Quick Video Compression Guide: How to Shrink Video Files Without Losing Quality

Exporting a video from Premiere Pro or DaVinci Resolve can easily produce a 3GB or 4GB file. Uploading files that big takes forever and causes buffering on mobile.

Here is how to quickly compress videos down to a fraction of their size while keeping the visual quality crisp.

1. Easy HandBrake Settings (Free App)

If you like using a visual app, download HandBrake (free):

1. Choose MP4 format.
2. Check the Web Optimized box.
3. In the Video tab, set Quality to RF 21–23 (H.264).
4. Export! You'll get an 80% smaller file that looks virtually identical to the original.

2. One-Line FFmpeg Command

If you use the command line:

ffmpeg -i input.mov -c:v libx264 -crf 22 -preset slow -c:a aac -b:a 192k -movflags +faststart output.mp4

The -movflags +faststart flag makes sure your video starts playing right away when streamed online!