Video is one of the primary forms of content on the internet today. From YouTube to Instagram, videos can be found on almost every other post besides images or ads. Videos are more engaging; that’s why content creators are focusing on video creation rather than on any other form of content. If you see the statistics, in a study done by Oberlo, it was found that 85% of all internet users in the United States watched online video content monthly on any of their devices. That means viewers expect more video content, and it is the duty of creators to provide the consumers with content.
Video marketers and content creators are focusing on creating video content to attract more consumers. Many are investing in producing good quality videos; it receives a positive response. Statistics say that 88% of video marketers are satisfied with the ROI of their video marketing efforts on social media. That’s great news!
However, there is a downside to video content. Videos tend to be larger, and sometimes it is hard to upload it to various platforms like YouTube or Instagram. The issues of file size can be solved by compressing the video. If you are new to video creating and want to know about how to compress a video file, we are here to help you out. Before we dive into the how part of compressing a video, we need to learn about the various aspects of a video size.
A video size depends on many factors, you must have seen shorter videos, which are larger and longer videos, which are smaller in size, and you must have wondered why that is. When it comes to video size, three factors determine the size of a video.
Resolution is the number of pixels presented in your video. It is usually represented by a horizontal x vertical measurement of the video. Take, for example, the native HD, also referred to as 1080p resolution, which has a measurement of 1920 x 1080. The higher the resolution, the better the quality of the video.
You need to decide about the resolution, depending on the platform on which you want to upload your video. If you wish to upload your video on Youtube and your viewers primarily watch it on their smartphones, the best resolution would be 1080p for you. However, if your audience likes to stream your content on their TV, then you need a higher resolution, like in 1440p or 1080p, which is suitable for larger screens.
Bitrate is a contributing factor in determining the video file size. It is the measure of how much information is transmitted every second and is usually measured in Mpbs (and sometimes kbps). The lower the bitrate, the smaller the size of the video. But make sure your bitrate does not go lower than the standard bitrate like 1mbps for a 360p resolution video.
Most creators nowadays are using a variable bit rate. It allows your video to go above or dip below your target bitrate. But the great thing about preferring variable bitrate is you get amazing video quality. Even though you have little control over the file size, the video quality turns out to be great. That means the video will transmit more information during scenes.
Video encoding means converting video input into a digital format that is compatible with most types of Web players and mobile devices. A video file has two parts – a code and a container. In simple language, Codec is the sequence of video scenes in the file, and the container is the wrapper that holds the Codec. Its encoding determines the format of a video. Most of the experienced creators recommend using H.264 encoding with an MP4 encoder. It is the best format and does not compromise with the video quality.
There may be a couple of reasons that you may want to share the video content across multiple social media platforms you have, especially both YouTube and Instagram.
Everyone has their own reasons when it comes to getting a YouTube video on Instagram. Do it the right way, make sure you have checked or even DM the original creator to ask for his permission if it is alright for you to share his YouTube video on Instagram at all.
Uploading a long video can take a lot of time, that’s why you need to compress. There are a few ways in which you can compress a video without comprising the video quality.
The best way to compress video or reduce its size is to trim it. Chop off unnecessary parts that don’t serve the purpose, or trim the beginning and the end of the video. It will reduce video file size and make your uploading process easier.
While audio is an integral part of a video, sometimes it isn’t necessary. In such cases, you can remove the audio from the video, which will reduce the video file size considerably.
There is numerous software out there that can help you with compressing video. VLC, Shotcut, and QuickTime player are excellent choices of video compressor.
Apple has its own media player, QuickTime player. It also acts as a video compressor. All you have to do is:
One thing to keep in mind is, QuickTime Player does not support resizing. So if you want to change the dimensions of your video, you’ll need to use another tool.
We already talked about how to reduce file size in mac, but what about compressing videos in other operating systems. VLC is a desktop software that can be used to reduce video file size.
(VLC does not offer compression based on size but based on the use of the video. It has options like Video for YouTube HD, video for android, video for iPod)
To further reduce the size of the video, you can change the dimensions of the video.
If you are compressing a long video, it may take some time to save it. So be patient.
Cloud services are best when you want to share large video files with clients or friends. Dropbox, Google Drive, One Drive, are some of the popular cloud services that enable you to transfer big video files quickly.
For instance, in Google Drive, you just need to register with your Gmail account, and all your data gets backed up. For sharing a big video, you need to register an account then download the desktop client or access the service online. Then you can upload the video file to the cloud (Google Drive or Dropbox) and share the generated link by email with your colleague or friend.
As we all know, MP4 is the most common video format. Even YouTube recommends users to upload videos in MP4 format. But what if the MP4 video of yours is large? You need to find a way to compress such video files.
Online video compressors are available on the Web like Clipchamp and Videosmaller. Here is how you can use these websites to compress video.
If you don’t want to install an app and compress video, then there are websites where you can do video compression. Videosmaller is the easiest place to reduce file size online. All you have to do is upload your file, tweak a couple of options, like choose low compression to compress, do scaling and remove audio if needed and you are good to go.
Clipchamp is another video compressor you can use on the Web. But unlike Videosmaller, Clipchamp isn’t free. It has a paid plan you can subscribe to if you want to use a video compressor regularly.
If you want to create short videos or want to reduce video size for any platform, then Offeo can help you out. With Offeo’s YouTube to Mp4 Converter that is completely free, you can select from various sizes and video quality of your video to maximize your content on Social Media. You can also change the format to square, landscape, or vertical formats according to your needs.
Apple developed the MOV file container format. This file extension is one of the most used video container formats in video editing software. However, the MOV format may not be compatible with all the video players. So, you can compress the video with the help of online video compressors.
You can convert it in a free online MOV compressor and change the format to MP4, which is compatible with most of the players. Handbrake and Cloudconvert are some of the few video compressors available online.
Video compression is necessary at times; it reduces file size and also makes uploading easier. Whenever you need to transfer or upload a large file, you need to compress video. Windows inherent has the feature to reduce video file size. You can convert the file to the Zip file. It will reduce the file size without changing the quality of the file or losing any data.
Nowadays, creators often feel the need to create high-quality videos, but what bothers them is the size of videos. Even when you want to download a video file, you feel the need to compress it. Offeo’s YouTube To MP4 tool lets you compress and download YouTube videos for free.
All you need to do is, copy the link of the YouTube Video you want to compress, then visit OFFEO’s YouTube To MP4 free tool. Paste the link of the video, and click “Convert”. You will find a variety of formats available. Choose from different video quality bitrate and download immediately. Our platform lets you compress a YouTube video, without any fuss with just a click.
Once you are done with your video conversion, try out OFFEO’s video maker. Add in graphics, text and animation to your videos.