MP4 File Extension

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

VLC media player by VideoLAN

 

QuickTime by Apple Inc.

 

Winamp by Nullsoft, Inc

 

MPC-HC

 

GOM Player by Gretech Corporation

 

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