Convert MOV to MP4
MOV and MP4 share the same ISO Base Media File Format under the hood. Converting between them is almost always a container swap. No re-encode, no quality loss, no upload.
What actually changes
Apple's MOV and MPEG's MP4 both descend from QuickTime's file format. In most real-world cases (H.264 or HEVC video plus AAC audio), a MOV is effectively an MP4 with a slightly different box header. Wave rewrites the header and moves the moov atom to the front of the file for fast-start playback. Nothing else changes.
The one exception is MOVs that carry ProRes video - a codec MP4 accepts on paper but almost no consumer player supports. Wave will re-encode ProRes to broadly-playable video when you convert, since the whole point of switching to MP4 is playback anywhere.
Three steps.
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Step 1
Drop your MOV file onto the card, or click "Pick a video".
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Step 2
Wave shows you the source details and confirms the fast-copy path.
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Step 3
Convert and save the MP4.
Answers, specifically.
Do I lose quality converting MOV to MP4?
Almost never. The streams are copied bit-for-bit unless the source uses ProRes, in which case Wave re-encodes only the video track.
iPhone recordings - MOV or MP4?
iPhones record as .mov but with H.264 or HEVC video and AAC audio. That's an ideal fast-copy input - the conversion typically takes seconds.
Why bother converting if MOV already plays?
Not everywhere. Windows Media Player, Android's default player, and some upload pipelines prefer MP4. A handful of services reject .mov outright.
Does the audio quality survive?
Yes. Audio isn't re-encoded when the source codec is AAC, MP3, or another MP4-compatible format.
Will standard metadata (creation date, GPS) carry over?
Standard container metadata is preserved. iPhone-specific EXIF-style timestamps carry through since MP4 uses the same box format.