Free MP4 Player Online

What this MP4 player is

This free MP4 player plays a video from a web link or from a file on your device, using your browser's built-in player (the HTML video element, described in the MDN: The video element documentation). Paste a link to an MP4 or WebM file, or choose a file, press play and read the status line. If the video cannot play, the message says why in plain words.

How to play an MP4 from a URL or a file

1. Paste the full https:// address of the video file, or press Choose file and pick a video from your device.
2. Press Play video. A chosen file starts straight away.
3. Open Video details to see the picture size, length and which formats your browser reports it can play.

The link must point to the video file itself, not to a web page that contains a video. Pages from video-sharing sites cannot be played this way.

MP4, WebM and what a browser can play

MP4 is a container: it holds video and audio tracks that are compressed with codecs. Whether a browser plays a file depends on both. H.264 video with AAC audio in an MP4 container is the most widely supported combination; WebM usually holds VP8 or VP9 video with Vorbis or Opus audio. Other containers such as MOV or MKV, and newer codecs such as H.265 (HEVC), play in some browsers and not others. See MDN: Media container formats and MDN: Video codecs used on the web for the details. The Video details list shows what your own browser reports.

Common errors and what they mean

• Blocked: secure page, insecure video. This page uses HTTPS, and browsers block http:// media on HTTPS pages (see MDN: Mixed content). Use an https:// address.
• This browser could not play that address. The link may be a web page instead of a video file, the server may refuse the request (HTTP 403 or 404, an expired signed link or hotlink protection), or the format may not be supported.
• The video could not be decoded. The file is damaged, or it uses a codec the browser cannot decode. Re-encode it as H.264 and AAC in an MP4.
• The video could not be loaded over the network. The connection dropped or the server is offline.

Unlike HLS or DASH players, a plain video link does not need the server to allow cross-origin requests (CORS, see MDN: Cross-Origin Resource Sharing (CORS)) just to play, so CORS is rarely the cause here. For HLS (.m3u8) or DASH (.mpd) links use the online video player or the HLS player.

Check a video before you stream it

If you plan to broadcast a recorded video as a live stream, play the file here first to confirm that it opens, that the picture size is what you expect and that the length is right. Multistream Platform can broadcast MP4 files as live streams, schedule them and loop playlists (see 24/7 and pre-recorded streaming and features). To size your upload for a live stream, use the bandwidth calculator.

Privacy

A link is requested by your browser directly from the server you enter. A file you choose is opened through your browser and played locally; it is not uploaded to us and no copy is kept. Only play videos you have the right to view.

Sources

• MDN: The video element
• MDN: Media container formats
• MDN: Video codecs used on the web
• MDN: Mixed content
• MDN: Cross-Origin Resource Sharing (CORS)
• MDN interactive-examples repository (CC0 1.0 licence), source of the sample MP4