MP4 to MOV
MP4 to MOV in seconds: compatible picture and sound are rewrapped untouched as a QuickTime .mov. Free, no sign-up, no watermark, no file count limit.
- Free & unlimited
- No sign-up
- Files never uploaded
- No watermark
- Up to 2 GB per file
How to convert MP4 to MOV
Three clicks in a desktop browser. The default mode copies the streams, so there is nothing to tune.
- 1
Drop in the .mp4 or .m4v
Drag the file onto the page or browse for it. The size, length and resolution show up before you commit to anything.
- 2
Keep Fast Copy, or pick Re-encode
Fast Copy moves compatible video and audio into a MOV untouched. Choose Re-encode for a smaller file, a lower resolution, or H.264 for an app or device that can't play HEVC.
- 3
Save the QuickTime file
Click Convert to MOV. You get the same file name ending in .mov, with the original and new sizes shown next to each other.
Why this MP4 to MOV converter keeps quality
MP4 and MOV can hold the same codecs, so most files only need a new container around them.
Identical streams, measured
In our test, a 6-second 720p H.264 MP4 became a MOV in under a second. The video and audio streams were identical and the file size did not change.
No ProRes bloat
With Fast Copy, the MOV keeps the compatible H.264 or HEVC already inside your MP4. It is not transcoded to ProRes, so the file stays the size it was instead of growing several times over.
HEVC that Apple apps open
H.265 video is tagged hvc1 in the new file. That is the label QuickTime Player, Final Cut Pro and iPhone look for before they agree to play HEVC.
Subtitles, chapters, every audio track
Text subtitles carry over as QuickTime text tracks and chapter markers stay put. All audio tracks are kept, not just the first one.
Odd audio fixed on the way
An MP4 carrying AC3, Opus or FLAC sound gets only that track converted to AAC at 192 kbps, even in Fast Copy. The result screen says how many audio tracks were converted.
MP4 to MOV converter vs QuickTime, VLC and upload sites
The routes Google and the Apple and Microsoft forums suggest, side by side.
| This converter | QuickTime Export As | VLC Convert/Save | Upload converters | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Video inside the MOV | Original stream, copied when compatible | New encode at the size you pick | Re-encoded by the chosen profile | Depends on the site |
| Audio | Kept; AC3 or Opus becomes AAC | Re-encoded | MP3 with the common H.264 profile | Depends on the site |
| Time for a short clip | Under a second in our 6 s test | Encode time, set by length and size | Encode time, set by the profile | Upload, queue, download |
| Real QuickTime container | Yes | Yes | Only the name, unless you change the muxer | Depends on the site |
| Works on Windows | Yes, in the browser | No, Mac only | Yes | Yes |
| Your video leaves the computer | No | No | No | Yes, kept on their servers; retention depends on the service |
| Cost | Free, no account | Free with macOS | Free, open source | Limits and pricing depend on the service |
Who needs to convert MP4 to MOV
Usually it is not about quality. Someone, or some app, simply asks for a .mov.
Windows editors sending to a Mac
A collaborator on Final Cut Pro wants MOV, and Windows doesn't include an obvious tool for it. The browser does it without installing anything.
Clients with a .mov delivery spec
Some agencies and post houses list MOV in their file requirements. A Fast Copy rewrap of compatible video meets the letter of the spec with no generation loss.
iMovie and Final Cut Pro libraries
Both apps import plenty of MP4s already. When one refuses a file, or your library is all .mov, a QuickTime copy keeps things consistent.
Keynote and QuickTime Player
Embedding a clip in a Keynote deck or trimming it in QuickTime Player is simpler when the file is already in Apple's own container.
Camera and phone footage archives
If your camera originals are MOV, converting stray MP4 downloads and screen captures gives the archive one format to sort and search.
What's the difference between MP4 and MOV?
Less than the names suggest. MOV is Apple's QuickTime file format, and MP4 was standardized from it, so both are containers built from the same kind of boxes, called atoms. Each can hold H.264 or HEVC video, AAC audio, text subtitles and chapters.
The differences sit at the edges. MOV is the native format of Apple's apps and can carry pro codecs such as ProRes. MP4 is the format the web and most non-Apple devices expect.
So picture quality is set by the codec and bitrate inside, not by the extension. When the codecs are compatible, a Fast Copy conversion keeps the exact bits, which is why the MOV looks identical and weighs the same as the MP4 it came from.
Common mistakes when you change MP4 to MOV
Mistake: Expecting a ProRes file for heavy editing.
Do this instead: This tool keeps H.264 or HEVC. If your editor needs ProRes intermediates, create them with the editor's own export or transcode option.
Mistake: Renaming the file from .mp4 to .mov.
Do this instead: The header still declares an MP4, which strict apps and upload checks can reject. Fast Copy writes a genuine QuickTime header just as quickly.
Mistake: Picking Re-encode out of habit.
Do this instead: Re-encoding costs a little detail and runs at about real time for 1080p. Use it when you want a smaller file, a lower resolution, or H.264 for an app that can't play HEVC.
Mistake: Trying to re-encode an AV1 MP4.
Do this instead: The converter has no AV1 decoder, so Re-encode fails on these. Fast Copy still moves the AV1 stream into the MOV.
Mistake: Loading a recording bigger than 2 GB.
Do this instead: Browser memory runs out around that point. Split the recording first, or use desktop FFmpeg for that one file.
Privacy, cost and limits of the MOV converter
Nothing leaves your computer
Your file is converted on your own device and is never uploaded to our servers. The tab downloads the converter, about 32 MB from jsDelivr, once; the browser caches it for later visits.
Free with no strings
No account, no watermark and no cap on the number of files. Files go through one at a time rather than in a batch.
Tested size ceiling
Plan on about 2 GB per file. A 1.6 GB file converted in our tests, while a 2.1 GB one stopped with an out-of-memory error.