MP4
Also known as: MPEG-4 Part 14, .mp4
The most common video container format: one file that holds compressed video, audio and metadata. Recorded natively by GoPro, DJI, Sony and most phones.
Updated
What it means
MP4, formally MPEG-4 Part 14, is a container: a wrapper that packs a video stream, one or more audio streams and extra data into a single file. It says nothing by itself about how the picture is compressed. One MP4 might hold H.264 video and AAC audio, the next H.265 video and PCM audio, and both carry the same extension.
It became the default for action cameras because it plays almost everywhere, from phones and browsers to TVs and every editing program. GoPro, DJI Osmo cameras and drones, Sony and most Android phones record MP4 natively, and Insta360 Studio exports reframed 360 clips to it.
How it works in practice
Inside an MP4, data is organized into boxes, often called atoms. The most important is the moov box, the index that tells a player where every frame lives. Cameras write it when you stop recording, and online video works best when it sits at the start of the file, which export tools call fast start or web optimized.
Action cameras also use extra tracks. A GoPro file carries a GPMF track with GPS and gyro data next to the video and audio, and some files include a timecode track. Long takes are split into a series of chaptered MP4 files rather than one huge file, partly so that each piece stays under 4 GB.
What to watch out for
The biggest risk is an interrupted recording. If the battery dies or the card pops out mid-take, the moov box never gets written and the file looks the right size but refuses to open. Some cameras repair such files on the next power-up, so put the card back into the camera before reaching for recovery tools.
Second, the extension tells you nothing about compatibility. An HEVC MP4 can stutter on an older laptop that plays H.264 MP4s perfectly, so when a file misbehaves, check the codec, not the extension. And renaming an MOV or MKV to .mp4 does not convert it; use a proper remux or export instead.
How RawClip handles it
MP4 is the most natural format for RawClip. Upload your clips exactly as the camera recorded them, H.264 or H.265, from 1080p up to 4K and 5.3K, and mix brands freely in one order. The finished highlight also comes back as MP4, in 4K and 1080p, through a private, time-limited download link.