How to Convert a Podcast to MP4

You can turn your raw video podcast into an iPod-playable MP4 file. All you need is a media converter program like QuickTime on your computer. The following steps use QuickTime, which is available for both Mac and PC, but other media converters work similarly.

Things You'll Need

• Computer (Mac or PC)
• Raw video

Instructions

1. Download QuickTime 7 from the Apple download website (see Resources) and install it on your computer, if it is not already installed.

2. Open up the QuickTime application on your computer and upgrade to QuickTime Pro when prompted. As of November 2009, this application costs $30.

3. In the QuickTime Pro application, click the "File" menu and select "Open File."

4. Select the raw video file that you wish to use from your computer.

5. Click "File" again and select "Export."

6. Choose the "Movie to MPEG-4" option from the available selections.

7. Click the "Save" button and monitor the progress of the export. Your new file will be saved on your computer in MP4 format and will be playable on video iPods.

Tips & Warnings

• You can use other programs to convert podcasts to MP4 files, but QuickTime has the longest history in video editing software and is fairly reliable.

• Beware free programs that are too good to be true.

• Don't delete your original raw video file after exporting it unless you are sure you are happy with the final MP4 file.

References

• Creating Video Podcasts on Windows
• Why Quicktime?

Resources

• Download Quicktime