Issue How To Compress Videos on Mac

How To Compress Videos on Mac

The jump in video quality observed in the last several years is nothing short of impressive with 4k resolution becoming a mainstream staple instead of an enthusiast-grade privilege. However, one unfortunate side effect has been the ballooning size of the video files. It is not uncommon for movies in higher resolutions to surpass 30-40-50 GBs in size. If we are talking about a whole series then the space it takes up on your Mac's drive could be massive. 

A potentially helpful option is to start compressing the video files that you have chosen to keep installed on your system. Although any compression comes with a certain loss in video quality, if you do not go overboard, the impact on the video will be unnoticeable. 

Use iMovie to Compress Videos

The native macOS application iMovie can handle the task of compressing your video files easily and thus freeing up more space on the system. If for some reason you do not have iMovie installed, you can get the application from the official App Store.

  1. Start iMovie.
  2. Select 'Create New.'
  3. Select 'Movie.'
  4. Now, go to 'File,' choose 'Import,' and pick the movie file you wish to compress.
  5. Drag the video to the timeline window.
  6. Select 'File,' followed by 'Share,' and finally 'File...'
  7. Adjust the export settings. 'Resolution' and 'Quality' will have the most impact on the size of the file. Set the 'Compress' option to 'Faster' from the dropdown menu.
  8. Click 'Next' to proceed.
  9. Type a name for your video and choose the location where it will be saved. 
  10. Click 'Save.'

Use Quicktime Player to Compress Videos

Another native application that can help you is Quicktime Player. Although it is mostly known for its playback capabilities, the application does have some basic editing tools. 

  1. Start Quicktime Player.
  2. Select your video via the pop-up. You can also go to 'File' and choose 'Open File.'
  3. Click on 'File,' followed by 'Export As...'
  4. Pick a lower resolution for the video. To see the original resolution of the video, click 'Window' and select 'Movie Inspector.'
  5. Give the new video file a name and choose where it will be saved. 
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