MKV is a very popular high-quality video format that can store video, audio, image, or subtitle tracks in one file, However, you can’t open MKV files on iMovie, QuickTime, HD TV, iPad, iPhone, PSP, iPod, or other devices.
In this condition, you need to convert MKV to MP4 on Mac. Because MP4 format enjoys great popularity among the public and supports many video players, such as Zune, PSP, Blackberry, iPod, iPhone, etc. And it is the only format that can allow PS3 and Xbox to play.
In fact, you can easily convert MKV to MP4 with apps you already installed like OBS and VLC. This post will discuss how to convert MKV to MP4 on Mac for free and without losing quality.
When it comes to converting MKV file to MP4 on Mac, Cisdem Video Converter will be an ideal choice. Unlike other software that have limit on file size or file number. This video converting apps assists you to effortlessly convert video & audio files in any format with high quality, including MKV to MP4 Mac. You can customize your videos by merging, trimming, cropping, inserting watermarks/subtitles as well as putting effects to MKV videos for brilliant visual enjoyment. The software also lets you download online videos from YouTube, Break, Metacafe, Bing, Flickr, AOL, etc.
Features of the best MKV to MP4 converter for Mac:
Download and install Cisdem Video Converter on Mac.
After installation, double-click the software to run it. Then import MKV files by dragging and dropping. The application supports bulk conversion, so you can load multiple files into it.
Click the format icon, and choose the target format as MP4. There are many devices that can be selected. If you want to convert MKV to MP4 for your iPad device, you can navigate to “Apple Device” > “iPad”.
For experienced users, you can manually change encoding parameters such as video codec, bit rate, frame rate, audio codec, etc. in the “Advanced Settings” window. To open it, click the “gear” button next to the output format you choose.
In this step, you can click the icon to edit your MKV files freely with the feature of cropping, deinterlacing, contrast, watermark inserts, and much more. The application also empowers you to set the 3D types and depths.
If you want to add subtitles to the MKV file you can click subtitle here and add the subtitle to the output MP4 file.
Once the editing process is finished, click to start a conversion on your Mac. That how much time the conversion process takes depends on the size of the video files you have added.
I guess some people searching for MKV to MP4 actually get the MKV file just from OBS. But do you know that you can just convert mkv file to mp4 through OBS. And actually OBS is that covnerting MKV to MP4, it just extract the MP4 file in the MKV container, which also means, if you convert MKV to MP4 with OBS you'll expect to get the MP4 at the same quality as the original file. But at the same time the file size will be larger than you use other software. Here is how to convert MKV to MP4 with OBS on Mac.
1. Install and launce OBS Studio. Add the MKV file to OBS.
2. Click "Settings" in the right corner of the interface.
2. In the popup "Settings" window, click Output and set the recording format to MP4.
3. In the menu bar choose “File” > “Remux Recordings”.
4. Click Remux and it will start extracting MP4 from the MKV file. The speed is really quick, and the quality is just as the same.
Be noted that for some videos OBS will convert the MKV to MP4 with no audio, in this case you need to convet the file with the Cisdem Video Converter we recommend above.
VLC Media Player is a decent video player & converter made by VideoLAN, and it now has been used by thousands of people around the globe. It's a cross-platform program, not only for Mac but also for Windows and Linux. Plus, VLC and convert MKV to MP4 on Mac totally free. You can easily obtain its DMG file from the official websites.
Step 1. Run VLC Media Player on Mac.
Step 2. On the menu bar, click "File"> "Convert/Stream".
Step 3. Import the local MKV file to the UI by either dragging the media file or choosing the “Open media” option.
Step 4. Select the profile option- “H.264 + MP3 (MP4)”.
Step 5. Click on “Save as File”. Choose the output location, and enter the name of the file.
Step 6. Save the output file.
Handbrake is one of the best free MKV to MP4 converter on Mac. Windows and Linux platforms can be used as well. It has been around for 10 years and remains the best possible way for converting MKV file to MP4 on Mac. Handbrake contains lots of features as well, such as adding subtitles, live video preview, an integrated bitrate calculator, picture cropping & scaling and so on.
Step 1. Install and launch Handbrake.
Step 2. Click “Source” > “Open File” and browse your file system to where the MKV files are located.
Step 3. Select all the MKV files that need to be converted to MP4 format from the Mac folder, and then click "Open".
Step 4. Under the “Summary” tab, Choose “MP4 File”. And you can customize filters, dimensions, chapters, encoder, and more.
Step 5. Click “Browser” to choose the file destination.
Step 6. Go back to the main window and click the “Start” button.
There is a long list of video converters available that takes care of your MKV to MP4 conversion on Mac. In particular, worth recommending is Remux, said this is the FFmpeg-based MKV to MP4 converter for macOS users. With the software, you can also create MKV, M4V, AVI, TS, or VOB video files. It adds new aac_at presets encoded with Apple AAC, but you need to remove the plist file to see them.
Step 1. Install and run Remux.
Step 2. There are two tabs: “Single” and “Batch processing”. To convert multiple MKV files, switch to the second one.
Step 3. Drag-n-drop MKV videos to the interface.
Step 4. Select MP4 as output format.
Step 5. Click “Go”.
The fastest way to convert MKV to MP4 on Mac is to use a web-based service. Aconvert.com is such an online MKV to MP4 converter for Mac that can work smoothly without any software. It's not difficult to use this free online tool. Only go with few clicks, the MP4 files you need will be generated immediately. Here we go:
Step 1. Simply select a file to convert from your device or enter its URL.
Step 2. Choose the output format as MP4.
Step 3. (Optional) Click "Change size, bitrate or frame rate", then the option for customizing video size, bitrate, rate, and aspect will show up. Pick your favorite parameters.
Step 4. When everything is ready, click the "Convert Now!" button.
MKV is a container format that is capable of holding different video, audio, image, or subtitle tracks in one file. It’s a free container format, thus you can download plenty of MKV files online for free without any fuss. MKV file is generally larger than the MP4 equivalent.
Format: MKV
Support: Needs players like VLC
Bit-depth: 8bit, 10bit
MP4 stands for MPEG-4 Part 14, it is one of the most popular video formats, and it can be played by almost all media players. Just like MKV, MP4 is also a container format that stores video, audio, images, subtitles, and more. MP4 format always gives lower file sizes, this makes it perfect for video streaming or compressing.
Format: MP4
Support: Works on all major platforms
Bit-depth: 8bit, 10bit
You've seen 6 ways to convert MKV to MP4 on Mac, all have their own pros either in speed or quality. Compared with the online tool, desktop apps are more effective and safe. If you get the MKV from OBS, just use the same software to convert MKV to MP4. and if you have large demand on video size, quality and speed, or you have a need to add subtitle, convert and get just a part of the video, I highly recommend you use Cisdem Video Converter to do the job. As you can see, its advantages are obvious. Well, you might have different opinions. Every program can find its user, and the user can select the best one which actually fits him.
Rosa has worked in Mac software industry for more than eight years. She believes that the purpose of software is to make life better and work more productively. In addition to writing, Rosa is also an avid runner.