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Media conversion guides for Mac
A video will not open for its recipient, an attachment is too large, you only need the sound from a recording, or an editor rejects an image format. Start with the problem, then choose a suitable format. These guides explain the steps, what conversion can change, and how to check the result.
Start with the task in front of you
Video formats
How to convert MOV to MP4 on Mac
Make recordings easier to share while understanding re-encoding, file size, and audio-track tradeoffs.
Read guide → How to convert MOV to MP4 on MacVideo compression
How to compress video on Mac and check its quality
Choose among three compression presets, compare real output, and balance size with detail for sharing.
Read guide → How to compress video on Mac and check its qualityAudio extraction
How to extract MP3 or M4A audio from video on Mac
Keep the sound from recordings or footage and choose between MP3 and AAC in M4A.
Read guide → How to extract MP3 or M4A audio from video on MacImage formats
How to convert WebP images to PNG on Mac
Prepare still WebP images for apps that need PNG, checking transparency, dimensions, and animation limits.
Read guide → How to convert WebP images to PNG on MacConvert, compress, or extract?
- Cannot open or import a file? Check the formats and codecs supported by the destination app before converting. Renaming the extension does not change the encoding.
- File too large? Decide whether you need its full duration and picture, then compare a compressed result. Converting to MP4 or PNG does not guarantee a smaller file.
- Only need the sound? Extract MP3 or M4A directly instead of compressing the entire video first. Extracting audio is different from muting a video.
- Does the file contain transparency, animation, multiple audio tracks, or subtitles? Decide what you need to preserve before converting, and keep the source file.