Top 5 Methods to Compress Your Video Files for Email (And When to Use Each)

You want to share a video internally with your coworkers. Or maybe you’re a creator who spent weeks perfecting that one edit—making sure it has the right music, proper lighting, and accurate subtitles. Or perhaps you want to enhance your outreach game and add a video in your cold pitch. 

But as soon as you press send, guess what? An error message displays: “Your file size is too large.” 

You don’t have to search through 19 different ways to compress a video. In this article, we outline the five easiest ways to email a video that’ is too large and show you how to compress a video using the best video compressor (it’s free!). 


Click to Jump to a Tutorial Section

1. Create a Zip File 
2. Use VEED’s Free Online Video Compressor 
3. Share a Video Link
4. Trim and Split to Reduce the Video File Size
5. Use a Cloud Service
   

1. Create a Zip File

When you want to send multiple videos without compromising on video resolution

Creating a zip file to email large videos is like carefully folding your clothes and zipping them into a bag to make them easier to transport. 

This method also enables you to share multiple videos without granting access to your cloud. 

How to zip a video file on Mac

1. Right-click on the video files you want to compress to make a folder

2. Right-click the folder and choose the option “Compress [file name]”
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3. Mac will now compress your video(s)

How to zip a video file on Windows

1. Right-click on the video file you want to compress

2. Hover on “Send to” and select “Compressed (zipped) folder”

3. Windows will now zip the video to attach to your email
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But despite creating a zip folder, some videos might still be too large to attach to emails. Why? Because while creating a zip file does compress your videos, you likely won’t notice a significant reduction in video file size. 

In that case, you can use a free video compressor like VEED to email large videos. 

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2. Use VEED’s Free Online Video Compressor 

When you need an all-in-one compressor for all your video needs

When it comes to video compression, VEED is one of the best free video compressor tools in the market. 

It’s easy-to-use, customizable, and tells you the exact file size as you compress—eliminating the time-consuming trial-and-error approach. 

Here’s how you can use VEED to email a video that is too large.

Step 1: Go to veed.io/video-compressor to upload your video

There are multiple ways you can upload your video(s) to the VEED compressor:

• Upload from your desktop or laptop
• Drag and drop from DropBox
• Paste a YouTube video URL
  

The supported file types are MP4, MOV, MKV, Avi, WMV, and FLV. 

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Step 2: Adjust the video compression settings 

You can see “Compression Options” on the left side. You can drag the compression slider from a smaller file size to higher quality, depending on what you need. You can also lower the video resolution by using the resolution menu.  

If you need advanced customization, you can also adjust your video’s frames per second and compression mode by clicking “Advanced Settings.” 

Lastly, make sure to check the “estimated compressed size” to confirm if your video file is small enough. 

On average, an email’s maximum attachment file size ranges from 10MB to 25MB. You can check the same with your email provider to be sure.

Step 3: Click “Compress video” and download your compressed video file

Once you click on “Compress video,” VEED will start reducing the video file size based on the customizations you choose.

Next, click on “Download video” to download your compressed video file. 

You can also choose to edit your video inside VEED’s video editor—where you can resize video for social media platforms, add subtitles, translate video, and more!

Not just this, VEED is the only tool on this list that is a one-stop solution for any and every video need you might have. Need to add subtitles to your video? Check. Need an audio transcript? Done. Need to collaborate on your videos with colleagues? VEED can do that too.   

3. Share a Video Link

When you don’t want the hassle of compressing video files

Maybe you detest the hassle of reducing mp4 file size or employing other video compression methods. Or perhaps you don’t want to compromise on video quality.  

If yes, then sharing a video link might be the best way for you to email a video that is too large. 
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The only problem? When your videos are uploaded on another site, you’re not in control of it. The site might decide to change its link format or overload ads on its server. If their service slows down, your video suffers. 
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But despite these troubles, sharing a video through a link is beneficial in many ways: The recipient doesn’t have to download it, you can send large videos with minimal struggle, and your email isn’t weighed down with heavy attachments. 

Here are two ways you can create a video link: 
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Option #1: Create a YouTube video link

Want to share a video and build an audience through your videos? Sharing a YouTube video link might be the best option for you. 
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1. Go to your account and click on “Your channel”

2. Select “Manage videos” to be taken to YouTube studio

3. Click on “Upload videos” or “Create” to upload your video 

4. Select the file from your desktop or computer

5. Give your video a title, description, thumbnail, and more

6. Choose the “visibility” of your video in the last step. You can customize the privacy setting to “unlisted” or “private” if you don’t want to publish it publicly

7. Click on “Save” and get the shareable link

Note: Videos on YouTube will play with an ad (unless the watcher has a premium subscription). 

Option #2: Use VEED to send a video link

YouTube videos often play with an ad and dampen the watcher’s experience. It’s also not suited if you want to share a video with your team, welcome feedback, and collaborate. 

