8 Easy Ways to Compress Large Files (Videos, PDFs, & More)

Storing large files on Windows or macOS can be frustrating when you're low on disk space. It can also be tricky to share and send large files to others because of email attachment size limitations. Fortunately, several tools make it easy to compress larger files into smaller ones. This wikiHow article will teach you how to compress large files, including apps, audio, and video, to much smaller sizes.

Best Ways to Compress Files

Both Windows and Mac computers can compress files into the ZIP format. Right-click a file or folder and click Compress or Compress to. On Windows, you can select a file type (i.e., ZIP, 7z, or TAR). You can also use third-party programs like 7-Zip or PeaZip to compress files into many formats.

Method 1

Method 1 of 8:

Using Windows

Download Article

You can use Windows’ built-in File Explorer to compress files to ZIP, 7z, or TAR files. You can also select the compression level. Use the keyboard shortcut, or click the icon that resembles a manila folder with a blue clip in the Taskbar or Windows Start menu.
2
Right-click the file(s) or folder(s) you want to compress and click Compress to. Right-clicking these files will display a context menu. Click Compress to in the context menu.
- To select more than one folder or file, hold Ctrl and click the files you want to select. Then right-click one of the files to display the context menu.
Advertisement
3
Click Additional options. It’s at the bottom of the context menu. This displays additional options for compressing your file(s).
- If you just want to quickly compress a file, you can click ZIP File, 7z File, or TAR file to compress the file using the default settings.
4
Select a file type and compression algorithm. Use the drop-down menu next to “Archive format” to select the file type you want to compress to. You can select 7zip, TAR, or ZIP. Use the drop-down menu next to ”Compression method” to select a compression algorithm.
- A ZIP file with the default compression method will ensure the most compatibility across various operating systems, including Mac and Linux.
- 7zip with the LMZA2 compression method will offer a greater compression rate, but won’t be compatible with Mac and other operating systems.^{[1]
  X
  Research source}
- TAR files are most commonly used on Linux. Use this method if you are compressing a file for use on a Linux or Unix-based system.
Use the slider bar to select a compression level. Dragging the slider bar all the way to the right will ensure a higher compression rate, but it will take longer to compress and uncompress. Dragging the slider bar all the way to the left will allow the file to compress and uncompress more quickly, but it will have a lower compression rate.
This will create a new compressed file with your files or folders using the settings you selected.

Method 2

Method 2 of 8:

Using a Mac

Download Article

It's the two-toned smiley face icon on the Dock, which is usually at the bottom of the screen.
2
Right-click (or Control-click) the file(s) you want to compress. A context menu will expand.
- To select more than one file at a time, press and hold the Command key as you click each file. Then, right-click the highlighted files.
- You can compress most file types on your Mac. The size of the compressed file will vary depending on the type of file it is—images, text files, and various documents can usually compress to much smaller files than video and audio, for example.^{[2]
  X
  Research source}
3
Click Compress. This compresses the file into a ZIP file, which also reduces its size.^{[3]
X
Research source}
- The new file has the .ZIP file extension, which is a globally used compression format that can be opened on nearly any system without needing special software.
- To decompress the file, double-click it.

Method 3

Method 3 of 8:

Using PeaZip

Download Article

1
Download and install PeaZip. PeaZip is a free and open-source archiving program available for Windows, Mac, and Linux. It offers a high compression rate and supports most archive file types, including 7Z, Zip, GZip, TAR, Arc, Brotli, Zstandard, PEA, and more. It can also open and extract files, such as RAR, ISO, MSI, DMG, JAR, and more. Use the following steps to download and install PeaZip:
- Go to the PeaZip download page in a web browser.
- Click the download link for your operating system at the top.
- Click the download link for your system architecture (i.e, 64-bit, 32-bit).
  - If the installation file doesn’t start downloading, click the GitHub or SourceForge link in the upper-right corner and download the latest version from that page.
- Open the installation file in your Downloads folder.
- Follow the prompts to install PeaZip.
EXPERT TIP

Luigi Oppido
Computer & Tech Specialist
Luigi Oppido is the Owner and Operator of Pleasure Point Computers in Santa Cruz, California. Luigi has over 25 years of experience in general computer repair, data recovery, virus removal, and upgrades. He is also the host of the Computer Man Show! broadcasted on KSQD covering central California for over two years.

