TL;DR
Follow these steps to compress a video on Mac:
- Open your video in QuickTime Player.
- Go to the File menu and select Export As.
- Choose a resolution, like 480p or 720p, to reduce the file size.
- Optionally, trim the video or make other adjustments.
- Export the video to save the compressed file.
Tried and Tested ✅: The methods and steps mentioned in this article have been tried and tested firsthand by Ojash Yadav on his MacBook Pro M3 and rechecked for errors on Hashir’s MacBook Air M2.
Ever tried to send a video from your Mac and realized it’s way too big? It’s a common issue, but there’s an easy fix: compressing the video. In this post, I’ll walk you through the best methods to reduce your video file size without sacrificing quality.
What is Video Compression?
Video compression is the process of reducing the size of a video file. Videos can be large, taking up a lot of space on your device or being slow to upload and download. Compression makes the file smaller, so it’s easier to store, share, and stream. The goal is to shrink the file size while keeping the video quality as high as possible.
Did You Know? Compressing a video using modern codecs like H.265 can reduce the file size by up to 50% more than older codecs like H.264, with only a slight difference in quality. This can save significant storage space while keeping your videos looking sharp.
How to Compress a Video on Mac
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Here are the detailed steps for each method to compress a video on Mac:
Method 1: Using Mac’s Built-in Compression Tools
When it comes to compressing videos on Mac, why look any further than the tools already at your fingertips? Your Mac comes equipped with built-in tools that allow you to compress videos without third-party software.
Let’s look at two popular options: QuickTime Player and iMovie.
1. Using QuickTime Player
Here’s how to use QuickTime Player to compress your videos on Mac:
- Launch QuickTime Player on your Mac and open the video you want to compress.
- Go to the File menu and select Export As.
- Choose a suitable format for your compressed video, such as 480p or 720p.
- You can also trim the video and make additional adjustments before exporting.
When using QuickTime, exporting at 720p is a good middle ground for quality and file size, especially if your original video is in 1080p.