How to fix ‘MP4 not playing on Mac’

‘I had a couple of recorded video clips on my iPhone, which I transferred to a buddy’s Mac to remove unneeded bits with his video editor. Afterward, I transferred the edited files to my Mac and attempted to play them with QuickTime. However, several MP4 files not playing on Mac and threw random errors like ‘cannot open MP4 on Mac.’ I don’t have a backup. Have my MP4 files corrupted? How can I play MP4 video files on Mac? ‘

‘MP4 won’t play on Mac’ is a common error due to which you cannot play MP4 video files in any media player. Often due to improper way of handling videos, file corruption, virus attack, or incomplete video transfer can damage MP4 videos. However, there’s always a good chance to repair corrupted MP4 files on Mac, as we’ll see in this post.

Why is MP4 not playing on Mac?

Most of the apps on Apple device can play MP4 video files. However, some apps won’t play MP4 on Mac due to incompatible codecs. Reason being MP4 is a container format that uses different video/ audio codecs such as MPEG-4 Part 10 (H.264/AVC), MPEG-4 Part 2, MPEG-H Part 2 (H.265/HEVC), and AAC audio codec. If your MP4 video file has a video/ audio codec that is not supported by the media player or program on Mac, it won’t play.

Besides, you can’t play damaged or corrupt MP4 files. Here are some of the frequent causes of MP4 file corruption:

• Damaged or missing video header.
• Low-quality compression, transmission, or conversion during video editing.
• Incomplete MP4 video download because of a shaky internet connection.
• Outdated or other problems with the video player.
• Mac system failure due to a power outage.

While it may be very difficult and tedious to repair MP4 files that are not playing on Mac, you can use some manual and automated tricks to repair damaged videos, as shown in the next section.

How to eliminate MP4 not playing on Mac error?

Let’s get started with the solutions to fix the ‘MP4 won’t play on Mac’ error:

1. Restart your Mac

If MP4 not playing on Mac, close all the applications and restart your computer.  If this doesn’t help, move to the next method.

2. Update QuickTime player

If QuickTime player can’t open video files, update it. Normally, if the Internet connection is enabled on your Mac and QuickTime Player is open, the app prompts you to download the latest version, if available.

However, you can also find manually if the latest QuickTime updates are available or not.  In QuickTime menu, select QuickTime Player > Update Existing Software. If any updates are available, follow the prompts to update. Now check if QuickTime player plays MP4 files.

3. Download MP4 codecs on Mac

You cannot play MP4 on Mac, if the codecs used in your video file are missing. Issues like QuickTime player has no sound on Mac when playing MP4 file or audio lag are usually due to incompatible codecs. So download MP4 codecs on Mac to fix the issue.

4. Play MP4 file in another player on Mac

Try by changing your MP4 media player. You may use QuickTime alternatives such as VLC Media Player or 5K Player to open MP4 file on Mac. Make sure the new media player is compatible with MP4 H.264 or H.265 codecs in your video.

5. Repair by converting MP4 files

Various apps can assist you in converting the file format of a video on Mac, but unfortunately, many of them demand purchasing a license. You can try online video file converters that allow limited file conversions. Nonetheless, this is how you can do it for free using the VLC player.

• Launch VLC media player and go to the “File” menu.
• Select the “Streaming/Exporting Wizard” option.
• Next, select “Transcode/Save to File” from the drop-down menu.
• Click “Next” when you’re finished.

• Now select the MP4 file you want to convert. You can search your files by selecting the “Choose” button, and then click on “Next”.

• Set the codec for video and audio. You can select certain options here, such as Formats, Codec, and Bitrates, before clicking on “Next”

• Finally, select a location to save the converted file and give it a name. By selecting the “Specify” option, you’ll be able to choose a place for the converted file. After you’ve completed all of the previous stages, click on “Next” to see a summary of the conversion, and then click on “Finish.

6. Repair MP4 video using VLC by modifying the file extension

Changing the file extension to AVI is another option for fixing a corrupted video file on Mac with VLC. This repairs the damaged, corrupted, or inaccessible MP4 files by converting them to a new one with specified settings.

Here’s how step-by-step you can repair corrupt MP4 for free with VLC Player:

• Make a copy of the damaged or corrupted MP4 file on your device.
• Change the MP4 file extension to .AVI. Ignore any error notification that appears. 
• Now open your VLC multimedia player and select “Tools” from the menu ribbon.
• From the Tools drop-down menu, select Preferences.

• Next, go to the Preferences menu and select “Input and Codec”. Make the necessary changes and save.
• To continue the video repair, click on the option of “Always fix”. In a matter of seconds, the corrected video file would be ready to play.

7. Repair corrupt MP4 with Stellar Repair for Video

The quick way to repair corrupted MP4 files is through Stellar Repair for Video. The software is extremely easy-to-use, and equipped with a rich feature set to help you battle video data corruption in various scenarios. It can fix MP4 files corrupted during video editing, recording, transferring, or conversion on Mac.

In addition, Stellar Repair for Video can fix file formats such as MOV, AVI, MKV, AVCHD, MJPEG, WEBM, ASF, WMV, FLV, DIVX, MPEG, MTS, M4V, 3G2, 3GP, and F4V from DSLR, iPhone, iPad, drones etc. It provides a complete video file repair solution for macOS Monterey, Big Sur, Catalina and older versions. You can repair multiple MP4 videos simultaneously, and download the repaired files at a desired location on your Mac. The free trial is for demo purpose only and provides preview of repaired files up to 20% of total video size.

This is how you can start the video repair process: 

• Download Stellar Repair for Video from the official website and install using the proprietary Setup Wizard.
• Once installation completes, you can launch the application to see an intuitive interface on your Mac.
• From the software’s home screen, click the “Add” button to select the video file you wish to repair. 

• Next, the repairing process starts, and the progress is indicated through a progress bar. This process may take up to several minutes to complete.

• When the files are repaired, you can preview them and select the ones you want to save. Then click on “Save Repaired Files” at the bottom-right corner.

Conclusion

When trying to watch videos on Mac, you might encounter errors like ‘MP4 not playing on Mac’. While this could be due to multiple reasons, the good news is that damaged or corrupted videos can be repaired through some easy manual tricks or automated file repair solutions like Stellar Repair for Video. If the manual methods don’t help in your case, take the free trial of the video repair software.

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About The Author

Nishat Paiker

Nishat Paiker is an expert technical writer and editor with over 8 years of experience. She has deep knowledge about data recovery and loves to explore new technology and DIY tools. Nishat has keen interest in photography. You will often find her giving photography tips and hacks.