Luigi Oppido
Computer & Tech Specialist

Use compression when you need to email large files. For instance, if you need to email a 12 MB file but your limit is 10 MB, you can compress it down to 7 MB. Then, the other person can decompress the file to open it.
2
Right-click the file or folder you want to compress and select PeaZip. You should see PeaZip in the context menu that appears when you right-click a file or folder.
- If you don’t see “PeaZip” in the context menu, click Show more options at the bottom of the menu.
- If you want to select multiple files, hold Ctrl (or Command on Mac) and right-click the files you want to select.
This opens PeaZip.
4
Select a file type. Use the drop-down menu next to “Type” to select a file type. You can select ZIP, 7z, TAR, GZip, BZip2, Brotli, Zstd, ARC, PEA, and more.
- ZIP will ensure the most compatibility across a variety of operating systems.
- 7Zip (7z) files usually have a higher compression rate than ZIP files and are compatible with most newer Windows computers, but not Macs.
- TAR files are most commonly used on Linux. You can use this format to ensure compatibility with Linux and Unix-based systems.
- Brotli or Zstandard (Zstd) offers the highest compression rate. However, other users will need PeaZip (or a similar archive program) to open the compressed file.^{[4]
  X
  Research source}
Use the drop-down menu next to “Level” to select the compression level. Depending on the file type you select, this will either be a numbered scale or a list of options (i.e., “Fast,” “Normal,” “Maximum,” “Ultra.”). Selecting a higher number or Maximum/Ultra will ensure a higher compression rate, but it will take longer to compress and uncompress. Selecting a lower number or "Fast" will ensure a quicker compression but a lower compression rate.
6
Split the file into multiple files (optional). You can use the drop-down menu next to “Split” to select the maximum file size for split file sizes. For example, you can select 25 MB for email attachments, 650 MB for a CD, or 4.7 GB for a DVD. Other users will need all of the split files to uncompress the file.
- This option is not available for all file types.
This compresses the file(s) or folder(s) into the file format you selected.

Method 4

Method 4 of 8:

Using 7-Zip for Windows

Download Article

1
Download and install 7-Zip. 7-Zip is a free file compression program you can use to compress large files and folders on Windows. It has a large compression rate. Use the following steps to download and install 7-Zip:
- Go to www.7-zip.org/ in a web browser.
- Click Download next to the latest version of 7-Zip.
- Open the .exe file inside your web browser or "Downloads" folder.
- Click Install.
2
Right-click the file(s) or folder(s) you want to compress and select 7-Zip. You should see “7-Zip” in the context menu that appears when you right-click a folder or file.
- To select more than one file at a time, press and hold the Ctrl key as you click each file.
- Nearly all files can be compressed, but some files (especially video and audio files) can only be compressed by a small amount because they are already quite compressed.
- If you don’t see “7-Zip” in the context menu, click Show more options at the bottom of the menu.
This opens 7-Zip.
4
Select 7z from the "Archive Format" menu. When you compress a file with 7-Zip, you'll have several format options for saving the file. The option that can compress to the smallest file type is 7-Zip's own proprietary file type called .7z.^{[5]
X
Research source}
- Windows File Explorer can open 7zip files, but Mac computers will need PeaZip to open them.^{[6]
  X
  Research source}
- If you're worried about people having trouble opening the file, you could choose zip instead. It's really easy to open ZIP files on most devices, and it can still compress files to smaller sizes.
This tells 7-Zip to compress the file into the smallest possible size. The amount of compression will vary depending on the type of file you're compressing.
If you don't see this option, try LZMA instead. This format is the most modern compression method available and will work on most devices.
7
Set "Dictionary Size" to a value that is at least 10 times lower than your memory. A larger dictionary size means better compression, but the memory requirements are ten times the dictionary size. In most cases, 128 MB will suffice, as it provides excellent compression at a decent speed.^{[7]
X
Research source}
- For example, if your computer has 8 GB of RAM, you could select the number closest to 800 MB as your dictionary size, or go lower to make the file compress and decompress faster.
8
Select the option to split the file into smaller files (optional). You can leave the other remaining options set to their default settings. But if a file is particularly large, you have the option to split the file into smaller files. For example, you could take a 12 GB folder and split it into three smaller files that could each fit onto a DVD. Use the drop-down menu below "Split to volumes, bytes" to select how big you want each split file to be.
- You will need all the split files to extract the files. Make sure you do not delete or lose any of the split files.
This compresses the file using the settings you specified.

Method 5

Method 5 of 8:

