – 1080 x 1080 pixels max, MP4, under 60 seconds
- TikTok – 720p or 1080p, MP4, up to 60 seconds
Review the video specs for each site as a guideline for resizing and compressing videos to upload.
Tips for Compressing Video Files
Here are some additional tips when converting and compressing video files to reduce file sizes:
- Use two-pass encoding for the best optimization between file size and quality. This analyzes the video then compresses intelligently.
- Lower resolutions like 720p will produce much smaller files than 1080p or 4K.
- Set a target file size and allow the encoder to adjust settings automatically to meet that target size.
- Reduce or lower the video bitrate until you find the optimal balance with quality.
- Use H.264 or H.265 codecs for efficient compression and compatibility.
- Trim longer videos into smaller segments for better compression.
- Compress in short 20-30 second clips for social media.
- Remove unnecessary audio tracks from videos to reduce file size.
Try compressing a video to different file sizes and compare the visual quality to find the optimal balance. Preview the results on the target device screens.
Best Practices for Video Compression
Follow these best practices when compressing and downsizing video files:
- Use two-pass encoding for optimal compression and quality.
- Pick modern codecs like H.264 or H.265 for efficiency.
- Lower resolutions before bitrates to find smallest file size.
- Be conservative and gradual when reducing bitrate.
- Visually inspect videos and compare file sizes to quality.
- Target the optimal resolutions for sharing platform.
- Compress in short segments for social media.
- Remove extra audio tracks that aren’t needed.
- Use dedicated video compression or converter software for full control.
Following these best practices will help you achieve great looking, small file sized videos ideal for sharing and uploading online.
Conclusion
Converting large, high quality video files into smaller MB sizes can be easily achieved with the right compression tools and techniques.
Key factors that determine file size are the video resolution, codec, bitrate and frame rates. Optimizing these settings while retaining quality is the goal.
Online compressors provide a quick and easy option to reduce videos instantly in the browser. For the most control, use desktop video compression or converter software. Look to target the recommended resolutions and formats for the particular online site or platform you wish to upload the videos to.
With the right combination of video codec selection, reduced resolution, optimized bitrate, and visual inspection, you can convert even very large original videos down to small MB file sizes ideal for sharing and posting online.