VidCruncher

How to compress a video for an application or upload form

University applications, job portals, government forms and scholarship sites often accept a video but are strict about it. A rejected upload, sometimes right before a deadline, usually comes down to one of four things.

What portals usually check

  • File size. The stated maximum. Read it carefully, since some forms count in MB and others in "MiB", and some limit the total of several files.
  • Format. MP4 is the safest choice. iPhone .mov files are rejected by many forms. This tool always gives you a standard MP4, which almost every portal accepts.
  • Length. Some forms cap the duration, not just the size. Compression doesn't change the length unless you trim, and the result page shows the original and compressed length side by side so you can confirm.
  • Resolution or orientation. If the form asks for a minimum quality, avoid High compression, which can soften the picture.

A simple routine

  1. Select your video in the compressor and read the estimated size of each level.
  2. Choose the lowest compression whose estimate is comfortably under the form's limit, and leave some margin for the estimate being off by a few percent.
  3. Compress, then compare the original and the result in the preview and check that the picture and the sound are fine.
  4. Download and play the file once before uploading. Keep the original.

When even High is too big

You have three honest options. Trim the video to what the form actually asks for, remove the audio if the form doesn't need it, or record again at a shorter length. We don't offer a "make it exactly N MB" button because squeezing a long, high-quality video into a tiny file produces a result nobody wants to watch, so the tool shows you what each level realistically gives you instead.

Privacy matters for applications

Application videos are often personal. Compression here happens in your browser, so the video isn't uploaded to us. See how that works and how to check it.

Compress a video Free, no account, nothing uploaded.

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