MotionShine01 / Drop
Drop one file or many
Drag MKV files in or click to pick them. Each one is read from your own disk.
Free tool
MKV to MOV converter.
Turn an MKV file into a QuickTime MOV for a Mac app or an editor. If the picture is H.264 or HEVC and the sound is AAC, they are copied across untouched, so there is no quality loss. Anything else is re-encoded, and the result tells you which. It runs in your browser, so nothing is uploaded.
Reading the file...
This runs in your browser. Your files are never uploaded.
How it works
Three steps, nothing to install.
02 / Convert
It turns into MOV by itself
Each file becomes a MOV as soon as it is in, with the settings you used last. The line above the download button says what was copied and what was re-encoded.
03 / Save
Download one or all
Play the result, check its size, then download it, or get every file in one ZIP.
Guide
How to convert MKV to MOV, copying when it can.
An MKV to MOV converter moves the picture and sound from a Matroska file into a QuickTime file. Matroska is an open container that can hold almost any codec, and the Matroska site lists H.264, HEVC, VP9, AV1, AAC, Opus, AC-3 and FLAC among them. MOV is the container Apple's QuickTime is built on, and it is picky. This tool checks each stream: if MOV can hold it and Apple's apps can play it, it is copied bit for bit. If not, only that stream is re-encoded.
How to use the MKV to MOV converter
- Drop one or more MKV files on the box, or click to choose them.
- Each file turns into a MOV by itself. Wait for the line that starts with "Ready".
- Read that line. It says whether the picture and the sound were copied or re-encoded, and how big the MOV is compared with the MKV.
- Want a smaller file? Open Quality and Size. Each Quality option shows the size it would give for your file.
- Press Download the MOV. With several files, use Download all as ZIP.
What is copied and what is re-encoded
| Inside the MKV | In the MOV | Quality |
|---|---|---|
| H.264 or HEVC picture | Copied | No change |
| VP9, VP8 or AV1 picture | Re-encoded as H.264 | Small loss |
| AAC or MP3 sound | Copied | No change |
| Uncompressed PCM sound | Copied | No change |
| Opus, Vorbis or FLAC sound | Re-encoded as AAC at 160 kbps | Small loss |
| Dolby Digital (AC-3, E-AC-3) | Copied as it is when the browser cannot decode it | No change |
The sound is the stream that changes most often. An OBS recording usually has H.264 and AAC, so it is a plain copy. MKV files from other places often carry Opus or Vorbis sound, and a MOV is not the place for them, since QuickTime Player may not play them, so the sound is turned into AAC. The picture stays as it is. A 10 minute sound track at 160 kbps adds 160,000 x 600 / 8 = 12,000,000 bytes, about 12 MB.
When the picture has to be re-encoded
VP9 and AV1 pictures do not belong in a MOV that QuickTime Player will open, so they are re-encoded as H.264. With Original quality the bitrate is the frame width times height times frames a second times 0.075. A 1920 x 1080 picture at 30 fps gets 4.7 Mbps, so 10 minutes is about 350 MB. It is never set much above what the MKV used, so a small file stays small. Re-encoding needs Chrome, Edge or Safari. Copying works everywhere.
What is left behind
The tool carries over the picture and the sound. Subtitle tracks, chapters and attachments stay in the MKV. A second sound track, such as another language, may come along, but the result line only describes the first, so play the MOV and check before you delete the MKV. Soft subtitles can be burned into the picture first with a video editor.
Common problems
- The sound is silent in QuickTime Player. Check the line above the download button. If the MKV had Dolby sound that was copied as it is, QuickTime may not play it. Open the MOV in VLC, or pick Remove the sound under More settings if you do not need it.
- It says the picture cannot be read. The MKV uses a codec your browser cannot decode. Try a current Chrome, Edge or Safari.
- A long recording fails. The file is held in memory. Close other tabs, or cut it with the video trimmer first.
- An HEVC file will not play on an old computer. The MOV holds HEVC too. The HEVC to MP4 converter makes an H.264 copy.
Need MP4 instead? Use MKV to MP4. Going back the other way, MOV to MKV does that.
Questions
Good to know.
Is my file uploaded?
No. The file is read and written in this tab by your browser, so it never leaves your computer.
Does MKV to MOV lose quality?
Not when the picture is H.264 or HEVC and the sound is AAC. Those are copied. A VP9 or AV1 picture, or Opus or Vorbis sound, is re-encoded, with a small loss. The result line names each case.
Why not just rename .mkv to .mov?
The two containers are laid out differently inside, so QuickTime Player and editors reject a renamed file. Converting rewrites the container properly.
Will the MOV open in QuickTime Player, iMovie and Final Cut Pro?
Those are the apps the output is made for: H.264 or HEVC picture with AAC sound. If the MKV had Dolby sound that was copied as it is, some players cannot play that sound.
Are subtitles and chapters kept?
No. Subtitle tracks, chapters and attachments stay in the MKV. The picture and sound are carried over, and a second sound track may come along, so check the MOV before you delete the MKV.
Can I convert many files at once?
Yes. Drop as many as you like. They are made one after another with the same settings, and Download all as ZIP saves them together.
Is there a file size limit?
The file is handled in your browser memory, so very large files can fail. Close other tabs and try again, or cut the file into parts first.
Which browsers work?
Copying works in current Chrome, Edge, Safari and Firefox. Re-encoding the picture needs Chrome, Edge or Safari.