Sometimes a perfectly good MP4 is not what the software in front of you wants. Some Apple editing apps, and some workflows built around QuickTime, are happier with a MOV file. If you have been told to send a MOV, or an app keeps complaining about your MP4, this is the page you need.
You can convert MP4 to MOV here in your browser, without uploading the clip. The job is usually a quick repackage, not a full re-encode. Below we explain why, how to run it, and what to do when you want something different.
How to convert MP4 to MOV
- Drop your .mp4 or .m4v file onto the tool above.
- Check that "Convert to" is set to MOV. The tile reads "QuickTime, for Apple apps".
- Look at the Quality control. You may see a note that the video is copied as it is.
- Leave "Keep the sound" on, unless you want a silent file.
- Press Convert and save your MOV. Several files can be saved together as a zip.
There is no account and no watermark, and video tools are not counted in the free daily limit that applies to document conversions.
MP4 and MOV: same video, different box
Many people assume they are very different, but the two formats are cousins. MP4 and MOV are both containers, and they share a lot of design ancestry. MOV is the one made by Apple for QuickTime, while MP4 became the common standard that works on almost every device. Apple devices play both without any fuss, which is why the choice rarely matters until a specific app asks for one. A container holds a picture track and a sound track, and the same H.264 picture can sit happily in either.
Most of the time, the sound is carried across too, so the new file plays just like the old one. That is why this conversion is usually fast. The tool lifts the video out of the MP4 and places it in a MOV, a quick repackage. When it can do this, the Quality control shows the message "This video is copied as it is into the new format, so the quality does not change it." Nothing is re-encoded, so the picture is exactly the one you started with.
| MP4 | MOV | |
|---|---|---|
| Origin | Open standard | Apple QuickTime |
| Plays on | Almost everything | Apple apps first, many others too |
| Typical use | Sharing and uploads | Editing and Apple workflows |
| Tool tile | H.264. Plays everywhere | QuickTime, for Apple apps |
Why would you want a MOV file?
In most cases, you do not need one. That surprises people, because MOV sounds like the more professional choice. In practice the two often carry the very same picture, and the difference is mostly about which software is happy to open the file. MP4 plays nearly everywhere, so if you only want to watch or share a clip, leave it as it is. A MOV earns its place in a few specific situations.
- An editing app or a plugin on a Mac that prefers QuickTime files.
- A client, teacher or studio that asks for MOV in their instructions.
- A workflow where every file in a project is already MOV, and consistency saves trouble.
- Importing a clip into a QuickTime-based tool that rejected the MP4.
It is worth asking whether the format is really the problem. Sometimes an app rejects a file because the picture inside is unusual, and changing the box will not help. If that happens, the cause may be the frame rate or the size of the picture. Change frame rate can help with the first, and compress video with the second, before you try the conversion again.
When the picture does need re-encoding
If the video inside your MP4 cannot be dropped straight into a MOV, the tool encodes it again. Then the Quality setting does matter. Balanced stays visually close to the original, Best keeps the most detail, and Smaller gives the lightest file. Each option shows an estimated size, so you can compare before you press Convert. A re-encode takes longer than a repackage and compresses the picture once more, so avoid doing it needlessly. If the first result looks fine, there is no reason to run it again at a higher setting, and if it does not, the original MP4 is still there for another go.
Settings, speed and limits
| Control | What it does | Advice |
|---|---|---|
| Convert to | MP4, WebM, MOV or MKV | Leave it on MOV |
| Quality | Smaller, Balanced or Best, with size estimates | Balanced, unless the clip is copied as it is |
| Keep the sound | Keeps or removes the sound track | On, for most clips |
MP4 files have no size limit here. The note beside the Convert button says "Fast, on this device. Nothing uploaded". A repackage of even a big file is quick, because the picture is not rebuilt. Where the picture does have to be rebuilt, expect it to take longer, in proportion to the length of the clip and the speed of your computer. Several files can be converted in one go and saved as a zip, which is handy when a whole project folder needs the same treatment.
The tool works in current Chrome, Edge and Firefox. On a Mac, open this page in one of those browsers. If you only need part of the clip in the MOV, cut it first with trim video.
Privacy
Footage for clients, teams and unreleased projects is often under agreement not to leave your control. Your clip is never uploaded. The conversion runs on your own computer, and the server does no video work. That is handy for client footage and unreleased work. See the privacy page for how it works.
The converted file keeps your original name with a .mov ending, so a folder of clips stays easy to follow. If a clip is already a MOV and you convert it to MOV again, the tool adds "_converted" to the name so your original is not overwritten.
Going the other way, from QuickTime back to the common format, is covered by the MOV to MP4 page, and the main convert video page lists every format.
Get your MOV in moments
To convert MP4 to MOV, drop your file into the tool above and press Convert. For clips with H.264 video this is a quick repackage with no quality loss, and the video never leaves your computer. Your original MP4 is never changed, so you can keep it for sharing and use the MOV only where an Apple app or a client asked for it. If a conversion does not behave the way you hoped, run it again or check the Quality setting.
It is free, with no watermark and no account, so give it a go.