Using WinRAR for Windows

Download Article

1
Download and install WinRAR. WinRAR is a free (for a limited time) application you can use to compress files on Windows. Use the following steps to download and install WinRAR:
- Go to the WinRAR download page in a web browser.
- Click the blue WinRAR 7.13 button (the version name will vary) to download it.
- Open the WinRAR ".exe" file.
- Click Install and follow the on-screen instructions.
2
Right-click the file(s) or folder(s) you want to compress and select WinRAR. A context menu will expand.
- If you don't have “WinRAR” in the context menu, click Show more options at the bottom of the menu.
- To select more than one file at a time, press and hold the Ctrl key as you click each file.
- Nearly all files can be compressed, but some files can only be compressed by a small amount.
The icon looks like a stack of books.
The options are RAR, and ZIP. RAR is better at compressing files than ZIP—but the person who is decompressing the file will need software that can "un-RAR" it (WinRAR, PeaZip, or 7-Zip on Windows, PeaZip or Unarchiver on macOS).^{[8]
X
Research source} ZIP is the standard compression option and is the easiest to open on any system.
This method provides the highest compression ratio (the smallest file size).
6
Select a Dictionary Size. The default option will already be selected based on the archive format you selected. The larger the dictionary file, the more compressed the file can be. However, compression (and decompression) can take a long time, and large dictionary sizes require better computer hardware. You can try a size that is 10 times lower than your memory, or stick to the default if that takes too long.
- For example, if your computer has 4 GB of RAM, you might select the number closest to 400 MB as your dictionary size.
7
Select the option to split the file into smaller files (optional). If a file is particularly large, you have the option to split the file into smaller files. For example, you could take a 12 GB folder and split it into three smaller files that could each fit onto a DVD. Use the drop-down menu below "Split to volumes, size" to select how big you want each split file to be.
- You will need all the split files to extract the files. Make sure you do not delete or lose any of the split files.
It's in the lower right corner. This compresses your file.

Method 6

Method 6 of 8:

Compressing Large Video Files

Download Article

1
Download Avidemux. To compress a large video into a smaller file, you'll need compression software that's specifically for video. Avidemux is a free option that can considerably decrease a video's size, and it's available for Windows, Mac, and Linux. Here's how to get it:
- Go to http://fixounet.free.fr/avidemux/download.html in a web browser.
- Click FOSSHUB next to your operating system.
- Click the download link for your operating system.
- Open the downloaded file in your web browser or Downloads folder.
- Follow the instructions to complete the installation.
2
Launch Avidemux. You'll find it in the Windows Start menu or your Mac's Applications folder.
- Compressing a video means sacrificing its quality. You can play around with compression options to figure out the best size-to-quality ratio.
- Movie files that you've downloaded from online sources may already be compressed. Further compression can lead to a virtually unwatchable final product, or may not result in significant size changes.
- It is not possible to decompress a compressed video. You should always save the compressed version as a separate file so that you don't lose the original.
3
Open a video file in Avidemux. Here's how:
- Click File and select Open.
- Select a video file on your computer and click 'Open.
4
Select Mpeg4 AVC (x264) from the "Video Output" drop-down menu. This format gives you the highest level of compression at the best possible quality.^{[9]
X
Research source}
- If you have an NVIDIA graphics card, you can select “NVIDIA H264” to encode the video with NVENC, which will leverage your graphics card to play the video instead of your CPU.
- If you want to compress a 4K video, select “HEVC (x265)” or “NVIDIA HEVC” instead. These are codecs designed specifically for UHD video,
This compresses the audio track of the video to keep its size down.
This is the most widely compatible video format.
It's the first option below "Video Output."
8
Select Video Size (Two Pass) from the drop-down menu. It's in the "Rate Control" section at the bottom. This option lets you specify the size you want your video to be.
- The larger the file size, the better the quality. Setting the target size significantly smaller than the original size will result in a drastic decrease in quality.
- If you're not sure which size to use, keep the default.
Avidemux will adjust its settings to get as close to your target size as possible, but it may end up slightly over or slightly under the target size.
This returns you to the previous screen.
It's in the upper-left corner of the app. You'll be asked to name the video before compression begins. Depending on the length of the video and the quality settings, this could take quite some time to complete.

Method 7

Method 7 of 8:

