A much smaller tutorial video is easier to send, but unreadable menu labels or numbers make it less useful. Choose a level based on the detail the recipient needs, then compare file size, instead of immediately selecting the strongest compression.
Choose a starting level
Open compress video and select your own file. Three levels use different quality settings and cap the shorter side of the picture.
| Level | Maximum short side | Our suggested starting point |
|---|---|---|
| Light | 1,080 pixels | Small text or detailed products |
| Balanced | 720 pixels | Talking clips or less intricate scenes |
| Strong | 480 pixels | When detail loss is acceptable, followed by careful inspection |
These are FileMyLove settings, not target file sizes. The tool preserves proportions and does not enlarge smaller clips to the cap. To make a vertical or square composition, use resize video separately.
Inspect the most demanding parts
MDN describes video compression as involving tradeoffs between data size and visual quality. For your own export, we suggest checking:
- Frames with small menu labels, figures or text.
- Fast movement and dense detail.
- Important spoken explanations, checking that sound is present and stays aligned with the picture.
Compare at a viewing size similar to the recipient's. If text is unclear, start again from the original with a lighter level. Use the original for each comparison rather than repeatedly compressing an already compressed export.
Why a file might not get smaller
The result depends on the source and the encoders available in the browser. No reduction percentage applies to every clip. This tool does not present an export as a successful smaller file when it is as large as or larger than the source.
If the clip includes silence or unnecessary sections, try trim video first, then decide whether further compression is needed. This is a workflow suggestion, not a promise to meet every service's attachment limit.
Before attaching the result
Download and check size, duration, picture and sound. If the browser cannot read or encode a required audio format, the result may not contain the expected sound. Test it in the recipient's playback app too.
The tool has no exact MB target field. Check the destination's current requirements against the actual output size, and keep the original file.
