Video format

.mp4

MPEG-4 Part 14

MP4 is the most widely used video format in the world. It's the default for everything from YouTube to TikTok, smartphones to streaming services. If you need one video format that works everywhere, MP4 is it.

MIME type

video/mp4

Developer

ISO / Moving Picture Experts Group

Introduced

2001

Advantages

  • Universal compatibility
  • Excellent compression with H.264/H.265
  • Supports subtitles and multiple audio tracks
  • Streaming-friendly with progressive download

Limitations

  • Lossy compression
  • Patent-encumbered codecs
  • Quality varies greatly by encoding settings
  • Large files at high quality

When to use MP4

Video sharing and social media
Streaming platforms
Mobile video recording
Web video playback

Technical details

MP4 is a container format based on Apple's QuickTime. It typically contains H.264 or H.265 video with AAC audio. Supports resolutions up to 8K, multiple audio/subtitle tracks, and metadata.

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Convert to MP4 from other formats

7 formats can be converted to MP4

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