If you’re a Mac user who deals with video, you’ve likely come across a MOV file at one point or another. This is the proprietary format Apple uses for Quicktime, the built-in media player that comes with nearly all iterations of MacOS. Much like MPEG-2 files, however, the MOV format never achieved widespread usage, rendering it a pain to use for users who opt for an operating system or device that doesn’t fall under Apple’s umbrella. If you watch or edit your videos on a Mac, you can probably stick with using MOV files, but if you’re looking for a format with greater support, you’ll likely want to convert them MP4. Here’s how to do so, using both desktop and web-based tools.
How to convert MOV files using iMovie (MacOS)
Step 1: First, launch iMovie, the proprietary video-editing software that came with your Mac. If the program isn’t already housed in your dock, click the Finder icon, select Applications in the left-hand pane, and select the program from the resulting list. Once open, click the File menu in the application toolbar and select New Movie from the drop-down menu.
Step 2: When prompted to select a theme, just choose No Theme.
Step 3: In iMovie, click the button labeled Import Media…
Step 4: Find the MOV file you want to convert, select it, and click Import Selected button in the bottom-right corner.
Step 5: Once done, iMovie will open the video as a new Project. Then, click the File menu in the application toolbar and select Share from the drop-down menu.
Step 6: Select the File option in the resulting menu and edit your preferences — if you wish — before clicking Next in the bottom-right corner.
Step 7: A window will open, asking you to choose a location on your hard drive to save the file. Do this, then click Save. Your movie file will be exported to that location as an MP4 file!
How to convert MOV files using CloudConvert (web-based)
If you’re using a device other than a Mac — such as a Windows-based PC — you can still easily convert MOV files to MP4 using an online application. As an example, we’ll use CloudConvert, a freemium piece of software designed to handle a wide range of file formats with little to no hassle. It’s been our go-to choice for years, but given you have to upload your video files to a remote server, keep in mind that the company that converts your video may have access to it. We sincerely doubt anything would come of it, but keep in mind if you wish to continue.
Step 1: First, navigate to the CloudConvert website and click the Select Files button near the top of the page. Afterward, select the MOV file you wish to convert and click Open in the bottom-right corner of the pop-up window.
Step 2: Click the down arrow beside the format type — in this case, MOV. Then, select video from the drop-down menu and click mp4 from the resulting list of options.
Step 3: Once you’ve made your selection, click the red Start Conversion button in the bottom-right corner. The process may take a while, depending on the size of the file, but once done, click the green Download button near the top of the page. Then, choose a save location for the resulting video, click Save, and enjoy!
