Chat apps, forums and web forms often limit uploads to 10 MB. Compressing a video to a target size makes it fit while keeping as much picture as that size allows, and it keeps playing everywhere as an H.264 MP4.
How to compress a video to 10 MB
- Upload the video (up to 2 GB).
- Compress to: A file size with 10 MB is already set.
- Start and download the MP4.
The target counts 1 MB as 1,000,000 bytes and keeps a small safety margin, so the file is under 10 MB whichever way the limit is counted.
How long can a 10 MB video be?
The size is shared by every second of the video, so shorter videos look better:
- Around 30 seconds keeps a clear 1080p or 720p picture.
- One to three minutes usually ends up between 540p and 360p. The compressor lowers the resolution automatically instead of producing a blocky picture, and brings 60 fps down to 30 fps.
- Longer videos get small; if 10 MB is too little for any watchable picture, the result tells you the smallest size that works.
Sound takes its share first: 128 kbps by default, automatically less when the budget is small. 64 kbps is enough for speech; removing the sound frees the most room.
Tips
- Cut the video to the moment you want to share first: half the length doubles the data for every second.
- H.265 or AV1 give a better picture in 10 MB, but only newer devices play them. H.264 is the safe choice for sending to others.
- The compression runs in two passes when there is time, which lands close to the target. If a result misses it, it is compressed once more automatically.
More about what this tool reads and writes: Video Compressor.