Free MP4 sample files
The standard container for web and mobile video, usually holding H.264 video. Download valid MP4 test files in 5 exact sizes, from 100 KB to 10 MB, each with a checksum.
- Extension
- .mp4
- MIME type
- video/mp4
- Kind
- Binary
- Category
- Video
MP4 files by size
Every file below is a valid MPEG-4 Part 14 video file of exactly the stated size. Open a file's page for its checksum and contents, and to preview it in your browser before downloading.
| File | Size | Contents | Download |
|---|---|---|---|
| 100 KB MP4 samplesample-mp4-100kb.mp4 | 100 KB102,400 bytes | 640 × 360 px | Download MP4 |
| 500 KB MP4 samplesample-mp4-500kb.mp4 | 500 KB512,000 bytes | 640 × 360 px | Download MP4 |
| 1 MB MP4 samplesample-mp4-1mb.mp4 | 1 MB1,048,576 bytes | 640 × 360 px | Download MP4 |
| 5 MB MP4 samplesample-mp4-5mb.mp4 | 5 MB5,242,880 bytes | 640 × 360 px | Download MP4 |
| 10 MB MP4 samplesample-mp4-10mb.mp4 | 10 MB10,485,760 bytes | 640 × 360 px | Download MP4 |
More MP4 samples
Hand-designed files with realistic content or a specific edge case.
| File | Size | Contents | Download |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sample MP4 video, 640 × 360, 6 secondssample-video-640x360.mp4 | 330 KB338,208 bytes | 640 × 360 px | Download MP4 |
What is an MP4 file?
MP4 is a container: it holds video, audio and subtitle tracks made by separate codecs. The file is organised as nested boxes, each with a size and a four-letter type.
The "moov" box is the index of the whole file. When it sits at the start, a browser can begin playing before the download finishes, an arrangement called fast start. When it sits at the end, the player has to fetch the tail of the file first.
How to recognise an MP4 file
| Extension | .mp4 |
|---|---|
| MIME type | video/mp4 |
| Standard | ISO/IEC 14496-14, based on the ISO base media file format |
| Common codecs | H.264 or H.265 video with AAC audio |
| Structure | Boxes: ftyp, moov, mdat |
| Streaming | Supports HTTP range requests and fragmentation |
What to test for
These are the behaviours that most often go wrong when software handles MP4 files.
- Seeking in a browser needs HTTP range requests. A server that ignores the Range header makes video appear to work until someone drags the progress bar.
- A valid .mp4 may contain a codec the browser cannot play; container and codec are separate questions.
- Uploads are large and slow, so they expose timeout, retry and progress-reporting bugs that small files never reach.
Strengths of MP4
- The one video container that every browser and phone plays.
- Supports seeking and progressive playback over plain HTTP.
Limitations of MP4
- The container says nothing about whether a device can decode the codec inside.
- A file with its index at the end cannot start playing until that part is fetched.
Typical uses of MP4 test files
- Testing video upload, transcoding and thumbnail extraction
- Checking HTML video playback and seeking
- Testing range-request support on servers and CDNs
- Verifying large-file and timeout handling
Software that opens MP4
- Every browser, phone and media player
- FFmpeg, HandBrake and VLC
- Video editors
Specifications
Related
MP4 sample files: questions
- Do the MP4 samples have sound?
- No. They contain a single H.264 video track and no audio track.
- Will they play in a browser before fully downloading?
- Yes. The index is at the start of the file, so playback can begin immediately.
- What is the MIME type of an MP4 file?
- The MIME type is video/mp4. The file extension is .mp4.
- Is a sample MP4 file the same as a dummy or example MP4 file?
- Yes. Sample, test, dummy and example MP4 files are different names for the same thing: an MP4 file with known contents that stands in for a real one. Any file on this page will do wherever a tutorial or a test plan asks for a dummy MP4 file.