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Elite MP4 Player Mac App - Elmedia Player
  • Support for multiple formats
  • Easy to stream MP4 wirelessly
  • Personalized fine-tuning of video and audio controls
  • Wireless streaming to full-screen on Smart TVs, Chromecast, and other devices
Top choice
Elmedia Player
4.8 Rank based on 131+ users, Reviews(131)
 
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Elmedia - Best MP4 Player for Mac

Best MP4 Player for Mac: Top 5 Players Head-to-Head Review


You’d think that virtually every media player nowadays should be able to play MP4 on Mac without any issues at all. But unfortunately, that isn’t always the case. For example, when you look at Mac’s native media player, QuickTime Player, it falls short in this very sense. While it can be a relatively decent video player for most, it lacks some basic features like being able to open MP4 on Mac.

Fortunately for you, there are tons of other QuickTime alternatives out there that can substitute for an all-around dedicated MP4 Player for Mac. And that’s exactly what we’re going to do in this article. In a few minutes, you’ll discover the best ways to enjoy your MP4 videos on your Mac, without any hassles, hiccups, or errors again.

1. Elmedia Player

When it comes to the best MP4 player for Mac, what better choice than the popular and reliable Elmedia Player. This app shouldn’t come as a surprise as it packs a heavy punch with a rich set of features amateurs and professionals alike can appreciate. While supporting MP4 format, this app also supports a ton of other popular and uncommon file formats as well such as FLV, SWT, DAT, FLAC, DivX, MKV, WAV, and more. And it does it all without additional codecs or plugins.

You can expect only the best performance with Elmedia Player. It comes ready to use with a host of powerful features such as high definition 4K and 8K video playback, intuitive subtitle support, and an overall stunning user-experience-focused design.

Best MP4 Player for Mac

Unlock Powerful Features with Elmedia Player PRO

With Elmedia Player PRO, you’ll be able to browse and download from popular sites like YouTube, Vimeo, and Dailymotion, stream wirelessly from your Mac to Smart TVs, Apple TV, Chromecast, DLNA devices, or AirPlay. You also get video refining features like deinterlacing, screenshots, and equalizers and picture control options, and more. And it does all this seamlessly in the background and without being taxing on your CPU performance. By far, one of the best Mac MP4 player apps to date.

Pros:

  • Full support for tons of common and uncommon video and audio file formats
  • Wirelessly stream content and download videos from popular sites
  • Create screenshot sequences that stitch together seamlessly
  • Versatile playlist features let you create, manage, and enjoy your music and videos

Cons:

  • Support for latest macOS versions, so older versions may experience some slowdowns and compatibility issues
  • Only available for Mac, no support for Windows or Android OS

2. JustPlay

JustPlay deserves a spot on this list of Mac MP4 player apps to consider in 2021. Why? Well, while it’s not a free app, after using it for a while, you’ll be able to see why many consider the small price to be insignificant, compared to the value you get from this app. It can deliver high quality 4K and 8K resolutions with ease - thanks to its hardware acceleration and under-the-hood processing power. It also comes with a ton of highly-desirable features like offering many viewing options, deinterlacing for older videos, and on-the-fly picture tuning for color, sharpness, brightness, and more.

Playing MP4 on Mac

Pros:

  • Deinterlacing feature to smooth out older videos
  • Intuitive Touch Bar support
  • Multiple playback and viewing options

Cons:

  • No support for displaying embedded timecode
  • Shortcuts like J-K-L for playback control
  • No exporting, editing, or conversion features

3. Cisdem Video Player

Cisdem is the last of the players listed in this article, but shouldn’t be ignored. This MP4 player for Mac can serve you well as it’s easy to use and offers a good amount of desired features. You can expect similar downloading features, video to audio converting, strong support for various file formats, and reliable and steady updates for the latest macOS versions. While some features are locked behind a $9.99 per Mac license cost, it may be worth it to the right user.

Cisdem Mp4 Player for Mac

Pros:

  • Lightweight app
  • Decent interface with easy navigation
  • Strong support for various file formats

Cons:

  • UMay have issues with dual-core setup

4. 5KPlayer

5KPlayer is another alternative app that’s known among users online. It supports a wide range of formats like MP4, WMV, AVI, MKV, and more. This MP4 player for Mac comes with a list of incredibly useful features like video downloading and converting, Air Mirroring and screen recording capabilities, wireless streaming with AirPlay, and built-in online video streaming, along with many others. Some users report running into performance inconsistencies with this app but experience may vary. If you haven’t tried this MP4 video player for Mac before, you might want to consider it.

