Practical video guide
How to make a video smaller on Windows
Reduce the size of a large video on Windows without learning codecs or uploading the file.
The short answer
If a video is too large to email, upload, or keep around, use Make smaller to create a more manageable copy.
Clip Squeezer creates a new file and leaves your original untouched.
Why this happens
Longer videos are larger. 4K video also stores four times as many pixels as 1080p, and 60-frame-per-second video stores twice as many pictures as 30 fps. Your recording may contain far more detail than you need for ordinary sharing.
What should I choose?
Balanced
The best first try for most phone videos, recordings, and everyday uploads.
1080p or 720p
Use 1080p for a good general-purpose picture. Use 720p when the limit is tight or the video will be watched in a small window.
Works almost everywhere
Choose this when you are sending the file to someone else and do not know what device they use.
Do it with Clip Squeezer
- 1
Install Clip Squeezer for Windows and add the large video.
- 2
Choose Make smaller.
- 3
Start with Balanced and Works almost everywhere. For a 4K source, consider 1080p.
- 4
Review the size estimate, choose a destination, and create the new file.
Check the new file
Watch the first few seconds, a section with movement, and the ending. If text or faces look poor, try Best quality. If the file is still too large, try 720p or Smallest file.
Common questions
Why did it not shrink as much as the estimate?
The estimate is based on the length and basic details of the source. Busy or noisy video can need more space than a quiet scene, so the final number can differ.
Can I delete the original afterward?
Only after you have watched the new file and backed up anything important. Clip Squeezer never deletes the original for you.
Something went wrong? See Clip Squeezer troubleshooting.
Download Clip Squeezer