Best Ways to Compress Videos to Minimum Size (Step-by-Step Guide)

Have you ever tried sending a home video and it has bounced back saying that it is “too large to send”? We’ve all been there, right? Video files can consume your device’s storage easily and slow down the sharing or uploading. Smartphones that we have today are able to shoot beautiful 4K quality clips but those high-res videos, many a times, don't even fit where you need them. Like Gmail limits attachments to about 25 MB, therefore, a few minutes of HD footage exceeding that limit can’t go through over email. 

Instead of deleting that video of yours or chopping it up in parts, you can just go ahead and compress it. In plain terms, compressing a video means shrinking the file by cutting out unnecessary bits (like redundant frames or extra audio data) and tweaking settings like resolution or bit rate. This reduces the file size while keeping the video’s clarity almost the same.

Why You Might Need to Compress Videos

Compressing a video is handy in many everyday situations. Here are a few common reasons to shrink a clip:

• Save storage space: Compressing lets you free up room on your phone or computer without losing the entire video.
• Faster sharing: You can upload, download, or share smaller files much more quickly. 
• File size limits: Many email and messaging services cap file sizes (Gmail around 25 MB, for example. A compressed video slips under those limits, so you can actually send or upload it.
• Better playback: Smaller videos stream more smoothly on social media or over slow connections, with less buffering.

In short, a good video file size reducer makes your clips easier to store, share, and play.

What is Video Compression?

Video compression as the name itself suggests itself is the process of making a video file smaller by re-encoding it. In simple words, the software you give your file to analyze the video and then it drops or reduces parts of it that won’t be noticed much. For example, if two nearby frames in that video of yours are almost identical, then one of them can be discarded or merged. Also, keep in mind that lowering the resolution say from 1080p to 720p resolution or reducing the bitrate of a video file cuts the amount of data per second. All of this happens behind the scenes so that, ideally, you get a much smaller file with nearly the same look. With the right settings, even a 1 GB video can shrink down to a few hundred MBs without a noticeable loss in quality.

Use an Online Video Compressor (Stellar’s Free Tool)

The easiest way to compress videos is with a free online tool. One great option is Stellar’s Free Online Video Compressor. This browser-based tool is always a handy video file size reducer and file compressor for MP4 and other video file formats… so no more stress. It supports common formats like MP4, MOV, AVI, WMV, and more. The best part of all of this is that it’s completely free and you can run in your web browser… then no app download or signup is required. Go ahead, upload that video file of yours, pick how much you want to shrink it, and download the result.

Step-by-Step Guide: How to Use Stellar’s Video Compressor

1. video file size reducerOpen Stellar Online Video Compressor: Go to Stellar’s Free Online Video Compressor. The page breaks the process into “3 easy steps” so you can follow along.
2. Upload your video: Click the Upload Video button on the site (it may say “Choose file” or similar) and select the video from your computer or phone.
3. Choose compression settings: After uploading, pick a compression level or quality preset. Usually, you can choose how much smaller to make the file (e.g. medium or high compression). The tool may let you preview the expected size or quality.
4. Compress the video: Hit the Compress or Start button. The tool will work on your file in the cloud – this is fast and happens securely on Stellar’s servers.
5. Download the smaller video: When it’s done, click Download to save the compressed video back to your device. Now your video size is reduced and ready to share or save easily.

Following these steps (mirroring the site’s own instructions) takes the hassle out of video compression. You never need any special software or skills – Stellar handles the technical stuff for you.

Benefits of Using Stellar’s Tool

Stellar’s online compressor offers several perks:

• Safe & secure: Your videos upload over an encrypted (SSL) connection. Stellar emphasizes that your files stay private and confidential while being processed.
• Completely free: You can compress videos at no cost. There are no trials or fees; the service is entirely free to use.
• High quality: Stellar’s tool uses smart compression codecs so the video stays crisp. In fact, it advertises “minimal quality compromise”. In practice, your compressed videos should look almost as clear as the original.
• Super easy: It runs right in your browser - no download or installation needed. You don’t need any tech expertise. Just upload and click a few buttons.

In short, you get a free video file compressor MP4 (and more) that is both powerful and user-friendly. Even beginners can follow the on-screen steps without confusion.

Tips for Better Results

To get the best balance of size vs. quality, keep these pointers in mind:

• Don’t overdo it: If preserving quality is important, avoid cranking the compression too far. A little quality loss is usually fine (often “imperceptible”), but pushing compression too high will make the video look blurry or pixelated.
• Use common formats: Output your compressed video as an MP4 using H.264 (or H.265) codec whenever possible. These formats give “smaller file sizes while maintaining quality”. In general, MP4 is the most compatible format for sharing.
• Trim unwanted parts: Before you compress that video, go ahead and edit any footage you don’t need in that video of yours like long intros, pauses, irrelevant clips. Shorter videos compress more, so trimming first can save extra space. Many simple apps or even the online tool itself allow you to crop or cut the video.

By testing different settings and only compressing as much as needed, you’ll keep your videos looking good while making them much smaller.

Conclusion

Stellar’s free online compressor, shrinking a video is quick and painless. Think of it as your personal video file size reducer – especially handy if you have a big MP4 file that you need to shrink. In just a few clicks, you can compress video size down and still enjoy good quality playback. So next time a video is too big to upload or email, just use Stellar’s tool. It’s free, easy, and fast – no stress needed.