How to change a video file type [All formats are supported] (2023)

It's always a headache when you can't play a WMV video on your Mac, you can't open an MKV video with iPhone's native player, or you get an "Unsupported file format" message when importing a video file to your Mac. Mac. Adobe Premiere Pro. And all these problems are caused by the video format.

So, to solve this problem, we show you several methods on how to change a video file type to one that meets your needs for sharing, playing and editing on Windows 10, Mac, iPhone, Android and online. Keep scrolling down the page.

1. How to change a video file type in VideoProc Converter

SO compatible:Windows 11/10/8/7, Mac OS X 10.6 y posterior

Better for:convert videos to any format

VideoProc ConverterIt is a piece of simple construction, light but robust.video converter program. Videos from iPhone, Android, DSLR, GoPro, DJI or downloaded online can be easily accepted as it supports more than 370 formats including MP4, MKV, MOV, AVI, WMV, FLV, HEVC, H.264, MP4G- 4, AV1, VP9, ​​ProRes, etc. So you can convert all kinds of videos like MOV, AVI, WMV andMKV para MP4to share, play and edit videos without errors.

Another notable feature is its full GPU acceleration technology. Tests by its official support team show that HD video format conversion is up to 47 times faster in real time and 4K video conversion is up to 7 times faster than others.

More customizable settings for advanced users to change video file type to MP4, MOV, etc. With no quality loss, VideoProc Converter has worry-free presets for beginners, categorized by devices (Mac, iPhone, Android, Xbox, PS, etc.), software (iMovie, iTunes, Final Cut Pro, etc.), and video platforms. (YouTube, Facebook, Vimeo and web video in general).

Download VideoProc Converter now to start changing video format in just a few clicks!

Step 1. Import a video file to VideoProc Converter.

Double-click the VideoProc Converter icon on the desktop to start it. Choose "Video" to enter the video conversion tab.

Click "+Video" to add a video to it. You can add as many videos as you want by repeating this step.

Step 2. Select an output format for your video.

Now you need to choose a target format for your video. In VideoProc Converter you can do this

• Click "Video" at the bottom and select a video format with a suitable codec.
• Click "Destination Format" and choose the file type based on your device (iPhone, iPad, Android, Xbox, TV...) or specific use (YouTube, Facebook, Final Cut Pro...).
• Clicking "Music" at the bottom to select an audio format if you wantchange a video file to audio.

Step 3 (optional). Edit the video before converting.

Go to the video file editing toolbar and click "Trim" to remove ads or unwanted parts of your video. Click "Done." You can also edit more like crop, rotate, split and add subtitles to your video.

Step 4. Start converting the video and export it from VideoProc Converter.

Browse to select an output folder for your video. Check the box under "Hardware Acceleration Engine" to speed up the conversion process. When everything is ready, hit the big "RUN" button to start changing the file type of the video.

Bonus: How to Change Video Format Without Converting

This question is actually about video recording. If you choose another codec for your video, it is impossible to convert the format without re-encoding because it completely changes the way the video is compressed.

But if you just want to change the video format container, VideoProc Converter has an "Auto Copy" mode to do it for you. It will keep the 1:1 quality of the source video and complete the conversion super fast.

2. How to Change a Video File Type in iMovie

SO compatible:Mac

Better for:Convert MOV to MP4 and MP4 to MOV on Mac

We often use iMovie as a free video editor on Mac, but by skipping the editing steps, we can also use it to convert video formats. However, compared to other video converters, iMovie supports fewer video formats. WMV, MKV and WebM videos are not supported. But if you are looking for a quick conversion between MOV and MP4, it is worth a try.

Here's how to change the video format in iMovie:

Paso 1.Open iMovie on Mac and choose to create a movie project.

paso 2.Add MOV video to your timeline. Please note that iMovie converts one video per conversion. If you upload multiple videos to the timeline, they will be merged into one file after conversion.

Stage 3.Click the share icon in the upper right corner and select File. Choose "Low", "Medium", "High" or "Custom" in "Resolution" option, the video will be saved as .mp4 file. If you choose "Best ProRes", the video will be saved as a .mov file. You can check the formats by clicking "Next".

Stage 4.Wait for iMovie to export the video file.

