WMV to MP4 Converter
Turn Windows Media Video files into MP4 that plays on Mac, iPhone, Android, in browsers and in social apps. Free, with no account and no watermark.
Output: MP4 with H.264 video and AAC audio, the most widely supported combination.
Need more changes? Continue in the full editor after downloading or processing the converted file.
How to convert WMV to MP4
The converter re-encodes the video into a standard MP4 file. You do not need to choose a codec, quality or resolution.
Step-by-step
- Choose a WMV file or drag it onto the upload area.
- Wait for the upload to finish, then click Convert to MP4.
- Wait while the video is converted. Long videos take longer.
- Download the MP4 and play, edit or share it where the WMV did not work.
What you get
The result is built for compatibility with today's devices:
- H.264 video with 8-bit 4:2:0 color, converted from Windows Media Video 7, 8 or 9, VC-1 or an older MPEG-4 codec. Practically every phone, computer, TV and browser can play it.
- AAC audio, the standard audio format for MP4, converted from Windows Media Audio, including WMA Pro and WMA Lossless.
- The original resolution and frame rate. An odd width or height is rounded down by one pixel, because H.264 needs even dimensions.
- A file that can be scrubbed and edited like any camera video, without Windows-only codecs.
- Fast start for the web: the MP4 can start playing in a browser before it has fully downloaded.
Why a WMV file may not play
WMV (Windows Media Video) is Microsoft's own format, built around Windows Media Player. Windows still plays it, but almost nothing else does by default: QuickTime Player, iMovie and Final Cut Pro on a Mac do not open WMV, iPhones and most Android phones have no player for it, and browsers cannot play it at all, so websites and online courses cannot show it.
The codecs inside, Windows Media Video and Windows Media Audio, are rarely supported outside Windows, so renaming the file to .mp4 does not help. The video and audio have to be re-encoded into H.264 and AAC, which is what this converter does.
Where WMV files come from
Most WMV files date from the 2000s and early 2010s: videos exported from Windows Movie Maker, whose default output was WMV; recorded webinars, lectures and training videos; clips from Windows Media Encoder and old screen recorders; and videos downloaded or shared in that era. Many family slideshows and school projects from that time exist only as WMV.
Two kinds of files cannot be converted. Windows Movie Maker project files (.wlmp or .mswmm) contain no video, only references to your photos and clips, so the movie has to be exported first. WMV files protected with Windows Media DRM, usually films and music videos bought or rented online, are encrypted, so they cannot be converted.
When to convert WMV to MP4
Convert when the WMV has to work outside Windows:
- Watching on a Mac, iPhone, iPad, Android phone or smart TV that does not open the file.
- Uploading to a social app, website, LMS or cloud service that accepts only MP4 or cannot play WMV in the browser.
- Editing in iMovie, Final Cut Pro or other software that does not import WMV.
- Saving old Movie Maker videos, recorded lectures and family slideshows in a format that will keep working.
Quality, file size and limits
WMV files are already compressed, so convert once from the original and keep it. The MP4 is usually about the same size as the WMV or smaller, because H.264 compresses more efficiently than older Windows Media codecs.
Files can be up to 200 MB. For longer recordings, such as full lectures or webinars, open them in the full Deus Video online editor: it accepts files up to 1 GB, with no size limit on the Maxi plan, and exports MP4.
Compress, trim or convert the MP4
AVI to MP4 Converter
Turn an old AVI video into an MP4 that plays on today's devices.
Compress Video
Make the MP4 smaller for sending by email or messenger.
Trim Video
Keep only the part of a recording you want to share.
Convert Video Format
Need the opposite? Convert MP4 to WMV, or choose MOV, WebM or another format.
Need to Edit Your Video?
Continue with trimming, resizing, cropping, text, subtitles, audio, and other edits in the full editor.
Learn more about video formats
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about converting WMV files to MP4.
Is the WMV to MP4 converter free?
Yes. It is free, you do not need an account, and the MP4 has no watermark.
Will converting WMV to MP4 reduce quality?
The video is re-encoded, so it is not lossless, but the settings keep the original resolution and frame rate and aim to keep the difference hard to see. Keep the original WMV and convert from it rather than from an already converted copy.
Can I play a WMV on a Mac or iPhone?
Not with the built-in apps: QuickTime Player, Photos and iMovie do not open WMV. Convert it to MP4 here, in Safari or any other browser, and the video opens in the standard apps.
Can I convert a Windows Movie Maker project?
Not the project file itself: a .wlmp or .mswmm file contains no video, only links to your photos and clips. Open the project in Movie Maker, save the movie as a video file, then convert that file here if it is WMV.
Why does my WMV fail to convert?
The most common reason is Windows Media DRM: films and music videos bought or rented online were often encrypted and cannot be converted. A damaged or incomplete download can also fail. Ordinary WMV files from Movie Maker, cameras and recorders convert normally.
Is there a file size limit?
Yes, files can be up to 200 MB. For larger videos, use the full Deus Video online editor: it accepts files up to 1 GB, with no size limit on the Maxi plan.