Journal · Decisions
MP4, HEVC or audio: which format should you pick?
When a download offers several options, the labels can be cryptic. What H.264, HEVC, 720p and 1080p actually mean, and which to choose for what you're doing.
Paste a TikTok link into a downloader and you'll often see several choices: "MP4 · 720p", "MP4 · 1080p · HEVC", "Audio only · MP3". Picking the wrong one can mean a file your laptop won't play, or a client video that looks soft on their website. Here's what the labels mean and a quick way to choose.
The container: MP4
MP4 is the box the video comes in. Nearly every phone, computer, editing app and social platform accepts it. When you see MP4, you know the file will at least open. The more important question is the codec inside the box.
The codec: H.264 or HEVC
The codec is how the video is compressed.
H.264 (also called AVC) is the old reliable. It has been the standard for well over a decade, and practically everything can play it: Windows, Mac, Android, iPhone, smart TVs, browsers, and every editing app you're likely to use.
HEVC (also called H.265) is newer and more efficient. At the same file size it can look sharper, or at the same quality it can be smaller. Recent phones and Macs handle it well. But some Windows computers need an extra add-on to play it, some older editing software won't import it, and some websites won't accept it as an upload.
TikTok often serves its highest resolutions in HEVC. That's why a downloader might show a 1080p HEVC option alongside a lower-resolution H.264 one.
Resolution: 576p, 720p, 1080p
The number is the short side of the picture in pixels. For a vertical TikTok, 1080p means 1080 pixels wide by about 1920 tall, which is full HD.
On a phone screen the difference between 720p and 1080p is subtle. On a laptop, a TV or a website hero image it's obvious.
Which to choose
| You want to… | Choose |
|---|---|
| Send it to a friend or keep it on your phone | Highest H.264 option |
| Repost to Instagram or YouTube from your phone | Highest H.264, or HEVC if your phone made it |
| Edit it on a Windows PC | H.264 |
| Edit on a recent Mac or iPhone | HEVC for the best quality |
| Put it on a website | H.264, for browser support |
| Keep a voiceover or transcript | Audio only |
If you're not sure, choose H.264. It's the format least likely to cause a problem anywhere. TT Grab lists H.264 options first for that reason.
If you already have an HEVC file that won't play
You have a few options:
- Try a different player. The free VLC player handles HEVC on most computers.
- Convert it. Free tools such as HandBrake can re-encode HEVC to H.264. Choose a quality setting rather than a small file size.
- Download again and choose the H.264 option instead.
Converting always loses a little quality, so downloading the right format first is better.
Audio only: MP3 or M4A
The audio option saves just the sound. You'll usually get whatever format TikTok serves, often MP3, sometimes M4A. Both play almost everywhere. Our audio guide covers what to do with voiceovers once you have them.
Why the file sizes look odd
Sometimes the 1080p HEVC file is smaller than the 720p H.264 one. That's HEVC's efficiency at work, not a mistake. File size tells you about compression, not quality, so go by the resolution and codec rather than the megabytes.
The one-line version
H.264 for compatibility, HEVC for quality on modern Apple devices, audio for voiceovers, and the highest resolution you'll realistically use.