How to Compress a Video to 100 MB (or Any Size)

To compress a video to 100 MB, divide the target size by the video's length to get the bitrate that fits, subtract the audio, lower the resolution if that bitrate is too low for it, and re-encode at that bitrate. A 5-minute video fits in 100 MB at about 2.5 Mbps of video, which looks fine at 720p; a 1-minute video can keep about 12.8 Mbps, more than enough for 1080p.

The chart below gives the bitrate for 100, 50 and 25 MB at common lengths. Then come three ways to do it: QuickVeed's free video compressor in the browser, HandBrake, and FFmpeg two-pass for an exact size. More in our video editing how-tos.

The short answer

File size = bitrate × length. For 100 MB: video bitrate in kbps ≈ 800,000 ÷ seconds − audio bitrate, then take 3% off for safety. A 3-minute video gets about 4.2 Mbps, 5 minutes about 2.5 Mbps, 10 minutes about 1.2 Mbps. Encode at that bitrate (two-pass if you can), and drop to 720p below about 5 Mbps or 480p below about 2.5 Mbps.

Key takeaways

• Only bitrate and length decide file size; resolution decides how good that bitrate looks.
• 100 MB holds about 1 minute at a generous 12.8 Mbps (1080p), 5 minutes at about 2.5 Mbps (720p) or 15 minutes at about 0.7 Mbps (480p).
• Two-pass encoding at a set average bitrate is the reliable way to hit a size; one pass often overshoots.
• Trimming dead air is the cheapest compression: every second you cut is a second you don't encode.
• If the limit is for sharing, a link (Drive, YouTube unlisted) may be better than squeezing the file.

Disclosure: we make QuickVeed and show how to do this in it, along with other ways. Details about other products come from their public pages, checked in October 2026 and linked at the end.

How much bitrate fits in 100 MB? The chart

These are video bitrates that fit each size with 128 kbps AAC audio and a 3% margin for the container. 1 MB here is 1,000,000 bytes; if your limit is in MiB (1,048,576 bytes), you have about 5% more room.

QuickVeed's free video bitrate calculator does this sum for any size and length, with your own audio bitrate. The formula is the one in the FFmpeg H.264 guide: bitrate = file size ÷ duration.

Which resolution to pick for your bitrate

A bitrate that's too low for the resolution turns into blocks and smears, so lower the resolution as the bitrate drops. YouTube's recommended upload bitrates for standard frame rates are a useful yardstick:

Those YouTube figures are for uploads, which get compressed again, so you can go somewhat lower for a file people will just watch. Talking-head and screen recordings compress far better than handheld or sports footage, so they look acceptable at lower bitrates.

Method 1: Compress to under 100 MB in your browser

1. Trim first: cut the start, the end and any dead air with the free video trimmer.
2. Open QuickVeed's free video compressor and drop in the video (up to 500 MB and 10 minutes).
3. Pick Light (up to 1080p, about 23 MB a minute), Smaller (up to 720p, about 12 MB a minute) or Smallest (up to 480p, about 6 MB a minute). The estimated size updates at once.
4. Keep the sound at 96 kbps or drop it for the smallest file, then save. The tool tells you how much smaller the result is.

At those rates Light fits about 4 minutes under 100 MB, Smaller about 8 minutes and Smallest about 10 minutes, the tool's maximum. It's free, runs in your browser and never uploads the file. The output is MP4 where your browser can record MP4, WebM otherwise.

Method 2: HandBrake (free, Windows, Mac, Linux)

1. Open the video in HandBrake and choose a preset such as Fast 720p30.
2. On the Dimensions tab, set the resolution the chart suggests.
3. On the Video tab, choose Avg Bitrate (kbps) and type the bitrate from the chart.
4. Tick Multi-Pass Encoding (2-pass). Leave Turbo first pass on to save time.
5. On the Audio tab, set AAC at 128 kbps (or 96 kbps to save a little), then Start Encode.

HandBrake's own documentation recommends Constant Quality for most jobs and average bitrate only when you must hit a file size, and says a single pass at a set bitrate gives sub-optimal results, which is why you tick multi-pass.

Method 3: FFmpeg two-pass for an exact size

For a 5-minute video into 100 MB, the chart gives about 2,460 kbps of video. Run two passes (on Windows, replace /dev/null with NUL):

ffmpeg -y -i input.mp4 -c:v libx264 -b:v 2460k -pass 1 -an -f mp4 /dev/null

ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -c:v libx264 -b:v 2460k -pass 2 -c:a aac -b:a 128k output.mp4

Add -vf scale=-2:720 to both lines to drop to 720p. The FFmpeg wiki's H.264 guide documents this two-pass method for targeting a file size and gives the same bitrate formula; it notes that if -an in the first pass gives a broken file or a crash on your build, replace it with -vsync cfr.

Why compress to 100 MB? Common limits

For email specifically, see how to compress a video for Gmail and Outlook; for chat apps, how to make a video small enough for Discord and the WhatsApp video size limit. To estimate any file before you export, how big a 1-minute video is has per-minute sizes.

Ways to shrink a video without losing much quality

• Cut length first. Silences, intros and retakes cost bytes and add nothing.
• Lower the frame rate from 60 to 30 fps for talking heads and screen recordings.
• Use H.265 (HEVC) if the place you're sending it can play it; it needs less bitrate for the same look. See H.264 vs H.265.
• Mono audio at 96 kbps is fine for speech.
• Don't compress twice. Always start from the original, not an already-compressed copy.

For the general guide to smaller files at the best quality, read how to compress a video without losing quality.

Frequently asked questions

How do I compress a video to exactly 100 MB?

Work out the bitrate: 800,000 ÷ length in seconds, minus the audio bitrate, minus about 3%. Then encode with two-pass at that average bitrate in HandBrake or FFmpeg.

How long a video fits in 100 MB?

About 1 minute of 1080p at a high bitrate, 3 to 5 minutes at 720p, and up to about 15 minutes at 480p for talking-head or screen footage.

Can I compress a video to 100 MB without losing quality?

Some quality is always lost when you lower the bitrate, but a short video or one trimmed of dead air can fit 100 MB with no visible loss.

Why is my compressed video still over 100 MB?

Single-pass and constant-quality encodes don't aim at a size. Use two-pass average bitrate, include the audio in your sum and leave a few percent of margin.

How do I compress a video to 25 MB for email?

For anything over about 2 minutes, it's usually better to share a link. Gmail sends larger files as a Drive link automatically.

Try it with your own video

Trim and compress the video for free in your browser, then caption it if it's going online. Drop the video into the free compressor, pick a size and compare it with the original. QuickVeed plans start at $18/month, and new accounts get a 14-day trial with 250 credits, no card needed. Sign up or see pricing.

Sources

Competitor details in this post were checked against these public pages in October 2026. Products and prices change, so confirm with each vendor before you decide.

• FFmpeg wiki: H.264 encoding guide, two-pass for a target file size
• HandBrake documentation: constant quality vs average bitrate
• YouTube Help: recommended upload encoding settings (bitrates)
• GitHub Docs: about large files on GitHub (100 MiB block)
• Gmail Help: attachment size limit (25 MB, larger files sent as Drive links)
• Microsoft Support: reduce attachment size in Outlook (20 MB for internet accounts)