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A Full Guide on How to Compress Video on Mac

Myra updated on Feb 14, 2023 | Home > Video Converter Tips
Why Do You Need to Compress Videos on Mac
Videos shot or made on Apple devices usually come out in high quality and high quality usually means big video size, you might then need to compress the video to be able to store and share it easily. Compressing video has become easier these days with the great number of compressors we have, but Apple being a brand on its own usually has some unique features that set it apart from the others, sometimes, some video formats may not work on devices because the format is not supported. Let's get right into how to compress video files on Mac.
Compress Video in iMovie
iMovie is Apple's video editing software that comes built-in on Mac devices. Features a series of video editing tools from simple tools like converting, trimming, and cropping video to advanced editing options like screen, audio, and webcam recording with picture-in-picture function, video editing with green-screen effects, background removal and replacement, add or remove watermark and of course, compressing video file mac. While most built-in editors may just be for simple and casual editing, iMovie can be used to create and edit videos professionally.
Features:
- Video and Audio converter
- Video compression
- Audio and video enhancement features
- Color correction features
- Trimming and cropping videos
- Split and merge video clips
- How to Compress Video on Mac with iMovie
Step 1. Launch iMovie and Import media
Open iMovie on your Mac, select create a new project, then click on File, and import a file. Select the file you want to import and drag it into the timeline.
Step 2. Reduce Resolution
Without performing any other edit, click on the Export icon at the top right corner to bring up the export options. To compress video iMovie, you need to reduce the resolution, not the quality, if you don't mind quality reduction, then you can choose the quality option.
Step 3. Save and Export
Leave the Compress option on Best quality and click on Save and let iMovie export your video for you with compressed size.
Reduce Video File Size on Mac with Movavi Video Converter
Movavi video editor has everything you would ever need to make your video even more stunning and professional and that is also including video compression. Create a video or edit ones you already have, add filters and effects, and create slideshows with creative transitions. Movavi also has an intuitive interface that is very easy for even beginners to get used to, and you don't need any prior editing experience.
Features:
- Conversion and compression
- Cropping, trimming, splitting, and merging clips
- Create gifs, stickers, and animated stickers
- Batch processing
- Transition effects and filters
Compress Video with Movavi
Step 1. Upload Video
Open Movavi on your Mac, on the main screen, click on the blue tab at the top left corner with Add Media. Choose "Add Video" and upload a video for editing.
Step 2. Change format and File size
When you upload a video, a thumbnail will be created and some output format options will be displayed at the bottom of the screen, select one and go to the thumbnail, and change the video size by moving the slider.
Step 3. Convert
Click on the Convert at the bottom and start to compress. This app supports batch conversion so you can compress more than one video at a time with Movavi.
Compress Video Files on Mac with VLC
VLC is a completely free video media player that has been around for a while. Although it is well known for its ability to play virtually any video format, it supports a fairly long list of audio and video format. Other video editing features like cropping, trimming, compressing, and converting video can also be done on the same VLC media player. Its compression method deals with reducing resolution and editing some codecs, so it keeps quality most of the time.
Features:
- Media player
- Video compression and conversion
- Video editing
- Import and edit soft subtitles
How to Compress Video on Mac with VLC:
Step 1. Import Video
Click on File at top of the interface and click on Convert/Save. In the pop-up box, click on Add and select the video(s) you want to compress.
Step 2. Set Parameters
Click on the drop-down arrow beside Start and select Convert. Next, click on the settings icon, change to "Video codec" and under the codec tab, change to h.265 then under Resolution tab, reduce the settings as you see fit.
Step 3. Save
Click on Save and Start.
Reduce Video Size on Mac Online with Clideo
Clideo is a neat online tool with amazing video editing features; compressor, converter, video and audio merger and split, create and generate mem, crop, trim and resize video, etc. It is an online tool, so there is no need for downloading, you just need to access the website and you can begin editing your video.
Features:
- Video and Audio conversion
- Fast compression
- Makes preview available
- Split and Merge video
How to Compress Video on Mac with Clideo
Step 1. Visit the website
Go to www.clideo.com on your browser. Click on the compress option.
Step 2. Upload a video
Click on the choose video tab to select a video from your file explorer or on the drop-down arrow to upload it from the cloud.
Step 3. Compress
The video will be processed in a short while and Clideo will generate a recommended compression, and download it to your device or your cloud storage.
The Conclusion
Compressing videos on Mac is not hard nor complicated, you just need to have a very good video compressor. Use advanced compressors like EaseUS Video Converter for compressing your video without quality loss, it has 30X processing speed and supports over 500+ formats, the number of converters that can beat that is not very many, and some of them would even add watermarks, EaseUS performs video editing without watermark. The choice is still left to the users, use the compressor that suits your taste
FAQ
1. How do I compress a video on Mac without losing quality?
You can reduce video size by lowering the video quality using built-in tools like QuickTime and iMovie. However, if you want lossless compression, use tools like VLC and Handbrake because they compress videos at the codec level and ensure no quality loss.
2. Can QuickTime compress videos?
Yes, QuickTime can be used for casually compressing video by lowering the video quality
3. How do I compress a video file to email on Mac?
You can use compression tools like QuickTime, Movavi, iMovie, and VLC. Online tools like VEED.io, Clideo, media.io, etc. can also do the job