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Compress a video for Discord

Choose the limit shown in Discord, then compress and download a playable MP4.

InputMP4, WebM, MOV and M4V videoOutputVerified H.264/AAC MP4

Discord rejects an upload the moment it crosses your account’s attachment limit, and the limit depends on whether you have Nitro and how boosted the server is. Rather than guessing, pick the cap that applies to you, and the video is compressed to land under it as an H.264 MP4 that plays inline in the channel.

Which limit applies to you

Discord’s free tier has historically allowed a small attachment — around 10 MB — with paid tiers raising it substantially, and heavily boosted servers raising it further still. The numbers have changed more than once, so the reliable approach is to read the limit Discord itself shows you in the upload dialog and target that, leaving a little headroom rather than aiming at the exact figure. A file that lands at 9.7 MB against a 10 MB cap uploads; one that lands at 10.1 MB does not.

Getting a clip under 10 MB and keeping it watchable

Ten megabytes is roughly 80 megabits, so a 60-second clip has about 1.3 Mbps to spend on everything. That is workable at 720p for a talking head or a screen recording, and not workable at 1080p60 gameplay, which will turn to mush. Two levers help more than the quality slider: trim to the part that matters, since every second removed is bitrate returned to the rest, and drop the resolution to 720p, which frees far more than it costs at this budget.

Why H.264 MP4 specifically

Discord previews video inline, and that preview needs a format its clients can decode on every platform — desktop, web, iOS and Android. H.264 in an MP4 is the safe answer. Files in other formats often upload fine and then sit in the channel as a download link instead of a player, which defeats the point of sharing a short clip. Confirming the output is H.264 MP4 is as much a part of the job here as hitting the size limit.

Questions, answered

What is Discord’s file size limit?

It depends on your account tier and the server’s boost level, and the figures have changed over time. Read the limit Discord shows in its upload dialog and target just under it.

How do I get a long video under the limit?

Trim it. Every second removed gives the remaining footage more bitrate. Dropping to 720p is the next biggest lever, and it costs less than a starved 1080p encode.

Why does my video appear as a link instead of playing in the channel?

Because the format is not one Discord previews inline. Export H.264 in an MP4 and the clip plays in the channel on every client.

Can I compress gameplay footage to 10 MB?

Only short clips. Fast-moving gameplay needs a lot of bitrate, so at 10 MB you should keep the clip well under a minute and drop to 720p. Longer highlights are better hosted elsewhere.

Is my video uploaded anywhere to compress it?

No. The compression runs in your browser, so the file never leaves your device before you choose to post it.

Useful next steps

Continue with a tool that fits naturally after compress for discord.

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