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Make Smaller guide

Reduce Audio and Video File Sizes on Windows

Choose a profile for a smaller media copy, then verify playback, sound and picture quality.

By Osenpa · Updated
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Short answer

Use Make Smaller from File Explorer on a supported audio or video file. Preserve quality avoids additional quality loss. Balanced and Smallest size can reduce eligible media quality or video resolution, while unsupported encodings or track arrangements can require lossless processing or prevent processing.

Before you start

  • Make Smaller on Windows 11 24H2 or later, x64, with an active license.
  • Locally available media in a supported family: MP3, FLAC, M4A, WAV/W64, WavPack, MP4, MOV, MKV or WebM. The file's actual codecs and tracks must also be supported.
  • A player that can check the original and output.

Start here

  1. Select a representative recording

    Start with a sample containing speech or music, motion and any tracks you need. Keep the original for editing or high-quality playback.

  2. Run a suitable profile

    Right-click the file in File Explorer, choose Make Smaller and select Preserve quality, Balanced or Smallest size. Use the sharing profiles only when some quality change is acceptable.

  3. Read adjustments and limitations

    Check the result for media changes, bitrate information or a lossless-processing explanation. A selected profile may not have a suitable quality-reducing method for the file's encoding or tracks.

  4. Play the saved copy

    Use Show in folder and sample the beginning, middle and end. Check duration, sound, picture, seeking and synchronization, including alternate audio or subtitles where present. Play important recordings through before relying on them; short samples cannot verify the whole file.

  5. Check size and share

    Compare the achieved size with your destination's limit. If it is still too large, try another acceptable profile from the original or choose another transfer method.

Check your result

  • The output plays in the intended player with the required tracks.
  • Speech, music, movement and picture detail remain acceptable.
  • Seeking and audio/video synchronization work, and the original remains available.

A smaller copy keeps the file format

Make Smaller does not change an MP4 into a WebM or an audio file into another extension. For format conversion, use a converter and check its supported input and output formats.

A container name such as MP4 does not identify every codec or track feature inside it. A familiar extension can still produce an unsupported-feature result.

When the result is unchanged

Already compact media may offer little reduction. The app can preserve encoded content when a quality-reducing method is unsuitable, or create no copy when the saving is too small.

Avoid repeatedly processing reduced outputs. Go back to the original when comparing profiles, and read the stated reason before retrying a failed file.

The app used in this guide

Make Smaller

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Related guides

Sources and further reading