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How to Compress a Video on Mac

Make a video file smaller with presets or custom settings. Works great with MP4 and MOV (QuickTime). 4 GB can become ~1 GB.

Steps

  1. Install Video Compressor for Mac from the Mac App Store.
  2. Drag your video into the app or click Add Files.
  3. Select a preset (1080p/720p) or set a custom bitrate to reduce size.
  4. Preview quality and click Compress to export.

Why this works

Re-encoding with efficient settings and optional downscaling is the most reliable way to shrink file size without a visible drop in quality.

Smart starting points

Try 1080p for general sharing or 720p for messaging. Then adjust bitrate in small increments while comparing the live preview to keep detail while shrinking size.

Compatibility vs. size

For broad compatibility across devices and browsers, use settings that align with widely supported formats. Higher efficiency settings can reduce size further where supported—use the preview to choose the best trade‑off.

Download on the Mac App Store

Free download · macOS 15.0+

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