Mac MP4 Player

Pros:

  • 4K and 8K Ultra HD videos supported
  • Strong audio equalizer
  • Solid video to MP3 converter

Cons:

  • Unreliable performance
  • Can run into glitches and bugs often
  • Can be quite CPU-heavy

5. VLC Media Player

No list would be complete without mentioning the longest-standing MP4 player for Mac: VLC Media Player. Like other players, this app can support and play MP4 on Mac without the need for additional codecs or plugins, does so reliably, and is also free to use. But while it’s far from perfect, this app is a great alternative for those looking for a quick set up and ready to use software. If that’s you, this app may be just right for you.

Best free mp4 player

Pros:

  • Completely free software
  • Can handle lots of complex tasks and is fully featured with many available options
  • Support for macOS, Windows, Android, iOS, and more

Cons:

  • Updates are slow and not as consistent as more modern apps
  • Layout and system can be confusing to navigate
  • Overall design feels outdated and uninspired

A comparison table of the best MP4 players for macOS

This chart provides you with an at-a-glance analysis of the best MP4 players for Mac, comparing general info as well as in-depth technical capabilities.

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Swipe tip
Top features
VideoDuke
Elmedia
JustPlay
VLC
5KPlayer
Cisdem
Open MP4 on Mac as well as other video formats
Open MP4 on Mac as well as other video formats
yes (AVI, FLV, SWF, MP4, WMV, MOV, DAT, M4V, MPG, DivX, MKV.)  
yes (MP4, AVI, MOV, SWF, DAT, MKV, etc.)  
yes (MKV, MP4, VOB, WMV, MPG AVI, etc. )  
yes (MKV, M2TS, MP4, AVI, WMV, FLV, etc.)  
yes (MKV, AVI, FLV, AVCHD, WMV, etc.)  
Allows local MP4 streaming to TV
Allows local MP4 streaming to TV
yes (PRO)  
no  
yes  
yes  
no  
Includes a video tuner
Includes a video tuner
yes (PRO)  
yes  
yes  
yes  
no  
Allows video conversion from one format to another
Allows video conversion from one format to another
no  
no  
yes  
no  
yes (PRO)  
Included Audio Equalizer
Included Audio Equalizer
yes  
yes  
yes  
no  
no  
Integrated subtitle support
Integrated subtitle support
yes  
yes  
yes  
yes  
yes  
Allows screen recording
Allows screen recording
no  
no  
yes  
no  
no  
Free Option
Free option
yes
no
yes
yes
yes

5 Key Factors to Remember Before You Pick Any MP4 Player for Mac

So after reviewing all the options, what should you keep in mind when looking for the best MP4 player for Mac?

  1. Support for multiple file formats
    The common video and audio formats to keep in mind are MP4, MKV, and MP3.
  2. HD video quality
    To enjoy your videos to the fullest, the MP4 player Mac app you choose should be capable of handling high-definition video without any lags or hiccups.
  3. User-interface and design
    Complex systems and processes aren’t fun to use. Find an app that can simplify your choices and make it a breeze to use.
  4. Playlist support
    Because this feature alone can make or break an enjoyable media player experience. This is a must-have feature to segment and organize all your video and audio files.
  5. Ad-blocking
    For your privacy and safety, an MP4 player for Mac that supports some kind of ad-free system is much more valuable - saving you from potential spyware, tracking, and malicious malware.

In case you are looking for the best VOB player for Mac, read this detailed review and make the right choice.

What is MP4?

MP4 is essentially a container format that stores the data of a file, instead of the code. MP4 stands for MPEG-4 which comes from Apple’s QuickTime MOV format and can store more than audio. It can carry video, audio, subtitle, and other metadata within a single file. This makes MP4 a much more versatile file format as opposed to something like MP3. Over the years, MP4 has gained popularity due to its efficiency when compressed and portability when shared and streamed online.

MP4 file format advantages:

  • Useful for online streaming and sharing
  • Easy to transfer and move around due to significant compression of the file
  • Versatile with tons of metadata in a single file like object and scene descriptors
  • Virtually compatible with all kinds of devices and applications
  • High quality at low compressions

MP4 file format disadvantages:

  • Loss of quality after compressed
  • Format not ideal for editing
  • Due to ease of transfer and sharing, the MP4 format can be easily distributed illegally

The MP4 file extension

MP4 doesn’t have a specific file extension. Since the format and contents of the file varies, so does the file extensions:

The .mp4 and .m4a file extensions

The default file extension for MP4 is ".mp4". But there’s a bit of an issue here. Since .mp4 files theoretically could contain both video and audio within it, it makes it very difficult to determine which files are only video, or only audio, or both. That’s where the .m4a extension came in. It was used as a means to distinguish between video and audio files so .m4a was used strictly to label only audio tracks. It was very common and popular as Apple used this format for all the tracks sold on its App Store.

