Everyone who has a MacOS computer is familiar with the MOV extension. It is a format that uses a special compression method that Apple created for the built-in Quicktime player.
MOV is not very widespread, so when switching to another operating system, you may face the fact that none of the players installed there can read MOV.
All you have to do is learn how to convert MOV files to MP4. We'll cover two ways: converting using iMovie on MacOS and using the CloudConvert Internet service, which can be used on any computer.
How to Convert MOV via iMovie
It doesn't matter what version of MacOS you have (High Sierra or older), you shouldn't have any problems with iMovie.
Start iMovie. This application is usually installed by default. If not, you can download it for free from the App Store. Once launched, click the File menu in the toolbar and select New Movie .
The program will offer several themes for the project, select " No Theme ".
In the working window, click the button labeled " Import Media ".
Select the MOV file you want to convert, click the " Import Selected " button in the lower right corner.
iMovie will then create a new project with your video file. Click the File menu on the toolbar, select Share from the drop-down list.
Select the " File " option at the end of the list. You will see a small window in which you can change some options (tags, quality) if you want. Click the " Next " button in the lower right corner.
In the window that opens, select the location to save the file and click " Save ". The file will be exported in MP4 format.
How to Convert MOV via CloudConvert
There are tons of online services for converting video files. Let's take CloudConvert as an example, a freemium service designed to handle a wide range of formats without much hassle.
You can upload a file either from your computer or from the cloud storage DropBox, Box, Google Drive or OneDrive. Keep in mind that the service has the ability to view uploaded videos. It is unlikely that anyone will do this, but still do not allow high-profile media to leak to the Internet.
Go to the CloudConvert website and click the Select Files button. Select the MOV file you want to convert and click " Open " in the lower right corner of the pop-up window. Wait until the file is uploaded to the server.
Next to the name of the uploaded video, you will see a small window that will indicate the current format. Click on that window and find MP4 in the dropdown list.
Click the red " Start Conversion " button in the lower right corner. The operation may take several minutes, the exact time depends on the file size. When the conversion is over, the message “ Finished ” and the green button “ Download ” will appear opposite the file name. Click on it to save the finished MP4 file to your computer.
The Topic of Article: How to Convert MOV to MP4. Author: Jake Pinkman
