How to Easily Convert MOV to MP4 on Mac

The MP4 format is a universal format that is less outdated compared to the MOV file type. As such a lot of people may want to convert MOV to MP4 on Mac computers. Actually, doing the conversion is easy as long as you have the right tools with you.

This guide will focus on some useful video-converting tools and methods to convert your MOV file to that of the universal MP4 file type on Mac. These include doing so using iMovie, a native application of Apple computers. We will also teach you how to do it with the Terminal including applications like Handbrake and FoneDog Video Converter.

Part #1: Top Tool to Convert MOV to MP4 on MacPart #2: Runner-Up Tools to Convert Videos Using MacPart #3: Conclusion

Part #1: Top Tool to Convert MOV to MP4 on Mac

The best tool you can use to convert the MOV file type to the MP4 format on Mac computers is FoneDog Video Converter. This tool helps you convert audio and video files. It also includes additional features such as editing and enhancing videos.

Free Download Free Download

Some of the features of FoneDog Video Converter include the following:

• Batch conversion to allow you to work with multiple files.
• Allows you to add external subtitles and audio to your video files.
• Helps to convert both audio and video files with multiple file types supported.
• Editing features such as video enhancements, orientation rotation, and brightness adjustments, among others.
• Helps to resize your video as you need.

Here’s how to use it to convert MOV to MP4 on Mac:

1. Launch FoneDog Video Converter. First, you have to download and install the tool on your Mac computer. After that, you can simply open it for use.
2. Add Files. You can add your MOV files by a simple drag-and-drop towards the interface.
3. Make Adjustments. Select MP4 as the Convert Format output setting. After that, make the necessary adjustments that you like. Click Save to make sure the settings are kept.
4. Choose Output Folder. After that, select an output folder. This is where the converted files will be saved.
5. Convert. Now, click the Convert button. Wait for the process to be complete. The newly-converted files will be found in the Recent Projects category.

Part #2: Runner-Up Tools to Convert Videos Using Mac

Here, we will discuss some of the tools you can use to convert MOV to MP4 on Mac computers. These include the Terminal, the iMovie application, Handbrake, and even VideoLAN VLC Media Player. Check out the guide below.

Tool #01: iMovie

iMovie is actually an application created by Apple to help you edit videos. Typically, it is included within the Mac computer upon buying the product. If it’s not on your Mac, then you can simply grab it for free within Mac’s Application Store (Mac App Store). You have to make sure the application is supported by your computer and its current operating system model.

Here are the steps to convert MOV to MP4 on Mac using iMovie:

1. Open iMovie on your Mac computer. After that, click File within the menu at the upper left.
2. Select New Movie. On the main interface, click the Import Media button. From the window that will appear, simply locate and add the MOV files you want to convert. To do that, click Import Selected.
3. Once the MOV file has been placed into the iMovie app, you can simply click it. Once the MOV file is clicked, it will be surrounded by a yellow box.
4. After that, press the File button again. Then, hover over to the section labeled “Share”. Once the different settings appear on the right, click File.
5. Now, you can simply make the adjustments you like to get the new MP4 file. Once that is done, press the Next button.
6. Choose the folder where the file will be saved. Then, place a file name for it. Once that is done, wait until the progress circle is done. A notification on your desktop will show up if the conversion process is complete. You will see the file in the destination folder you have chosen earlier.

Tool #02: Terminal

The Terminal utility is native to Mac computers as well. It can be utilized to do a lot of things. One of them is for the conversion of certain files. However, this is not recommended for those who don’t know much about command lines or coding.

As such, to use Terminal, you must also have the HomeBrew software package manager. You should also install this within your Mac computer using the Terminal. Once that is done, here are the steps to use Terminal to convert MOV to MP4 on Mac :

1. Visit Finder and then go to Applications. After that, visit Utilities. Within that folder, open Terminal.
2. Install Homebrew by placing the code below and pressing Enter. After that, you can also input your admin password if necessary. The code is as follows (without the bullet):

• /bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh)"

3. Now, you have to install the required shell program. To do that, type the code below (without the bullet) and press Enter:

• brew install FFmpeg

4. You can now convert the files on your Mac computer using Terminal. To do that, type the code below. It is necessary to change [MOV FILE PATH] and [MP4 FILE PATH] to their respective directories or file locations. The code is as follows (without the bullet):

• FFmpeg -i [MOV FILE PATH]-c:v copy -c:a copy [MP4 FILE PATH].mp4

That’s just about it! You have learned how to convert your MOV files into another file format, in this case, MP4. The Terminal is very useful, but not recommended. That’s why if you don’t have that much technical know-how, you should go for the FoneDog Video Converter instead.

Tool #03: HandBrake

HandBrake is available on both Windows and macOS computers. It is an open-source software enabling you to make audio and video conversions. Actually, it encodes video allowing you to choose from presets or make adjustments as you wish.

Once you have downloaded and then installed the app, simply follow the steps below to convert MOV to MP4 on Mac:

1. Open HandBrake and click the label called Open Source at the upper left part of the interface.
2. Locate and choose the MOV file you wish to convert.
3. Now, the file will be displayed within HandBrake’s interface. Select MP4 as the output file format. You can choose it from one of the pre-adjusted settings in the menu called Presets.
4. On the bottom part of the interface, choose the destination folder in the “Save As:” portion.
5. Press the Start button in order for HandBrake to encode your file. Wait until the conversion is done.

HandBrake can also be used to convert a batch of files if you want. If you’re going for this option, you can click “Add To Queue” instead of Start. Once all files are included in the Queue, you can now click the Start button.

Tool #04: VLC Media Player

VLC Media Player is not the best converter out there, but it can be handy if you already have it on your Mac computer. After all, it is a media player. It’s designed to be something that can play almost any audio or video file format without the need to install codecs.

MOV can be played on Apple computers, but if you still want an MP4 file format, VLC is your best bet. That is, if you’re going to convert a small file. But, if you’re going for a larger file, we recommend that you choose FoneDog Video Converter.

Here’s how to use VLC Media Player to convert MOV to MP4 on Mac:

1. Launch VLC Media Player on your Mac computer.
2. Click the menu for File. After that, choose Convert/ Stream.
3. A new window will appear, click the button that says Open Media.
4. Locate and then import the particular MOV file you wish to convert.
5. Now, in the section called “Choose Profile”, select the preset “Video-H.264 + MP3 (MP4)”. This will be the MP4 output file type.
6. Once that is done, click the button for Save.
7. Select a destination folder and input the file name that you want.
8. Finally, you have to click Save one more time to finish the job. Wait for the process to complete.

Part #3: Conclusion

This guide has been your go-to article for everything about how to convert MOV to MP4 on Mac computers. All of the software and tools we gave here are compatible with Mac computers. Some can even be used on Windows.

To sum it all up, we talked about the overview of each software. We also talked about the actual steps on how to use these utilities to help you convert your videos. These utilities include FoneDog Video Converter, iMovie, VLC Media Player, Apple’s Terminal utility, and HandBrake.

The best out of all of these is FoneDog Video Converter. It’s a tool that’s specially designed to make conversions of audio and video files. Thus, the output files will be very high quality. In addition, you can make adjustments such as adding external audio files and external subtitles. Since FoneDog Video Converter is a very powerful tool, you can grab it today at FoneDog.com!