The .m4b file extension

Another slight variation of the MP4 file extension includes the .m4b file extension. This differs slightly from the .m4a extension by a notable point. Both are audio files but .m4b extension files contain more data within it that allow for audio tracks to be paused and played and resumed from where it was last stopped. You’ll find this format most commonly used in podcasts and audiobook files.

The .m4r extension

This extension is unique because it was created specially by Apple for the iPhone. Since the iPhone began to gain much popularity, Apple decided to dedicate this .m4r extension to its iPhone ringtones.

Frequently Asked Questions

Having already answered some of the most pressing questions like "Can you play MP4 on Mac?" or "Can Mac Play MP4?", we thought it’s a good idea to move forward with some of the most popular questions from users.

The most straightforward way to play MP4 on Mac is to just double-click on the file and let the Mac decide on the best app to open it. However, QuickTime can sometimes register errors when playing MP4 files. In such a situation, turning to a third-party app to play MP4 is the best choice. No matter if you go for a free MP4 player or you want the PRO version, there’s a wide range of MP4 players to choose from. Our top choice is Elmedia Player.

It’s not a fixed thing. Sometimes, QuickTime may be able to play MP4 files, it’s all about the codec that was used in the creation of the video. That’s why QuickTime will sometimes play an MP4 file and come up with the "fail to open" error in other situations. Being a complex video container, MP4 is quite tricky for QuickTime so that’s why choosing any of the MP4 players for Apple we presented above is a good idea.

If adding another software to play MP4 on MacBook seems like a tedious task for you, there’s another way of going around the issue of not being able to play MP4 files. What you need to do is convert the file to a more QuickTime-friendly one. You have plenty of options when it comes to converters, both online and as standalone apps. Converting MP4 to AVI can easily be done via Online UniConverter, for example. It comes with a friendly user interface and can handle multiple video and audio formats. After the conversion is complete, files can be saved to your Mac.

Steps to convert MP4 to AVI through Online UniConverter (previously known as Media.io):

Step 1: Access media.io

Step 2: Choose between the Drag & Drop or Hit to Add File options to upload the desired MP4 file.

Step 3: In the output format dropdown menu, choose AVI.

Step 4: Tap CONVERT and the file will be converted online. Once the conversion is finished, you can press the DOWNLOAD ALL button to get the converted files on Mac.

Encoded with the same codec MPEG-4, MP4 is similar to MOV. The choice between MOV and MP4 is quite simple then, provided you know what are you going to do with the file. Based on where you need to play the videos, you can choose between MOV and MP4. Alternatively, you can convert one into another for absolutely free. Ideally, if you are using a Mac, MOV is quite safe and efficient, being more compatible with QuickTime than MP4. However, in the case of non-Apple devices, MP4 proves to be a wiser option. The best MP4 player will be able to handle both formats.

Since they are using the same compression system, MPEG-4, MOV and MP4 are actually very similar. It even goes further than that since MP4 was developed using the framework from MOV. However, there are some differences between the two formats.

Generally, MP4 is better received than MOV thanks to its tagging options and wide-range of platforms it is compatible with. MOV and its proprietary design can give you a hard time when dealing with a larger selection of platforms. Therefore, MP4 is more flexible and versatile than MOV, however, in terms of quality there are no distinct differences.

There are times when you can open MP4 on Mac with QuickTime Player with ease, and other times you can’t. Here’s why. As mentioned earlier, MP4 doesn’t have one specific file extension. They have many different ones depending on the encoded files within it. So while QuickTime can support .mp4 and .m4v, it may run into issues when trying to run other extensions under the same MPEG-4 format. That’s why we suggest getting yourself a third-party app that can run all MP4 files without issues whatsoever.

Windows 10 default player, Windows Media Player, unfortunately, doesn’t natively support MP4 format. In order to play in that format, you’d need to download additional codecs. But if you don’t want to get into that, then the simpler option is to download a third-party video player. Apps like VLC Media Player and 5KPlayer are worthwhile options for Windows that lets you play MP4 files simply and securely every time.

Elmedia Player
Requirements: OS X 10.9+ , 59.66MB free space
Version 7.17(2353) (6 Dec, 2020) Release notes
Category: MultimediaApplication
Free website version
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Elmedia Player - best choice to open MP4 files on Mac

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