Formats and Quality
Choose the format that suits your needs: video to watch anywhere, audio to listen to. This guide summarizes the options, resolutions, and when to use each.
Available formats
| Format | Type | When to use it |
|---|---|---|
| MP4 | Video + audio | General use; the most compatible with almost any device and player. |
| WEBM | Video + audio | An efficient web alternative; good quality-to-size ratio, slightly less universal. |
| MP3 | Audio only | Music, podcasts, or when you only need the sound. Compatible with everything. |
| M4A | Audio only | Better quality-to-size than MP3; ideal for Apple and mobile devices. |
Video resolutions
A higher resolution means more detail and a larger file size. Choose based on your screen and connection. File sizes are approximate and vary widely depending on the video (motion, codec, duration).
| Resolution | Quality | Typical use | Size per minute (approx.) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 144p | Very low | Slow connections or audio-only | 2–4 MB |
| 360p | Low | Mobile with limited data | 5–10 MB |
| 480p | Standard (SD) | Quick viewing on mobile | 8–15 MB |
| 720p | HD | Good quality-to-size balance | 15–30 MB |
| 1080p | Full HD | Large screens and most use cases | 30–60 MB |
| 1440p | 2K (Premium) | Large monitors; noticeably sharper than 1080p | 60–120 MB |
| 2160p | 4K Ultra HD (Premium) | Maximum detail, TV and editing | 120–350 MB |
Free goes up to 1080p. 2K and 4K are part of Premium — we say it here and not in small print, because picking a quality and hitting a wall is the worst way to find out. For video try YouTube to MP4 or 4K.
The maximum resolution depends on the source video: you can only download up to the quality offered by the source. For video, try YouTube to MP4 or 4K.
Audio (MP3 and M4A)
If you only need the sound, extract the audio in MP3 or M4A. Audio quality depends on the original track. Try YouTube to MP3 or TikTok audio.
Subtitles and thumbnails
Beyond video and audio, you can download YouTube subtitles in SRT or VTT and YouTube thumbnails in high resolution.
GIFs and trimming
You don't need the whole video to keep ten seconds. When you pick a quality you can mark a section and take just that part, as MP4 or as a GIF — handy for memes, tutorials and reactions. GIFs carry no sound, which is how the format works, and weigh a good deal more than the same section as MP4: for anything long, video usually wins. It's covered in how to trim a YouTube clip.
Changing the format of a file you already have
If the file is already on your device there's nothing to download: the converter moves between MP4, MKV, MOV, WebM, GIF, MP3, M4A, WAV and FLAC, among others. It runs inside your browser, so the file is never uploaded to any server — it even keeps working with the wifi off. The usual questions are answered in MP4 or MKV, which to pick and MP3 or M4A.
When the problem is the size
A video can be in the right format and still not fit where you want to send it. The compressor works the other way round from everything else: you tell it how much it should weigh —an email's limit, a chat's— and it works out the quality needed to get there. It also runs in your browser, with no upload.
Mobile compatibility
Everything works in the browser, including on iPhone and Android, with nothing to install. MP4 and MP3 are the most compatible formats for any phone.
Limits and availability
Format and resolution availability depends on the platform, the source format, and technical restrictions. See what each platform supports at supported platforms.