MP4 → HLS

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How to convert MP4 to HLS

Step 1: Transfer your MP4 files using the button above or by slide and deposit.

Step 2: Click the 'Convert' button to start the conversion.

Step 3: Retrieve your converted HLS files.

MP4 to HLS Conversion FAQ

How do I re-encode MP4 to HLS without losing video quality?

Upload your MP4 file and set Quality to High Quality in the conversion options. That re-encodes the video at the highest quality setting (CRF 18 for H.264 and VP9 output), which keeps the most detail at the cost of a larger file. The default, Balanced, uses the standard setting. The HLS output gets a codec its container supports: H.264 for MP4, MOV and MKV, VP9 for WebM. Almost every MP4 in the wild is H.264 video with AAC audio; the container also legally holds HEVC, AV1 and VP9. An HLS stream is an .m3u8 manifest pointing at a ladder of H.264 or HEVC segments at several bitrates, so the player can switch quality mid-playback.

Can the HLS hold more than one audio track?

Yes, and it is a real upgrade over MP4. HLS treats every audio stream as a first-class track, so an original-language mix, a dub and a director commentary can live in one file with the player switching between them on demand. HLS adapts to the viewer’s bandwidth in real time and is the only streaming format Safari and iOS support natively.

Is HLS a container or a codec, and does that change what I get back?

It changes what to expect from the output file. One side of this conversion names an encoding rather than a wrapper, so what comes back is that bitstream inside whichever container suits it best — normally MP4 or MKV. The extension reflects the container; the codec is what actually determined the file size and where it will play.

Which video codec does the HLS output use?

It depends on the HLS container. MP4, MOV and MKV output use H.264, which plays on practically every phone, browser and TV. WebM output uses VP9. AVI, WMV and MPEG output use the older codecs those formats were designed for. HLS is Apple’s HTTP Live Streaming — not a file but a playlist plus a folder of short media segments.

Will my audio track survive MP4 to HLS conversion?

Yes, the main audio track comes through, re-encoded to a codec the HLS container plays, for example AAC in MP4 and MOV or Opus in WebM. Most conversions keep only that one track (the one with the most channels), so alternate languages and commentary are dropped. MP4 to MOV, and AVI, WMV, MPEG, FLV, VOB or M4V to MKV, keep every audio track.

Can I keep the original framerate when converting MP4 to HLS?

Yes. The frame rate is kept unless you change it: a 24 fps MP4 stays 24 fps in the HLS. The Frame Rate setting can also convert to 60, 30 or 24 fps. It changes the rate only; it does not deinterlace the video or remove 3:2 pulldown.

How much will the file size change going from MP4 to HLS?

It depends on what happens to the video. MKV to MP4 or MOV with the default settings copies the video stream unchanged, so the size stays close to the source. Most other pairs re-encode it: a high-bitrate MP4 usually comes out smaller, while an already heavily compressed one can grow. Smaller File under Quality gives the smallest output, and H.265 in the Codec setting (MP4, MOV and MKV) is usually smaller than H.264 at similar quality but plays on fewer devices.

Will the HLS file play on iPhone, Android, and Smart TVs?

MP4 with H.264 plays on practically every phone, browser and TV. MOV with H.264 plays on Apple devices and most TVs but not on every older Android phone. MKV needs an app such as VLC on iOS, and WebM is at home in browsers. There is no device preset on this page, so choose the target format your device supports. HLS is not a single downloadable file — to keep it offline it has to be muxed back into a normal container first.

How long does converting a 1-hour MP4 video to HLS take?

There is no fixed time: it depends on the length, the resolution and the target format. Conversions run on our servers' CPUs with software encoders; there is no GPU acceleration. MKV to MP4 or MOV with the default settings copies the video stream and is the quickest. A re-encode to H.264 takes longer, and WebM (VP9) is the slowest target, several times slower than H.264 in our tests.

What is the maximum resolution supported for MP4 to HLS?

The converter has no resolution cap of its own; the limit is the upload size allowed on your plan, and the resolution stays as it is unless you choose 1080p, 720p or 480p. There is no HDR processing or tone mapping. When the video stream is copied (MKV to MP4 or MOV with the default settings), HDR10 passes through untouched. A re-encode drops the HDR10 mastering metadata, and with a Quality, Resolution or Frame Rate setting some pairs also reduce the video to 8-bit colour, so an HDR MP4 can look washed out.

Is my MP4 video private during conversion to HLS?

Yes. Uploaded MP4 files are processed on our own conversion servers, no person reviews them, and they are never shared. The upload and the converted HLS are both deleted automatically about 24 hours after the conversion, which leaves time to download the result. See /privacy/ for the full policy.

Can I crop, trim, or rotate during the MP4 to HLS conversion?

Not in the same step. Use /trim-video/ or /video-cutter/ to clip the MP4 first, or /rotate-video/ to turn it, then run the MP4 to HLS conversion. Trimming first is faster than re-encoding the whole MP4 just to drop unused footage.

MP4

MP4 container extension can hold video, audio, subtitles, and images in a single file with excellent compression.

HLS

HLS (HTTP Live Streaming) is a streaming protocol developed by Apple for delivering audio and video content over the internet. It provides adaptive streaming for better playback performance.