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WMV to MP4 converter

Convert WMV to MP4 in your browser. No upload and no account: the file never leaves your device, so the only size limit is your device’s memory.

I want MP4
Quality

Applies only when the video has to be re-encoded. A straight copy keeps the original quality.

Advanced 2
Always re-encode Rebuilds the picture as H.264 (VP9 for WebM) even when it could be copied. Fixes files that won’t play on older TVs and PCs.

Bytes of your files sent anywhere: 0 B

Related conversions

Need it the other way round? Convert MP4 to WMV

Other ways to convert WMV

Convert other formats to MP4

Read more about the WMV format and the MP4 format, or see every video tool and all video conversions.

Should you convert WMV to MP4?

Windows Media videos won’t play on Macs, iPhones or the web. MP4 plays everywhere.

Yes, when a device or app needs MP4. MP4 can’t carry the Windows Media Video video found in WMV files, so the picture is re-encoded as H.264 or HEVC (H.265), which takes about as long as the clip on a recent laptop.

MP4 also plays in far more places: every phone, browser, TV, editor, chat app and upload form.

WMV is the Windows Media video format from the Windows XP era; MP4 is the video container that plays on everything, usually holding H.264 video and AAC audio. Use MP4 whenever a video has to be sent, uploaded or played somewhere you don’t control.

WMV and MP4 compared
Property WMV MP4
Usually contains WMV2 or WMV3 video with WMA audio H.264 or HEVC video with AAC audio
Support A legacy format Opens everywhere
Plays on Windows Media Player and VLC; not Macs, iPhones, browsers or most websites Every phone, browser, TV, editor, chat app and upload form
Best for Old Windows presentations and players Sharing video anywhere
Introduced 1999 2003

How to convert WMV to MP4

  1. 01

    Add your WMV

    Drop your WMV video onto the box, or click to choose it. It is read from your disk and stays there.

  2. 02

    Check the settings

    The output is already set to MP4. Change the quality if you want to; the defaults suit most files.

  3. 03

    Save the MP4

    Press convert and save the MP4. Several files come back together as a ZIP.

What changes when WMV becomes MP4

Re-encoded, at a quality you choose

Because the video has to be compressed again, a little detail is lost. The default quality keeps the difference invisible; choose High for footage you’ll edit further.

Expect a smaller file

MP4 usually stores the same content in less space than WMV. WMV: Larger than MP4 for the same quality. MP4: 1080p phone video runs roughly 60–130 MB a minute.

A one-time engine download

WMV is read by FFmpeg compiled to WebAssembly, a 31 MB download the first time. It is slower than your browser’s built-in video decoder, but nothing is uploaded and the engine stays cached for next time.

This page is put together from our notes on each format, choosing only what is true of WMV and MP4, so every pairing states the same facts the same way. How these pages are made.

Why it doesn’t upload

Video files are big, and uploading one just to change its container can take longer than the conversion itself. Your browser can read and write these formats, so the file never has to leave your device.

How to check for yourself

Worth knowing

  • About the WMV. WMV files from old DRM-protected downloads can’t be converted by any tool; only unprotected ones will work.
  • About the MP4. An MP4 that won’t play is rarely broken; it usually holds a newer codec such as HEVC or AV1 that the player doesn’t support.
  • MP4, MOV, MKV and WebM are handled by your browser’s own video engine, often with hardware help. AVI, WMV, FLV, MPG and the other older formats use the FFmpeg engine, a one-time 31 MB download, and are slower.

Questions

Does converting WMV to MP4 lose quality?

The video is re-encoded, so a little detail is lost, but the default quality is set high enough that it doesn’t show.

Will a MP4 play on my phone?

MP4 opens everywhere: every phone, browser, TV, editor, chat app and upload form. Every device plays MP4: double-click it, or drag it into a browser tab.

Read more about this

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