Mac OS: Remove Video From Files to Shrink Their Size

Hello, we’re continuing to share practical tips for Mac users. In this article, we’ll cover how to edit video without downloading any software, for Macbook users.

On devices running Mac OS, like the Macbook Pro, Macbook Air, or iMac, it’s possible to do simple video editing without downloading any extra software. Experienced Mac users may already know this, but users who’ve just switched from Windows to Mac OS often assume they need to download extra software for this.

For simple video editing, Mac OS comes with built-in software called QuickTime. In fact, this software has some features beyond simply being a video and audio player.

Why Would I Want to Remove the Video From a File?

You might be thinking, what’s the point of removing the video track from a video file? Well, it’s a video, so what else would it be. But some audiobooks, podcasts, or music clips we download from the internet take up a lot of space precisely because of the video component. If you’re only interested in the audio — you’ll just put on your headphones and listen — then getting rid of the video from files you’ve downloaded makes a lot of sense.

As an example, we’re going to take an MP4-format video we downloaded from YouTube, strip out the video, and convert it into an MP4 that only contains the audio track. In effect, we’ll be turning the video into an audio file.

How Do You Remove the Video From a File on Mac OS?

If you’re a Macbook user, there’s no need to download anything for this. We’ll be using the QuickTime app. Let’s walk through how to do it, using an audiobook video we downloaded from YouTube.

As you can see, our file is 474 MB in size.

Right-click the file, choose “Open With,” and then select QuickTime Player.app. If it doesn’t appear in the “Open With” menu, you can find the app under the “Other…” option further down.

Once the video file opens in QuickTime, click “Delete Video” under the “Edit” menu at the top.

You’ll notice the QuickTime Player’s view changes at this point. If it looks like the image below, everything’s working correctly.

Click the red circle in the top-left corner of the player to close the app. When you close it, it’ll ask if you want to save the new file it created. Give your new file a name and click “SAVE.”

If you gave the file the same name as the original, it’ll ask if you want to replace it. Click “REPLACE.”

The Video File Size Has Been Reduced

As you can see, our new file has now been saved. Our old file was 474 MB, and our new file is 123 MB. We’ve reduced the file size to roughly a quarter of the original.

In this article, we’ve seen how to remove the video from files and reduce their size on Mac OS devices like the Macbook Pro, Macbook Air, and iMac, without downloading any extra software. See you in our next article.