Trim and compress video in one pass
This chain lets you trim and compress video without saving files in between: set the section, choose a target size – and optionally get a GIF from the same section as well. Your video stays on your device; the work is done by your browser’s built-in video features.
Source: MDN – VideoEncoder.configure(): bitrate in Bit pro Sekunde. Updated: .
How it is calculated
How the video chain works
- Trim: type start and end times or take them from the player. The section is copied without re-encoding, so it starts at the keyframe just before your chosen start – quality stays untouched. Leave both fields empty to use the whole video.
- Compress: the section is re-encoded to the size you pick (8 to 50 MB), as MP4 with H.264 and AAC where the browser supports it, otherwise as WebM. Resolution and frame rate are lowered as needed; up to three passes hit the size.
- GIF: from the same section, at most 30 seconds and 300 frames, 320 to 640 pixels wide. It is made from the trimmed, not the compressed video, so it stays sharper.
Every step can be switched off. Intermediate results stay in memory; only the finished files are downloaded. You can pass the finished video straight to another tool – for example to save the sound as MP3 or remove the audio – without downloading it.
When the chain helps
Phone videos quickly get too big for messengers, email or upload forms – but usually only a short part matters. Trimming saves the most, compressing brings the rest to a fixed size, and the GIF plays even where videos don’t. The engines are the same as in our Trim Video, Compress Video and Video to GIF tools.
Limits
Videos up to 4 GB in MP4, MOV (iPhone), WebM or MKV. Compressing needs the WebCodecs API (current Chrome, Edge, Safari or Firefox). HEVC videos can only be read with hardware support. Long high-resolution sections can take a few minutes on older devices.
Frequently asked questions
How do I trim and compress a video?
Drop the video above, set start and end, choose a target size and click “Start chain”. The section is cut out first, then only that part is compressed to the target size – faster and sharper than compressing the whole video.
Is my video uploaded?
No. Trimming, compressing and the GIF are all done in your browser on your device. “Continue with …” also passes the video to the next tool only within this browser.
Why does my section start slightly earlier?
Lossless trimming has to start at a keyframe. The chain uses the last keyframe before your start – often just a fraction of a second earlier.
How long can the GIF be?
At most 30 seconds and 300 frames. If your section is longer, the GIF covers its beginning and the chain tells you so.
Which target size should I choose?
It depends on where the video goes: many messengers and email services have limits somewhere between about 8 and 25 MB. The shorter the section, the better the picture at the same size.
Sources and legal basis
- MDN – VideoEncoder.configure(): bitrate in Bit pro Sekunde
- MDN – EncodedVideoChunk.type (key/delta)
- ITU-T H.264 – Advanced video coding for generic audiovisual services
- Mediabunny 1.61.0 – Vanilagy (MPL-2.0), Quelltext
- Licenses of the media tools (MPL-2.0)
- W3C – Graphics Interchange Format Version 89a
- MDN – HTMLMediaElement: seeked event
- gifenc – Matt DesLauriers (MIT)
As of: · Editorial policy
Related tools
- Trim Video Without Re-encodingCut the start and end off a video in seconds: trim MP4, MOV or WebM without re-encoding and without quality loss. Free, right in your browser, no upload.
- Compress Video to a Target SizeShrink a video to an exact size such as 10, 20 or 25 MB: compress MP4, MOV or WebM right in your browser. No upload, no sign-up, no watermark, free.
- Convert video to GIFTurn a video into an animated GIF: MP4, MOV or WebM, choose the start, length, width and frame rate. Right in your browser, no upload and no watermark.
- Convert video to MP3Save the audio of a video as MP3: convert MP4, MOV or WebM to MP3 or WAV, with bitrate and trimming. No upload, right in your browser, free to use.
- Remove Audio from VideoRemove audio from video in seconds: pick an MP4, MOV (iPhone) or WebM, delete the sound track and save a silent video – no re-encoding, no upload, free.
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- MKV to MP4 converterConvert MKV to MP4 in your browser: pick a video and repackage picture and sound into an MP4 container without re-encoding. No upload, no watermark, free.