• Date: 17 March 2025
• By: Jon Monk
• Estimated Read Time: 5–6 minutes

Large, uncompressed videos slow down sites, increasing bounce rates and negatively impacting engagement.

This guide walks you through the best free tools and step-by-step methods to compress and optimise your video files before uploading.

Step 1: Choose the Ideal Video Length

Shorter videos = Faster load times & higher engagement.

• 30–90 seconds is ideal for most website content.
• Product demos & tutorials: 1–3 minutes max.
• Background videos: 5–10 seconds, loop smoothly.

Remove unnecessary audio:

• If the video is a silent background video, removing the audio shrinks file size.

Step 2: Choose the Right File Format

The right format ensures fast loading and cross-browser compatibility:

• WebM (VP9) – is the best format for web videos, offering superior compression and quality.
• MP4 (H.264) – Best for universal compatibility and efficient compression.

✅ Recommendation: Convert videos to WebM (VP9) for smaller file sizes and faster loading.

Videos should be no larger than necessary for their intended display size.

✅ Recommendation: If the video won’t be fullscreen, 720p or 480p is often enough.

Step 4: Compress the Video File

Reducing video file size significantly improves page speed.

Using HandBrake to compress a 1-minute 1080p MP4 video:

Option 1: Online Compression Using CloudConvert (Recommended)

If your IT department restricts installing software, an online tool is the best solution.

🔗 CloudConvert MP4 to WebM

How to Use CloudConvert to Optimise Your Video:

• Go to CloudConvert MP4 to WebM.
• Click "Select File" and upload your video.
• Under Options, set the following:
  • Video Codec: vp9 (best for compression and quality)
  • Resolution: No change (unless reducing file size, in which case choose 720p or 480p)
  • Constant Quality (CRF): 31 (balanced quality and file size)
  • Fit: Scale
  • Audio Codec: Opus
  • Audio Bitrate: 128 kbps (or remove audio if unnecessary)
• Click "Convert" and wait for the process to complete.
• Download the optimised video and upload it to your website.

Option 2: Desktop Compression Using HandBrake

For those able to install software, HandBrake is a powerful free tool.

• Download and install HandBrake.
• Open HandBrake and import your video file.
• Select a Preset:
  • Fast 1080p30 (for Full HD)
  • Fast 720p30 (for smaller screens)
• Under the Video tab:
  • Format: MP4 (H.264)
  • Adjust Bitrate:
    • 1080p → 3,000 – 5,000 kbps
    • 720p → 1,500 – 3,000 kbps
• Click "Start Encode" to compress the file.

✅Pro Tip: Lowering the bitrate will reduce file size but can affect quality. Test different settings to find the best balance.

Step 5: Remove Unnecessary Audio

If your video does not need sound, removing the audio can further reduce file size.

• Go to CloudConvert MP4 to WebM.
• Upload your video.
• Click "Options" and select "Remove Audio".
• Convert and download the file.
• How to Remove Audio Using HandBrake
• Open HandBrake and import your video.
• Click on the Audio tab.
• Click the X to remove the audio track.
• Click Start Encode to save the video without sound.

Best Practices for Web Videos

✅ Keep videos short – Aim for 30 to 90 seconds
✅ Use HandBrake – Resize and compress files before uploading
✅ Choose the right resolution – 720p or 1080p works best
✅ Remove unnecessary audio – Saves file size & load time
✅ Don’t upload huge files – Optimised videos load 5x faster!

Need Some Help? 

Our optimisation experts will be happy to help. Contact Jon Monk, Head of Optimisation & Performance on jon.monk@asp.events for more info. 

And if you'd like to know more about the power of videos in marketing have a read of this article:

100 Powerful Video Marketing Statistics for 2025