Most e-mail services refuse attachments over about 25 MB. A video from a phone or camera is usually far larger: a minute of 4K video can take several hundred megabytes. Compressing it to a target size makes it fit, with the best picture that size allows.
How to get a video under 25 MB
- Upload the video (up to 2 GB).
- Compress to: A file size and Maximum file size: 25 MB are already set.
- Start, and download the MP4. The result shows its size, the resolution and the bitrates.
The size is counted in decimal megabytes (1 MB = 1,000,000 bytes), and a small margin is kept for the file's structure, so the result stays under the limit.
What decides the quality
The same 25 MB is spread over the whole video, so the length matters most:
- Up to about a minute: 1080p fits with a good picture.
- A few minutes: the resolution goes down (720p, then 540p or 480p) so every frame still gets enough data, and 60 fps videos become 30 fps.
- Much longer: the picture becomes small. If even the lowest resolution isn't enough, the compressor tells you the smallest target that works for your video.
The sound gets its share first (128 kbps by default, less when the budget is tight). Choosing Remove the sound leaves more room for the picture, if you don't need it.
Tips
- Trim first: sending only the part that matters gives a much better picture at the same size.
- H.265 makes the most of 25 MB with the same compatibility caveat as any newer codec: recent phones and computers play it, older ones may not.
- Many e-mail services offer a link to a large file instead of an attachment; for long videos that keeps the quality.
More about what this tool reads and writes: Video Compressor.