What to Know
- An MP4 document is likewise known as an MPEG-4 video record.
- You can play one with VLC, Movies & TV, Windows Media Player, and other apps.
- MP4s can be converted to video types like MOV or AVI with Any Video Converter.
This article explains what an MP4 video document is, how to play and edit one, and how to convert one to different video formats that could paintings higher for your tool.
What Is an MP4 File?
A file with the MP4 file extension is an abbreviation for an MPEG-four video record, that is a compressed file layout that could include no longer most effective video and nonetheless pics but additionally audio and subtitles.
MP4 files are usually visible while you download a video from the net or use a DVD-ripping software to keep a DVD for your computer.
Files like this that handiest have audio are every so often saved with the .M4A extension.
How to Open an MP4 File
The easiest way to play MP4 files is to double-click on the MP4 and let your pc decide which default software to open. Since most humans have already got a compatible participant set up, together with Microsoft’s Movies & TV or Windows Media Player, the MP4 should open mechanically.
If the MP4 doesn’t open, you then in all likelihood do not have a program established to view and edit it. We recommend the unfastened VLC player. This tremendous MP4 report participant supports this video layout and plenty of others, inclusive of audio documents, on all the most important running systems.
Important: If your favored video player does not open MP4 files, you can want to put in an MPEG-4 codec. This is a small piece of software that lets in your computer to understand MP4 files and feature them play nicely in some thing player you use.
X Codec Pack is a free collection of famous codecs that works in most variations of Windows. After set up, you’ll be able to play MP4 and almost all different popular video codecs to your preferred player. Just watch out for the ads on that X Codec Pack website online—they can appearance deceivingly like down load links!
MP4 documents are supported by way of default on many mobile devices, like iPad, iPod contact, iPhone, and Android gadgets. You don’t need to install an app to play MP4 films sent to you over text or opened on net pages.
Several packages additionally allow enhancing of MP4 documents without spending a dime, like VSDC Free Video Editor and Lightworks.
Tip: If you find that an utility on your PC does try to open the MP4 record however it’s the incorrect software, or in case you’d alternatively have another hooked up application open these documents, change which program opens MP4 documents by way of default in Windows.
How to Convert an MP4 File
One of the easier-to-use programs for MP4 conversions is Any Video Converter. It helps saving MP4s to codecs like MKV, FLV, and AVI. Another option is to apply Zamzar to convert MP4 to WEBM, MPG, AC3, OGG, FLAC, MOV, and other codecs.
Zamzar additionally supports MP4 to GIF conversions to transform a video record to an lively image. TinyWow is another technique. A one of a kind converter like Ezgif is a higher alternative if the video exists on-line.
These converters paintings online to your browser, so it’d take some time for the video to upload on the grounds that most films are quite huge. Also, after the video is transformed, you must down load it once more to get it again for your computer, which might not be a short method.
If none of those options seem to be running for you, other free video converter applications and on-line services may work out higher, some of which also aid free MP4 enhancing, like clipping and cropping.
Tip: If you just need to mute the video, TinyWow works great for that.
Still Can’t Open It?
Double-check the report extension if not one of the applications stated above will open your document. What’s probably occurring is that you’re misreading the document extension, confusing a comparable one with MP4. M4P is a prime example.