mp4 

MP4 File Extension

Have a problem opening a .MP4 file? We collect information about file formats and can explain what MP4 files are. Additionally we recommend software suitable for opening or converting such files.

What is the .MP4 file type?

The .mp4 extension is the standard extension associated with the patented 'MPEG-4, Part 14' (MP4) file format and respective file type, and is conventionally assigned to MPEG-4 video files. MP4 is part of the broader MPEG-4 ISO standard. Like most compressed-video formats, MP4 is a media container format. It is an envelope that can store several audio/video tracks, subtitles and metadata and even a series of still images.

An .mp4 file is a container video file in the MP4 format. Several video and audio compression codecs can be used inside an MP4 container, while the most popular pair is H.264/AAC because of hardware decoding support offered by many media devices. MP4 files can be streamed over the Internet, and many players support that feature.



MP4 video files enjoy a wide platform- and device-independent support by software and hardware media players.

An MP4 file can often have a different extension such as .m4a, .m4v or .m4r to denote the file's intended use. Such extensions were mainly introduced by Apple and are a deviation from the standard.



Software to open or convert MP4 files

You can open MP4 files with the following programs:
VLC media player
VLC media player by VideoLAN
 
QuickTime
QuickTime by Apple Inc.
 
Winamp
Winamp by Nullsoft, Inc
 
MPC-HC
 
GOM Player
GOM Player by Gretech Corporation
 


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