A MOV file is a common multimedia container file format developed by Apple and compatible with both Macintosh and Windows platforms. It may contain multiple tracks that store different types of media data and is often used for saving movies and other video files. MOV files commonly use the MPEG-4 codec for compression.

MOV files may contain video, audio, timecode, and text tracks, which can be used to store and synchronize different types of media. Each media track may be encoded using one of several different codecs. In order to play a MOV file, an application must be able to recognize the specific codec(s) used in the file.

You can convert MOV files to more standard media file formats with various media applications. For example, VLC media player allows you to convert a MOV video to an .MP4 file or a MOV audio file to the .OGG format.

NOTE: MOV and MP4 files are similar and can both be played by QuickTime. However, MP4 files are recognized as an international standard and are more widely supported than MOV files.

About MOV Files

Our goal is to help you understand what a file with a *.mov suffix is and how to open it.

The Apple QuickTime Movie file type, file format description, and Mac, Windows, Linux, Android, and iOS programs listed on this page have been individually researched and verified by the FileInfo team. We strive for 100% accuracy and only publish information about file formats that we have tested and validated.