Convert QuickTime to MP4
We turn QuickTime into MP4 right in your browser — the file never goes to a server.
What you will lose
Nothing important: the target format does everything the source does.
How they differ
| QuickTime | MP4 | |
|---|---|---|
| Lossless | no | no |
| Lossy | yes | yes |
| Multichannel | yes | yes |
| Tags | yes | yes |
| Released | 1991 | 2001 |
| Author | Apple | MPEG |
QuickTime
Good at
- What an iPhone records and what Apple editing software prefers
- Holds professional codecs, ProRes among them
- Built like MP4 inside, so repacking costs nothing in quality
Awkward about
- Outside Apple hardware it opens reluctantly
- Recordings are markedly heavier than the same clip as MP4
- Awkward to send: messengers often turn it down
Use it when
- The footage came off an iPhone and goes into an edit
- The whole workflow stays inside Apple software
- You need the best-quality master before compressing
MP4
Good at
- Plays on everything: TVs, car stereos, phones a decade old
- Carries several audio tracks, subtitles and chapters in one file
- Streams well: playback starts before the file has finished loading
Awkward about
- Anything can be inside — the extension does not tell you if it will play
- The audio is almost always lossy, so it is not a master copy
- Editing without re-encoding is close to impossible in this container
Use it when
- The video is being sent or published and has to open for everyone
- Footage from a phone that people will simply watch
- One audio track is all you need
Common questions
- Does the file get uploaded to a server?
- Yes, this pair needs the server: browsers cannot encode that format. The file and the result are deleted within a couple of hours and never shared.
- Will surround sound survive?
- Yes, MP4 carries more than two channels — 5.1 stays 5.1.
- Can I get the original quality back afterwards?
- No. MP4 is lossy, and the discarded detail cannot be recovered. Keep the original if you may still need it.
- How many files, and how large?
- Up to 3 files at a time, 500 MB each. No sign-up, no watermarks.