There are many reasons why you might need to save a video as MP4, one of the most adaptable and well-liked video formats in the world. However, there’s a strong probability that if you’re reading this page you’re experiencing issues getting After Effects to output MP4 video.
After Effects cannot export MP4 videos. Use Media Encoder.
After Effects CC 2014 and later cannot export MP4 video.
MP4 delivers. After Effects doesn’t produce finished productions, hence MP4 is mostly utilized as a video container type. After Effects is used during video production. After Effects artists usually render their compositions into an intermediate (less-compressed) codec, complete their video in Premiere Pro, and export using Media Encoder.
In actuality, there aren’t always good reasons for us to utilize Premiere Pro. Sometimes all we need to do is export an MP4 straight from After Effects and send it to a customer or put it online. You could be upset when this occurs because there is no MP4 codec in sight, but don’t be concerned. Compositions created in After Effects may still be exported as MP4 files using Media Encoder. This is how:
Step-by-Step Instructions for Exporting After Effects Compositions to MP4
Do you wish to export an MP4? Here’s how to make it with Adobe Media Encoder and After Effects. You may save this helpful step-by-step PDF to your computer to use it later.( saving MP4)
1.ADD TO MEDIA ENCODER QUEUE IS THE FIRST STEP
As long as Media Encoder is already installed on your computer, the first step is as easy as selecting your composition and going to Composition > Add to Media Encoder Queue. If Media Encoder is not currently running on your computer, it will launch when you click here. Option+Command+M on the keyboard is another shortcut you may use to submit your composition to Media Encoder.
2.CHANGE SETTINGS
Select the dropdown menu on the far left of your screen once you’re within Adobe Media Encoder. By doing so, a menu will appear where you may choose your output format. Now, you might be tempted to just select “MPEG-4,” but MPEG-4 is different from MP4. MPEG-4 is a codec, while MP4 is a video container (more on this below). Choose “H264” instead from the dropdown option. This will export your movie using the H264 codec in an MP4 container (I know, it’s confusing).
3.CREATOR
Once your settings are how you like them, click the “Export” option. All there is to it is that!
What is MP4 then?
There are some misunderstandings regarding what MP4 truly implies. We must comprehend what MP4 indicates in order to function effectively as motion designers or video professionals.( saving MP4)
Video Container = MP4
A video container format is MP4. As a result, it’s a file format that stores the video, audio, closed captioning, and other necessary information to create a video. The extension at the end of a video file always indicates what type of video container it is. The common video formats include MOV, AVI, FLV, and MP4. Wikipedia has a comprehensive list of video containers. On a Mac, you can really simply change the MOV file extension to MP4 and the video file will play back without any issues. It’s rather bizarre.
The compressed video inside the container, not the container itself, determines whether an MP4 file is more compressed than a MOV file. Simply put, MP4 supports codecs that are typically more compressed than some of the professional-level codecs that MOV supports.