VEED’s Send Video Tool is perfect for sharing a video link that gives a smooth watching experience and allows for teamwork from clients or colleagues. 
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1. Go to veed.io/send-video and upload your video file

2. Click on “Share” to add email addresses or get a video link

Alternatively, you can also click on the “Social” tab to get the email share option

3. The receiver can comment with the timestamp and watch the video without downloading it

4. Trim and Split to Reduce the Video File Size

When you want to trim the fat out of your unedited videos

Trimming and splitting parts of your video would shorten the video duration and, thus, reduce the video file size. 

This method also works best when you don’t want to lower the video quality or have a large video file of unedited footage. 
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Here are three ways you can trim and split your videos: 

Option #1: Trim your video with Quicktime on Mac

1. Open the Quicktime Player app on your Mac and open the video you want to trim

2. Choose edit > trim

3. Drag the yellow handles in the trimming bar to trim your video. Anything outside these yellow handles gets cut. You can see individual frames of the clip by clicking and holding to make more accurate edits

4. Click Trim

Option #2: Trim your video on your iPhone, iPad, or Android device

1. Go to the Photos app and choose the video you want to trim

2. Tap Edit and adjust the slider to trim your video

3. Tap Done and save your edited video

Option #3: Upload your video to VEED to trim and split your video

Want to trim or split your video online instead? Use VEED’s video cutter and splitter to trim your videos from the beginning, middle or end. 

Here’s a step-by-step video tutorial on how you can do this. 

1. Go to veed.io/tools/video-cutter if you want to cut your video or to veed.io/tools/video-splitter if you wish to split your video

2. Upload your video from your desktop or dropbox. You can also insert a YouTube link or record your video

3. You can drag and select parts of the clip you want to trim from the bottom panel 

4. If you’re looking to split your video, place the play head exactly where you desire the cut and click split

5. Click on Export to save your video

5. Use a Cloud Service

When you don’t want to use up precious storage space on your computer or when you want to collaborate with your team

This method is best to use when you want to share a video link with a client or coworker and collaborate on creating or editing content. 

It’s also ideal when you need to send mp4 files but don’t want low video quality. 

Bonus: It also doesn’t take a ton of storage space on your hard drive. 

You can use Google Drive, DropBox, or OneDrive—simply register with an account at any of these cloud services, upload your video file(s), and share a link. 

You can also modify what kind of access you want to give—viewing, commenting, or editing.

And voila! There you have it—the top five ways to compress a video for email and when to use each method.

Frequently Asked Questions About Compressing Video Files for Email

Which factors affect video sizes?

Several factors affect video file size. The top three are:

• Resolution: Those 1920 x 1080 numbers seen in videos refer to the video resolution. Essentially, resolution means the number of pixels in your video. Higher pixel density means higher quality—indicating a large file size. Thus, reducing the resolution can reduce the file size.
  
  
• Bitrates & FPS: Bitrates are the number of bits per second. The higher the bitrate, the better the quality, and the larger the file size. Similarly, FPS represents the frame per second—the rate at which individual images appear on the screen. Higher frame rates mean larger videos. The most common FPS hovers around 24 and 30.
  
  
• Encoding: Video encoding refers to converting raw video files to digital files— ensuring that your video is smooth rather than a collection of individual images. Encoding compresses video files without compromising quality. 

How do I reduce the MB of a video? 

1. Go to VEED’s video compressor tool

2. Upload your video file

3. Compress the video using the compression slider

4. Click on “Compress video” and download your compressed video file

You can also watch this video tutorial on reducing the MB of your video. 
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When is a video too large for email? 

The file size limit varies among the different email providers. But here are the limits for the most popular ones:

• 25 MB on Gmail
• 20 MB on iCloud (this includes the text of your email too). 
• 20 MB on Zoho Mail 
• 25 MB on Yahoo Mail
• 20 MB on Outlook

How to make a video less than 25MB? 

There are multiple ways to reduce the file size of a video: 

1. Use an online video compressor like VEED

2. Trim and split your videos into multiple files

3. Create a zip file of your video

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How do you compress a video file without losing quality? 

There are many ways you can compress a video file without losing quality: 

1. Create a zip file and minimize the loss in video quality

2. Share a YouTube, cloud, or VEED link

3. Trim and split your video using Quicktime on Mac or an all-in-one video tool like VEED

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How do you compress a video on iPhone or iPad?

You can compress videos on your iPhone or iPad by trimming and splitting them. You go to the native “Photos” app, clicking “Edit” and moving the yellow slider to adjust your video clipping accordingly. 

Alternatively, you can also use software(s) like VEED on iPhone and iPad to compress your videos. 

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What's the best free video compressor to send large video files through email?

VEED is one of the easiest ways to compress a large video that needs to be sent via email. You can opt for the classic video compressor or trim and split your videos to achieve the same result. 

You can also make a video link via VEED if you want to collaborate on the video you are sending—those who have the link can offer feedback via comments without needing to download the video.   

Ready to send your video via email?

In conclusion, there are many ways to compress your video for email—but what method you go for depends on your purpose. Let’s wrap up with all the techniques and when is it best to use them: 

The easiest way to trim your videos is through an online compressor tool like VEED—even when you need to send a quick collaborative link or opt for trimming & splitting instead of compressing. It’s beginner-friendly, quick, and hassle-free. 

The best part? It’s free! Sign up today to compress your next video for email.

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