Compress video files to fit email, chat or upload limits
Your 1-minute phone video is 49 MB and email allows 25 MB. Or a portal wants under 100 MB. Your todo.is agent compresses it with ffmpeg: it chooses a good resolution and bitrate for the target size, keeps the sound clear and gives you an MP4 that plays everywhere.
The prompt
- Compress the attached video [ATTACH THE VIDEO] to under [TARGET SIZE]. It will be watched on [WHERE IT WILL PLAY]. Keep the resolution at [RESOLUTION] if possible, and only lower it if needed to hit the size. Use H.264 MP4 with AAC audio so it plays on any device. Keep the full length and the sound in sync. Check the result for blocky or blurry parts, then send me the file and its size, resolution and length.
What to change
- [ATTACH THE VIDEO]: Attach the video (MP4, MOV, AVI, MKV, WebM; up to 50 MB per upload). For bigger files, share a Google Drive link if connected, or trim it first.
- [TARGET SIZE]: E.g. "25 MB for Gmail", "16 MB for a WhatsApp message", "100 MB" or "half the size".
- [WHERE IT WILL PLAY]: E.g. "phones", "a laptop", "a TV" or "a company website".
- [RESOLUTION]: E.g. "1080p", "720p is fine" or "whatever fits".
Example result
- Compression report: Garden_tour.mov
- Before: 49 MB · 1080p (1920 x 1080) · 60 fps · HEVC · 1:12
- After: 23.6 MB · 1080p (1920 x 1080) · 30 fps · H.264 MP4 · 1:12
- How your agent hit 25 MB
- • For a 72-second video, 25 MB leaves about 2.7 Mbit/s for picture and sound together
- • That is enough for sharp 1080p, so the resolution was kept. For a longer video, your agent would step down to 720p
- • The original was HEVC, which some email previews and older PCs can't play. The new file is H.264
- • Frame rate reduced from 60 to 30 fps: smooth for a walking tour, and it frees bitrate for detail
- • Two-pass encoding: the first pass studies the video, the second spends more bits on busy shots (leaves moving in the wind) and fewer on still ones
- • Audio kept as AAC 96 kbit/s stereo: clear voice, small size
- Quality check
- • Watched the busiest scenes (0:22 trees in wind, 0:51 fountain). Minor softness, no blocks
- • Sound starts and ends in sync with the picture
- • Plays in Gmail preview, WhatsApp, iPhone Photos, Android and Windows
- Rough size guide (H.264, per minute)
- • 1080p, good quality: about 40 to 60 MB
- • 1080p, compressed for email: about 10 to 15 MB
- • 720p, compressed: about 6 to 10 MB
- • 480p, small: about 3 to 5 MB
- If you need it even smaller
- • Cut the length: ask your agent to trim the first and last few seconds
- • Go to 720p: about 40% smaller again, still fine on phones
- • Or keep full quality and share a link instead of the file
How to do it with todo.is
- Copy the prompt and write the size limit you need to meet.
- Attach the video in todo.is on the Today screen, or send it to your agent on WhatsApp or Telegram as a document so it isn't pre-compressed.
- Your agent compresses it with ffmpeg and checks picture and sound.
- Download the MP4, or reply "make it 720p and smaller" to try again.
Tips for a better result
- The length matters as much as quality: a 10-minute video at 25 MB will always look softer than a 1-minute one.
- Phone videos are often 4K at 60 fps. Dropping to 1080p at 30 fps saves most of the space with little visible loss.
- H.264 MP4 is the safest format. Newer HEVC files are smaller but don't play everywhere.
- For email limits, consider sending a link. Your agent can still compress a copy for people who need the file.
compress video: FAQ
- How do I compress a video for email? Ask for "under 25 MB" for Gmail or "under 20 MB" for Outlook. Your agent picks the resolution and bitrate that fit and keeps it watchable.
- Does compressing a video lose quality? Some, but a good encode at the right resolution looks fine on phones and laptops. Very small targets for long videos look softer.
- What is the best format for a small video? H.264 MP4 with AAC audio plays on almost every device and gives a good size for the quality.
- Is there a size limit for the video I send? Uploads can be up to 50 MB each. For longer recordings, trim or split them first, or share a Drive link if Google is connected.
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