How to Easily Shorten MP4 Videos on Windows [2 Simple Ways]

MP4 is currently the most popular video format, widely used to save screen recordings, videos captured by smartphones, cameras, drones, and other devices, and share online videos. Sometimes you may need to shorten your MP4 file due to various reasons:

• Remove unnecessary parts to make the video more engaging and increase the pacing.
• Make the video shorter to meet the platform-specific length limits.
• Reduce the file size to save storage space or make the video easy to share.
• …

So, this post demonstrates how to shorten MP4 video on Windows using the built-in Photos app and a great video editor – MiniTool MovieMaker.

How to Shorten MP4 with Windows Photos App

Windows 10 Photos app included a Video Editor that allowed you to trim, rotate, split videos, apply filters, change the playback speed, and more, but the Video Editor has been moved to Photos Legacy. Currently, the Photos app only lets you trim videos. If you just need to shorten MP4 files with additional edits, the Photos app comes in handy.

Here’s how to shorten MP4 video on Windows using the Photos app.

Step 1: Open the MP4 Video with Photos

Right-click your target MP4 video, select Open with from the dropdown, and click Photos.

Step 2: Trim the Video

Click Trim in the top left corner to open the trimming page in Photos, then you’ll see the trimming handles at the bottom of the page. Next, drag the trimming handles towards the center to choose the desired section.

Step 3: Save the Trimmed MP4 File

After confirming your choice, click Save as copy in the top right corner, then choose a location, and click Save.

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How to Shorten MP4 with MiniTool MovieMaker

MiniTool MovieMaker is one of the best free video editors for Windows, thanks to its ease of use and rich features. Whether you desire to crop videos, change the aspect ratio, add text, create video collages, or add stickers, this program has you covered. Best of all, it can be used for free and without watermarks.

Here’s how to shorten an MP4 file using MiniTool MovieMaker.

Step 1: Install the MP4 Editor

Click the button below to download and install the MP4 video editor on your computer.

MiniTool MovieMakerClick to Download100%Clean & Safe

Step 2: Import Your MP4 Video

Open the application and close the pop-up window to enter the main interface. Then, click the Import Media Files button to import your MP4 file. Next, drag and drop the video onto the timeline.

Step 3: Shorten Your MP4 File

There are three ways to make your MP4 video shorter in MiniTool MovieMaker:

• Trim the beginning or end of the video.
• Remove a part in the middle of the clip.
• Increase the playback speed.

Option 1: Trim the MP4 File

Hover your mouse cursor over the start or end of the clip on the timeline until the Trim icon appears. You can then drag the Trim icon inwards to shave off the beginning or end.

Option 2: Cut and Delete Unnecessary Parts in the Middle

You can also remove long pauses, repetitive content, mistakes, or other unnecessary parts from the video to shorten your MP4 file.

First, you should separate the target clip from the whole video. Select the clip on the timeline, drag the playhead to the start of the unwanted clip, and click the Split icon; continue moving the playhead to the end of the unwanted clip, and click the Split icon. You can zoom in on the timeline for precise control.

Repeat this step to extract all unwanted segments from the original video. Next, select the unwanted clip and click the Delete icon on the timeline toolbar.

Option 3: Speed Up the MP4 Video

Playing the MP4 video at a faster speed will instantly shorten its duration. Therefore, you can speed up your MP4 video to make it shorter.

Select the video on the timeline and click the Speed icon on the timeline toolbar. Choose Fast in the menu and click a speed: 2X, 4X, 8X, 20X, or 50X.

Step 4: Preview and Export the Video

Play the video to view the remaining clips. If you’re satisfied with the result, click the Export button to save the video. By default, the video will still be saved as an MP4 file. You can choose a resolution like 4K, frame rate, etc. Of course, you can change the output format.

Finally, click Export again to start rendering your refined video.

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Conclusion

It’s your turn now. Follow the steps above to shorten your MP4 video to make the content concise, which will help attract viewers’ attention and make the video easier to upload online or send as an email attachment.