How to compress MKV files

Are your MKV file sizes too large? Here's how to compress MKV files online with ease.

Navigating the complexities of MKV file compression and conversion need not be daunting. This comprehensive guide will unravel the intricacies of the MKV format, highlight its benefits, and help you circumnavigate common hurdles, such as device compatibility. Central to our discussion is the use of Speechify Video Studio, a robust online tool designed for MKV compression and conversion. Here, we’re providing a step-by-step walkthrough, detailing everything from the initial file upload, through to tailoring compression settings, and finally exporting your optimized video.

What is MKV video?

MKV, or Matroska Video, is a multimedia container format. A container format is a type of file format that includes various types of data compressed by different codecs. In the case of MKV, it can store a multitude of different types of multimedia content such as video, audio, images, subtitle tracks, and more, all within a single file.

One of the key advantages of the MKV format is that it supports virtually any audio and video format, making it highly versatile. It's particularly notable for its support for high-quality video formats and multiple subtitle and audio tracks. This means you can have a single MKV file containing video, multiple languages of audio tracks, and subtitle tracks, which you can switch between during playback.

Furthermore, MKV files can also support features like chapter points and metadata, which can be particularly useful for long videos or collections of videos.

MKV is an open standard format, which means it's free to use and has wide support across a variety of platforms. However, it's worth noting that while MKV is popular among certain users due to its flexibility and capabilities, it's not as widely supported on devices and platforms as some other formats, such as MP4.

For example while MKV files are commonly used to rip Blu-Ray discs, they often need to be converted to a universally supported format like MPEG-2 or H.264 for playback on most Blu-Ray players. Therefore, you might sometimes need to convert MKV files to another format for better compatibility.

What can you do with MKV videos?

MKV, short for Matroska Video, is a flexible and adaptable multimedia container format. With MKV videos, you can do a variety of things:

• Multi-language audio and subtitle tracks: MKV files can contain multiple audio and subtitle tracks in different languages. This makes them highly suitable for movies, TV shows, or educational videos where you may need to switch between different languages.
• High quality video: MKV supports high-definition video formats, so you can enjoy videos in excellent quality.
• Metadata and chapter points: MKV files support detailed metadata and chapter points, which can be very helpful for long videos or collections of short videos.
• Various codecs: The MKV format supports nearly all video and audio codecs, providing greater compatibility.
• Lossless video editing: Since MKV is a container format, you can edit the video (like adding or removing audio tracks or subtitles) without any loss in video quality.
• Streaming: MKV files are suitable for streaming over the internet due to their structure, which allows playback to begin before the entire file is downloaded.

However, despite these advantages, not all media players natively support MKV files. In some cases, you may need to install additional codecs or convert the MKV file to a more universally compatible format, like MP4. This is where video converter tools come into play, allowing you to convert your MKV files to other formats that might be more suitable for your device or application.

How to compress MKV files online

Looking for a tool to compress MKV video files? Video compression is intrinsically linked to encoding, as it is during the encoding process that raw video data is converted, via compression algorithms, into a more storage-efficient format that still strives to maintain the original video quality.

Speechify Video Studio offers a powerful online MKV compressor for this very task. With this online tool, you can reduce your MKV file size significantly without sacrificing video quality. Best of all, Speechify Video Studio is a free-to-use video compressor, making the process of compressing your MKV videos a breeze.

Here's how to compress MKV files using Speechify Video Studio:

Step 1: Upload your MKV file

Click on Choose MKV File. From the ensuing window, you have the option to drag and drop your video into the provided space or select files directly from your library or wherever you store your videos like Google Drive.

Step 2: Configure your compression settings

Set the video resolution, quality, and other parameters such as bitrate and frame rate. Speechify Video Studio provides a preview of the new estimated video file size before you initiate the compression. The tool also offers intuitive video editing capabilities, allowing you to add sound, text, or perform tasks like cut, trim, and rotate. You can also add a watermark to your videos prior to compressing them.

Step 3: Export your video

Hit Export, and your freshly compressed video will be saved to your device.

Compress MKV files with Speechify Video Studio

As a browser-based MKV compression tool, Speechify Video Studio doesn't require you to download any software or app. This feature can be quite handy, particularly when you need to attach videos to emails which often have strict size limits. It’s user-friendly nature ensures you don’t have to worry about things like presets or specific types of compression like CRF.

Our tool helps you reduce MKV files into smaller sizes, ensuring that your videos can fit within those limits. It’s also available on Windows, Mac OS, or Android devices. If you want to share videos on social media platforms or watch them on your iPhone, this can be a game-changer.

Beyond being an MKV compressor, Speechify Video Studio doubles as a video converter. It auto-converts your MKV files to MP4 format during the compression process, making the output file—in file formats like MKV, MOV, WMV, HEVC, and WebM—compatible with media players like VLC and others.

Speechify Video Studio's functionality can be compared to that of Handbrake, an open-source video transcoder. But with the additional benefits of its online accessibility and straightforward interface, it stands out as a fantastic choice for users of all skill levels.

Whether you're looking to compress MKV files without losing quality, add subtitles, resize video files, or manage the video codec, Speechify Video Studio is your one-stop-shop video editor solution.

FAQ

Why are MKV files so big?

MKV, or Matroska, files can be large because they often contain multiple audio and subtitle tracks. Saving a video in MKV format usually results in a larger file size compared to other smaller file formats like MP4 or AVI.

How do I convert from MKV to MP4?

Speechify Video Studio does this automatically during compression. However, if you want to convert your MKV files without compressing them, simply upload the file to Speechify Video Studio and click on Export.

Will I lose image quality if I convert my MKV files to MP4?

No, converting MKV to MP4 doesn't lead to image or video quality loss. Both MKV and MP4 are container formats that can accommodate the same video and audio codecs without any loss in resolution or quality.

How can I send a large MKV file via email?

Most email servers limit file attachments to between 20 and 25MB. To send large MKV files, you might need to compress them first.