Knowing what format to have your video in during different steps of the creation process can be overwhelming and confusing at first glance.  Having a solid grasp of the different types of video formats is an important skill you will need when editing and uploading content. This article will provide a simplified guide to what you need to know and how you can convert videos when needed.

Let’s start by answering the question, “what is a video file format?” Video file formats act as file containers. You may already be familiar with many file containers such as; MP4, MOV, and AVI. These containers act as housing for the importing information our devices need in order to play a video. Different types of video containers serve different purposes for different tasks. All containers include three main pieces: video, audio, and metadata. All of these pieces are needed so that your device knows what visuals to show, what audio to play, and other important information like subtitles, resolution, and date of creation.

Within video containers are coding formats called codecs. Codecs are pieces of software that are used to code and decode information that will allow you to play both video and audio. There are a dizzyingly large number of different video and audio codecs, but you only need to be aware of just a few. For video, these are H.264 and MPEG-4, and for audio MP3 and AAC are very common.

Both file containers and codecs are important to grasp because they will give you more control of the quality and size of your video as well as your ability to distribute video through online services. When uploading content to services like YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram, you have many options:

Recommended and supported file containers for online distribution:

• .MP4: .MP4 is the best overall option when uploading videos to most online services. MP4 has the largest range of compatibility.  It keeps your file size relatively small while maintaining high-quality video. 
  • Works on YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram 
• .MOV: .MOV files were created by Apple and were designed to work with Quicktime. .MOV files will be higher in quality but also larger in file size. 
  • Works on Youtube and Facebook
• .AVI: An older but still widely universal video container that was created by Microsoft. Similar to .MOV files they are higher quality and have a larger file size. 
  • Works on Youtube and Facebook

Recommended and supported codecs for online distribution:

• Video Codec – H.264: This is the most accepted and recommended video codec because it allows for smaller file sizes without losing video quality. 
  • Works on Youtube, Facebook, and Instagram 
• Audio Codec – AAC: AAC which stands for “Advanced Audio Coding” and was designed after .MP3 with the goal of a higher quality with the same bit rate. 
  • Works on Youtube, Facebook, and Instagram

Using VLC to convert video:

Now that you have an understanding of what file formats are needed, we’re going to show you how to convert other files to these formats. Because depending on what editing software you are using, you may end up with a file that is not already optimized for online distribution. That is where the helpful (and free) application VLC comes into play. VLC is a simple and fast tool that plays and converts most file formats. It is available for Mac, Windows, Linux, IOS, and Android. To show you how this works, we’ll be using VLC to convert a video file from .flv into an .MP4 with a video codec of H.264 and an audio codec of AAC using a Mac. Here’s where to find VLC Media Player