MP4 Files: How to Open, Convert and Send Them?

There are many video formats that you can use, from MP4V to XVID. However, MP4 is the most popular and common video format today. If you are here, MP4 is probably your go-to format for watching movies and videos on your Windows PC. However, many people still don’t know much about MP4, especially when it comes to converting it to other formats and sending it online. If that’s you, don’t worry. You came to the right place.

So, What Is an MP4 File?

MP4 stands for MPEG-4. It’s a file format containing video, audio, subtitles, and even images. So, it is usually the standard video format for audio-visual coding. You are most likely to get a video in MP4 if you download it from the internet or extract it from a DVD.

This video format is usually highly compressed, making it the smallest among all video formats. Plus, the compression does not really affect the file’s video or audio quality.

How to Open an MP4 File?

Most default video players usually support MP4 files. So, if you want to open an MP4 file on your computer, all you have to do is double-click on it. You could also right-click on the file and choose “Play” or a similar option. Your computer will open the file automatically. However, if you don’t have a default media player or have several, your machine might ask you to choose which one to use.

If you have different media players on your machine and would like to set a specific one for opening MP4 files, follow these steps:

1. Press the Windows logo key + I combination to open the Settings app.
2. Go to Apps.
3. Select “Default apps” on the left side of the screen.
4. Scroll down the right pane and click on the “Choose default apps by file type” link.
5. Scroll down the Name section to find the “.MP4” option. 
6. Click on the button on the right and select the media player you want to set.
7. Then close the Settings window.

If, for whatever reason, you don’t have a media player, we suggest you install Windows Media Player or VLC player. Ensure you get these programs from trustworthy sites to avoid getting viruses from shady websites.

Some people complain that they can’t open MP4 files on their computers, even with the default media players. If you experience the same, then download a MPEG-4 codec. This is a tool that helps your machine recognize the MP4 format and enable it to play on the right player. X Codec Pack is a good example of a codec that you can try today.

How to Convert an MP4 File?

Sometimes you might need to convert your MP4 file to other formats, such as MP3. So, how should you go about it?

Here is how to convert an MP4 file to other common formats today:

MP4 to WAV

WAV (Waveform Audio File) is a common audio format mostly used in audio editing or recording projects. It is usually uncompressed, making it bigger than other audio formats. If you want to convert MP4 to WAV, you might need to install conversion software on your computer. Video Converter is among the most reliable tools for the job. It is user-friendly, which makes the entire process smooth. Some online sites also allow you to convert MP4 files to WAV.

MP4 to MP3

MP3 is an abbreviation for MPEG-1 Audio Layer 3. It is a common format used to encode audio, mostly music files. MP3 is mostly used to compress audio files to ensure smaller file sizes. Therefore, if you want the smallest audio file, MP3 is the best option. Although some MP3 files are usually high quality, the compression can sometimes cause data loss. 

You can convert your MP4 files to MP3 using Windows Media Player or VLC Media Player. You could also use free online sites to do the same. For instance, here is how to convert MP4 to MP3 using the Windows Media Player in Windows 10:

1. Open the Windows Media Player.
2. Click “File” in the top left corner of the window and choose Open. If you can’t see the File option at the top, go to the “Organize” dropdown menu at the top, select Layout, and choose Show menu bar. The menu will appear automatically at the top.
3. Navigate to the video file you want to convert and select it. Then click on the Open button to open it in the media player.
4. Now select “File” on the menu bar and choose “Save as”.
5. Go to the File’s name section and change it from .mp4 to .mp3.
6. Now choose where to store the file and select “Save” to complete the process.

YouTube to MP4

Streaming videos on YouTube is usually fun but can sometimes get tricky when you have unstable Wi-Fi. Luckily, some online video downloaders can help you download YouTube videos in MP4 format. Therefore, if you want to do so, you must download YouTube video MP4 software, such as YMP4.

How to Send an MP4 File

MP4 files are considerably large, especially for movies and even for long music videos. However, sending large videos online is usually a struggle because most file-sharing services have limits. To avoid this inconvenience, we suggest using a professional file transfer service such as FileWhopper. This special service allows you to send even 10 TB files. Plus, it encrypts your files to ensure maximum security and transfers them reliably and fast. 

Conclusion

Opening, converting, and sending MP4 files can sometimes be tricky, but this doesn’t have to be the case. Hopefully, you have learned how to do all these things without much hassle. However, if you still have questions regarding today’s topic, please comment below.