Compressing Large Audio Files

Download Article

Most audio files downloaded from the internet, such as MP3 or AAC files, are already compressed. Further compression of these types of files will typically result in a poor-sounding file, but will decrease the file's size. Compression is best suited for uncompressed formats such as WAV or AIFF.
2
Download Audacity. Audacity is a free, open-source audio editing program for Windows, Mac, and Linux. Here's how to get it:
- Go to https://www.audacityteam.org/download/ in a web browser.
- Click the install link for your operating system.
- Open the downloaded file in your Downloads folder and follow the on-screen instructions to install.
You'll find it in the Windows Start menu if you're using Windows, or the Applications folder if you're using a Mac.
4
Open the audio file you want to compress. Here's how:
- Click the File menu and select Open.
- Select an audio file and click Open.
5
Make the file mono (optional). This isn't recommended for music or anything with essential stereo effects, but for spoken voice or other recordings that don't require high-fidelity, switching to mono (single-track) can make the file significantly smaller. Use the following steps to convert a stereo file to mono:
- Click the icon with three dots (•••) next to the file's name in the project area.
- Select "Split Stereo to Mono" from the menu.
- Click one of the tracks and press Delete.
6
Open the "Export Audio" window. This will open a window that allows you to specify where you want to save the file and the format you want to use. Here's how:
- Click File.
- Click Export.
- Click Export Audio…
- Click Export to computer…
7
Select your compressed format. All the formats listed in the "Save as type" menu are compressed formats except .wav and .aiff. The format you choose depends on your requirements.
- ".mp3" is the most common format for music, as it allows for good compression without much noticeable quality loss. It's also compatible with virtually any device.
- ".flac" is a lossless form of compression. It is good if you intend to play back the audio through a high-quality sound system, but it is not compatible with many devices. .flac will also not lead to a drastic reduction in file size.
- ".ogg" creates better sound quality than MP3 at similar file sizes, but it's not compatible with as many devices.^{[10]
  X
  Research source}
8
Select the audio quality. Lower quality will provide a greater rate of compression, but at the cost of sound quality.
- MP3: Medium and Standard will provide a decent rate of compression with average audio quality. Extreme and Insane will provide less compression with higher sound quality.
- OGG/M4A(ACC): Drag the slider bar to the left to increase the rate of compression, but lower the sound quality. Drag it to the right to decrease the compression rate while increasing the sound quality.
- All other file types: Use the drop-down menu below "Bit Rate" or "Bit Depth" to select the sound quality/rate of compression. Lower bit rate/bit depth will provide a higher rate of compression but with poorer sound quality.
This compresses the original file into a new file with the name and parameters you entered. The original file will remain on your computer.

Method 8

Method 8 of 8:

Compressing Large Images

Download Article

1
Understand what can be compressed. Most images downloaded online are already compressed. The file formats .jpg, .gif, and .png are all forms of compression, and further compression will lead to a sharp decrease in quality. Compression for images is most useful if you are working with images directly from a digital camera or .bmp files.
- It is not possible to uncompress a compressed image. You should always save the compressed version as a separate file so that you don't lose the original.
2
Understand the difference between "lossless" and "lossy" compression. There are essentially two types of compression for images: "lossless" and "lossy". Lossless compression is used when an exact replication of the original is required, typically for drawings, diagrams, and medical imaging. Lossy compression is for when a drop in quality won't be noticed as much and is most commonly used for photos.
- .gif, .tiff, and .png are all lossless formats.
- .jpg is the most common lossy format for images.
3
Open an image editor of your choice. Nearly all image editors support compression by allowing you to save the image as a different file format. When you choose a compressed format, you'll be given options to determine how much compression to use.
- Photoshop, GIMP, and Paint allow you to save image files as compressed formats. Virtually any image editing program will work, though some will give you more quality options than others.
- Photoshop is the most popular image editor, but if you don't have a subscription, you can download and install GIMP for free. It has a lot of the same features as Photoshop.
4
Open an image in the image editor. Each image editor is a little different, but generally, the way you open a file is usually similar. Use the following steps to open an image in your image editor:
- Click File in the menu bar.
- Click Open.
- Select an image and click Open.
5
Open the Export menu. This will allow you to save a copy of the original image using a new format. Use the following steps to open the Export menu:
- Click File.
- Click Save As (Photoshop, Paint) or Export As (GIMP).
6
Select your desired format. In Paint, simply click your desired image format. In Photoshop, select your desired image format using the drop-down menu next to "Format". On GIMP, click the menu that says Select File by Type and select your desired image format. The format you choose has a lot to do with the nature of the image.^{[11]
X
Research source}
- If you're compressing a photograph, select .jpg as your format.
- If you're compressing an image with less than 256 colors, select .gif as your format.
- If you're compressing a screenshot, a drawing, a comic, or any other non-natural image, select .png.
- If you're compressing an image with layers that you want to preserve, select the .tiff format (note that .tiff format isn't necessarily considered compression).^{[12]
  X
  Research source}
This saves your image in the new format.
8
Set your quality options (if possible) and click Ok. Image editors like Photoshop and GIMP will ask you to select your quality and compression settings after clicking the "Export/Save" button. You can typically use a slider to adjust the compression or quality.
- Increasing compression (decreasing quality) will result in a much smaller file size, but will add a lot of artifacts and change the color of the image. You may need to play with the options to find a good tradeoff between quality and size.

Community Q&A

Search

Add New Question

Question

How do I compress a 144 MB mp4 video file down to 25 MB?

Community Answer

Use Freemake audio converter to convert it to mp4, then set the limit to 25 MB.

Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
Thank you for your feedback.
If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
Yes No

Not Helpful 11 Helpful 24
Question

Can I compress GTA 5 to a size lower than 35 GB?

Community Answer

No, because GTA 5 is an open-world game that has many types of files which may becoming corrupted if compressed.

Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
Thank you for your feedback.
If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
Yes No

Not Helpful 15 Helpful 23
Question

How can I compress a PDF file?

Community Answer

Use a program called WinRar to compress PDF files easily.

Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
Thank you for your feedback.
If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
Yes No

Not Helpful 24 Helpful 20