Steps
Trim it first (optional)
A shorter clip gets more quality for the same size. Set the start and end with the player, convert and download. Skip this step to keep the whole video.
Compress to the limit
Pick a limit or type one in MB (1 MB here is 1,000,000 bytes, so the file is also under limits counted in mebibytes). Automatic resolution keeps the full size unless the size is too small for it, and the plan shows the size, frame rate and bitrates before you start. Each pass is encoded with your browser's own H.264 encoder, much faster than the video plays; the MP4 is at or under the limit, and a video that is already under it is kept as it is.
Workflow step
Requirements and sources
| What | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Discord - free upload limit | As of August 2026, the free upload limit is 20MB (up from 10MB), and we've aligned how that limit is checked on desktop and mobile so it's consistent and predictable. | File Attachments FAQ - Discord Support Last verified 2026-10-22 |
| Discord - Nitro upload limits | If you need more room regularly, Nitro Basic offers 50MB and Nitro offers up to 1GB. | File Attachments FAQ - Discord Support Last verified 2026-10-22 |
| Gmail - attachment limit (personal accounts) | For personal Gmail accounts, the limit is 25 MB. | Send attachments with your Gmail message - Gmail Help Last verified 2026-10-22 |
FAQ
How do I make a video small enough for Discord?
Pick 20 MB, the free upload limit Discord's help centre gives since August 2026 (it was 10 MB before), or 50 MB with Nitro Basic.
Why is the result a little under the limit?
The size is aimed about 3% under the limit, because the MP4 container and the encoder's rate control vary a little. A pass that lands over the limit is always encoded again.
How good is the quality?
On our test set of 10 clips at 10 MB and 4 MB, the result scored within 2.4% of ffmpeg's x264 two-pass encoder at the same file size on SSIM (on average level with it), and every file was at or under its limit. Very low limits for long videos look soft whatever the encoder; trimming helps most.
Does it work on a phone?
Yes, in browsers that can encode video with WebCodecs (current Chrome, Edge and Safari). It uses the phone's own video encoder. The whole video is held in memory while it is encoded, so very long clips may fail on phones with little memory.