3. How to change a video file type in VLC

SO compatible:Windows 10/7/XP, Mac OS X, Linux

Better for:video conversion to MP4, MOV, MKV, AVI, audio

VLC is a common media player that most of the users have installed on their computer. Meanwhile, it is a free video converter that supports a wide range of video formats and codecs, as well as audio formats. But compared to VideoProc Converter, it supports fewer formats and has no presets for beginners.

Here is how to change the video format in VLC:

Paso 1.Open VLC media player. Click "Media" > "Convert/Save" > "Add" to load one or more video files into it.

paso 2.Click to expand more options on the "Convert/Save" button and select "Convert".

Stage 3.It has several preset profiles for MP4, WebM, TS, ASF, OGG, MPEG4, and DivX. Select one according to your specific need.

Stage 4.If there is no desired format, click the wrench icon next to the format option. Then select an encapsulation, a video codec, and an audio codec. Click on Save". Now click to choose the newly created format in the profile option.

Paso 5.Browse for a destination file and rename the video. Finally, click "Start" to convert the video to your desired format.

4. How to change a video file type in the file converter

iPhone only works with MOV, MP4 and M4V formats for video files. As for other videos like MKV and AVI, you can't watch them directly with your iPhone's native media player. To play these unsupported videos, you can transfer them to your computer and change the file type with the above converters. Also, you can use a media converter app on your phone. Take File Converter as an example.

Here is how to change video format on iPhone with File Converter app:

Paso 1.download thefile conversion appfor your iPhone and pay to upgrade your plan.

paso 2.Launch this app and choose Video from its main user interface. Then upload a video from the video or file library. You can also add a video URL.

Stage 3.Choose the whole video or specify a certain part of the video to convert.

Stage 4.A window will appear asking you to choose a format. It allows you to change the video file type to .mp4, .m4v, .wav, 3gp and .gif.

Paso 5.Click Done and start the conversion. The converted will be saved to your video library.

5. How to change a video file type in Format Factory

The Android operating system supports more codecs and video formats than iOS. But some videos are good to watch on Android devices, but not good to post to YouTube, Facebook, TikTok or share via message. Now you need to convert them to a universal format like MP4 H.264 or MP4 HEVC. Follow the instructions below to change a video file type on Android for free.

Here is how to change the video format on Android with the Video Format Factory app:

Paso 1.Descargarvideo format factorydo google play.

paso 2.Open a video file in this app and choose the Convert option from the tools menu. If you want to convert the video to audio, please choose Extract MP3.

Stage 3.Manipulate video details including video codec, size, FPS, and bitrate. Then tap on the big check icon to start converting.

Stage 4.When the conversion is off, your video will be saved to a local document file.

6. How to change a video file type in CloudConvert

Online video format converters allow you to change a video file type without installing any third-party software on your computer or smartphone. And many of them are simple and free to use, for example CloudConvert. You can use it to convert WMV, AVI, MP4, AVI, WebM, FLV, and MKV videos.

Here's how to change video format online with CloudConvert:

Paso 1.Opencloudconvert.comin your web browser and select a file from your computer, Google Drive, OneDrive, Dropbox, or by pasting a URL.

paso 2.Open the box next to "Convert to" and select a video file format. Click the wrench icon to change other settings, video codec (x264, x265 or copy), audio codec, encoding speed, aspect ratio, etc. Click OK to apply the changes.

Stage 3.Click the Convert icon. When the conversion is finished, a preview window will appear, click the three dots icon to download the converted file to your device.

Frequent questions

1. How to change the video file extension?

On Windows: Right-click on the video file, select "Rename" and replace the extension with another one.

On Mac: Right-click on the video, select "Get Info" and change the extension in the "Name and Extension" option.

However, changing the extension sometimes cannot resolve compatibility issues. So you need a real video format converter like VideoProc Converter to convert video to other format.

2. How to change the audio format of a video?

After importing a video file to VideoProc Converter, open the "Target Format" option, enter the audio format in the search box, and select a video format that encodes audio with the desired audio codec.

3. How to change a video file to an audio file?

You need a complete file converter that supports both audio and video files. After uploading a video to it, select an audio format as the output format. In VideoProc Converter, click "Music" option in the bottom tool menu, and you can change the video file to MP3, M4A, M4R, AAC, OGG and more.