Convert your files from MOV to MP4 in a flash

MOV files and MP4 files are both video file types—computer files that store the data allowing you to play back a video. With that said, they’re not quite the same thing. The most notable difference? MOVs are generally larger than MP4s. Allow us to elaborate.
MOV is a video format pioneered by Apple. As such, it’s the default format for videos taken on iPhones, iPads, and other Apple devices. MOV files work with the QuickTime file format (QTFF—a file format that contains the “rules” that make MOV files work) since Apple first developed the MOV format for use with its QuickTime Player application. MOV files tend to be bigger, especially when filmed in high quality.
On the other hand, the MP4 file is more of a universal format. It was developed by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) as a generalized version of the MOV. That’s right—the MP4 was based on Apple’s MOV file. However, due to the method of compression, MP4s are typically smaller than MOV files of the same length.
Although MOV and MP4 files have their differences, they share a common purpose. Both file formats act as “digital containers” that hold all the data that makes up your finished project. In practice, that means that MP4 and MOV files contain:

• The video assets
• The audio assets
• The associated metadata (the file name, cover photo, language, description, director, and so on)

Both MOV and MP4 files are also encoded with the MPEG-4 codec. A codec (short for coder-decoder) is the compression technology that prevents video files from taking up terabytes of space. Essentially, codecs compress files on one end (whether videos or otherwise) and decompress them on the other end.

The short answer? No, as long as you do it right.
The long answer? Because MP4s and MOVs are both “containers” for video, audio, and metadata, we can think of these two file formats as two different packages that contain the same gift. Does changing the box impact the quality of the present inside? Not unless something goes wrong during the switching of containers.
The Internet is full of free MOV to MP4 converters, many of which cut corners when “packaging and repackaging” your video files. After a second-rate conversion, you might notice that your newly created MP4 doesn’t look quite like your original MOV file. Because these converters are free and easy, they see a lot of traffic, giving the creators that use them the impression that MP4s are objectively worse.
However, that doesn’t have to be the case. It’s possible to shrink the file size of a MOV by converting it to an MP4 without sacrificing the quality of your source material.
All of this is to say that, as long as the software you’re using knows how to convert a MOV to MP4 properly (like Runway), you shouldn’t experience any dips in quality.

It’s worth reducing a video file’s size anytime you need to save space. And when you consider that hard drives and cloud storage subscriptions cost you money, that means it’s almost always worth learning how to convert MOV to MP4. Let’s look at a few instances that might warrant compressing your videos:

• You’re transferring files – Whether you’re sending your collaborators files over the Internet or handing them a hard drive, size matters. Larger files take up more room and take longer to upload and download. When time is of the essence—which it often is during the editing stage of production—reduced file sizes can eliminate all kinds of headaches.
  With that in mind, if you want to work with a collaborator on a project and you’re not ready to convert your files, there’s a solution. Upload your MOV files to Runway, share the invite link, and work together on your MOV files before converting to MP4.
• You’re storing videos on a device – Technically, you don’t need to reduce file sizes to store videos on your device. However, there are cases in which reducing file size makes sense, especially if you’re not using your video in a professional capacity. To that end, whether you’re loading up your iPhone with movies for a long plane ride or making backups of all your family videos, you can store more content by converting large MOV files to compressed MP4 files.
• You’re uploading your projects to a video-sharing platform – Popular video platforms like Facebook, Twitch, YouTube, and Vimeo may seem like they have an endless capacity for uploads, but they pay for the servers that store their content, too. As such, they recommend—or, in some cases, demand—that you upload your videos as MP4s to save space. Additionally, because MP4 files are smaller than MOV files, the former are easier for your viewers to stream and download. They require less data and take less time to load.

It’s also important to note when you should not reduce the size of your video files. Namely, the industry standard is to work with the original files when editing your video. Aim to compress your video files upon export, not before (unless your machine is struggling to process your raw video files).

Along with MOV and MP4, Runway allows all users to import the following video files into a project:

• Apple ProRes (422 Proxy, 422 LT, 422, 422 HQ, 4444, 4444 XQ)
• AV1
• FLV1
• H.265 / HEVC
• MJPEG
• MPEG2 (H.262)
• MSMPEG4v3
• Theora
• VP8
• VP9

Once you’re satisfied with your project, Runway gives you the option to export to MP4 (H.264), PNG Sequence, or ProRes 4444.
When you have a global team of creators shooting in all kinds of formats, it’s essential to be able to bring all of your footage into one project. With Runway online converter, that’s no problem