WMV to MP4
WMV to MP4 for Macs, iPhones and video editors that refuse Windows Media files. Re-encoded to H.264 in your browser, free, with no sign-up.
- Free & unlimited
- No sign-up
- Files never uploaded
- No watermark
- Up to 2 GB per file
How to convert WMV to MP4
Three steps in a desktop browser. A WMV is always encoded again, so plan a little time for long files.
- 1
Pick the .wmv or .asf file
Drop it on the page or browse for it. Picking only reads the file: you see its size, length and resolution before anything starts.
- 2
Choose Re-encode and a quality
High, Medium or Small file sets how much detail the H.264 copy keeps. Resolution stays Original unless you scale down to 1080p, 720p or 480p.
- 3
Click Convert and save the MP4
Keep the tab open while it works. The new file has the same name ending in .mp4, and the result screen shows the old and new sizes.
What this WMV to MP4 converter gives you
The goal is a file that Apple devices, browsers and editing apps open with no extra player.
The codecs Apple devices expect
Video comes out as H.264 and audio as AAC at 192 kbps, the pairing QuickTime, Photos and iMovie read without plug-ins.
A real quality choice
High, Medium and Small file are x264 CRF 18, 23 and 28. For a one-of-a-kind family clip, pick High and accept a bigger file.
Usually a smaller file
H.264 packs far more picture per megabyte than old Windows Media codecs. Our 1.6 MB test clip came out at 232 KB.
No fake upscaling
Resolution can only go down, so a 320x240 webcam clip stays 320x240. Sizes above the source are greyed out.
Interlaced footage fixed
Some WMVs made from TV or camcorder captures are interlaced. Those are deinterlaced on the way, so motion has no comb lines.
Ways to convert WMV to MP4, compared
Four realistic routes for a Mac or iPhone owner holding an old Windows video.
| This page | Upload converter sites | HandBrake | Install VLC, keep the WMV | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your video | Never leaves the computer | Kept on their servers; retention varies | Stays local | Stays local |
| Setup | Open the page | Open the page, then upload | Download and install an app | Install a player |
| Result | H.264 + AAC MP4 | MP4, settings vary | MP4, MKV or WebM | No new file |
| Speed on long files | Slow: one CPU core | Upload time plus queue | Usually faster, native app | Plays at once |
| Many files | One at a time | Often batches | Queue | n/a |
| Best when | A few private clips | Size and privacy don't matter | A whole folder of WMVs | You only watch on that one Mac |
When people convert WMV to MP4
WMV was the default on Windows PCs for years, so it turns up wherever old recordings meet newer devices.
Family videos from Movie Maker
Older Windows Movie Maker versions saved finished projects as WMV. Converting lets relatives on a Mac or iPad watch them.
Getting clips onto an iPhone
The iPhone's built-in apps don't play WMV. Convert on a computer, then AirDrop or sync the MP4 to the phone.
Editing in iMovie or Final Cut Pro
Apple's editors won't import WMV. An H.264 MP4 drops straight into the timeline.
Lecture and webinar archives
Course recordings from older Windows tools are often WMV. MP4 plays in a web page's built-in video player, which WMV does not.
Early webcam and camera clips
Clips from XP-era webcams are often tiny and low resolution. As MP4 they slot into a photo library or a chat like any phone video.
Old training videos at work
Company onboarding clips made years ago still circulate as WMV. MP4 versions open on the Macs and phones staff use now.
Why a WMV can't just be repackaged
A WMV file is an ASF container holding Windows Media Video (WMV1, WMV2, WMV3 or VC-1) and Windows Media Audio. MP4 has no slot for either, so a quick container swap is impossible: every frame is decoded and encoded again as H.264, and the sound becomes AAC.
Decoding Windows Media in the browser is slow. In our test, a 6-second 720p WMV2 clip took about 18 seconds, roughly three times its own length, and shrank from 1.6 MB to 232 KB. A long lecture takes a while, so leave the tab open.
Fast Copy has nothing to copy here: it re-encodes anyway, and the result screen says so. Choose Re-encode to set the quality yourself.
Mistakes to avoid when you convert WMV to MP4
Mistake: Renaming video.wmv to video.mp4.
Do this instead: The inside stays Windows Media, so a Mac still can't play it. Only a real conversion changes the codecs.
Mistake: Expecting a lossless copy.
Do this instead: Every WMV is re-encoded. For footage you care about, choose Re-encode with High to keep the most detail.
Mistake: Hoping a bigger resolution will sharpen an old clip.
Do this instead: Upscaling adds pixels, not detail, so it isn't offered. Keep Original and let the player enlarge it.
Mistake: Closing the tab during a long conversion.
Do this instead: The work happens in that tab and stops if it closes. Start long recordings when you can leave the computer alone.
Mistake: Trying a WMV bought or rented from an old online store.
Do this instead: Those files are often DRM-protected, and this converter can't read DRM-protected files.
Mistake: Deleting the WMV right away.
Do this instead: Check the MP4 plays all the way through first, then decide whether to keep the original.
Privacy, cost and limits
Stays on your computer
Your file is converted on your own device and is never uploaded to our servers. Old home videos and work recordings never pass through a stranger's server.
Free, without a cap
No account, no watermark and no limit on how many videos you convert. Files go through one after another, not as a batch.
Roughly 2 GB per file
The browser's memory sets the ceiling. A 1.6 GB file converted in our tests, while a 2.1 GB one ran out of memory.
Plain FFmpeg inside
The engine is unmodified FFmpeg 5.1.4 built for WebAssembly. The first visit downloads about 32 MB from jsDelivr; later visits use the browser cache.