HandBrake - Video Compression

HandBrake is a free, open-source video transcoder that converts and compresses video files into smaller, web-optimized formats. It reduces file sizes significantly while maintaining visual quality, making videos faster to upload, easier to share, and more efficient to stream on websites and social media platforms.

Why We Use HandBrake at CCA

Video content is a key part of our marketing and communications strategy, but raw video files from cameras and screen recordings are often too large for practical web use. HandBrake allows us to:

Our typical workflow:

  • Compress promotional videos for website embedding and faster page load times
  • Optimize social media content to meet platform file size requirements
  • Reduce file sizes for easier sharing via email or cloud storage
  • Convert videos to web-friendly formats (MP4/H.264) for maximum compatibility
  • Batch process multiple videos with consistent quality settings

This ensures our video content loads quickly, plays smoothly across devices, and doesn't strain bandwidth or storage limits.

Website for the video compression software, HandBrake.

How to Install HandBrake

MacOS instructions

  • Visit handbrake.fr
  • Click "Download HandBrake"
  • Download the macOS .dmg file
  • Open the .dmg and drag HandBrake to your Applications folder
  • Launch HandBrake from Applications (you may need to approve it in System Preferences > Security & Privacy)
Install now
mcmWebResources-HandBrake-2-jrl

How to Compress a Video

Basic Compression

  1. Open HandBrake and click "Open Source" to select your video file.
  2. Choose a preset from the right sidebar:
    • "Fast 1080p30" - Good for most web videos
    • "Web > Gmail Large 3 Minutes 720p30" - For smaller file sizes
    • "Social > Discord 5-8 MB 720p30" - For social media platforms
  1. Set the destination by clicking "Browse" and choosing where to save the compressed file.
  2. Click "Start Encode" (the green play button at the top).
  3. Wait for the encoding to complete. The time will vary based on video length and your computer's speed.

Best Practices

  • Keep original files as backups before deleting them
  • Use consistent presets across similar content for uniform quality
  • Name exported files descriptively (e.g., CCA-Open-House-2025-Web-Optimized.mp4)
  • For social media: Check platform requirements (Instagram, Facebook, etc.) and use appropriate presets
  • Quality slider guide: 18-20 for high quality web video, 22-24 for smaller files with acceptable quality
  • If the video will be embedded on your website, prioritize file size reduction to improve page load speed
  • Keep embedded videos short (30-90 seconds ideal) to maintain visitor engagement and reduce bounce rates—longer content is better suited for YouTube or Vimeo with embedded links
  • For archival or professional use, use lower RF values (16-18) or consider not compressing at all