How to compress a video for Discord

If Discord says your clip is too large, the file needs to fit the upload limit for that server. Professor Compressor reads the limit Discord reports and prepares an MP4 for that channel.

Share a large video in five steps

1. Add Professor Compressor to your server.
2. Run /compress in the channel where you want the video.
3. Open the private link and select or drag in up to 10 files.
4. Keep the browser page open and active while the files are processed.
5. Wait for the bot to deliver the finished MP4 files in that channel.

How the size target works

The bot uses the attachment limit Discord reports for your server and leaves a little room below it for the final MP4. A file that already fits may be sent unchanged. Larger videos are encoded locally in your browser. Very long videos may need substantial quality reduction to fit, and some files cannot be converted.

Formats and privacy

Common inputs include MP4, MOV, WebM, MKV, AVI, MPEG, WMV, and FLV. The codec inside the file also matters. AV1, damaged, encrypted, or audio-only inputs may fail with the current encoder.

Video encoding happens on your device. Finished MP4 files travel over HTTPS through the relay to Discord. If an original MP4 already fits, it may travel through the relay unchanged. The relay does not intentionally store files on disk. See the Privacy Policy for details.

Tips if compression is slow

Use a modern desktop browser, keep the page open and visible, and try a shorter clip or fewer files at once. Large and long videos use more memory and processing time. The page shows progress for each file.

When something does not work

The private link says it expired

Each link is short-lived and can only be opened once. Return to Discord and run /compress again to get a new one.

A video cannot be converted

A file extension does not guarantee that its video codec is supported. Try an MP4 with a common video codec, or test one shorter clip first. Damaged, encrypted, and AV1 sources may not work with the current browser encoder.

The finished file does not arrive in Discord

Wait until the page reports delivery complete. If it reports a failure, check that the bot is still in the server and can access the original channel, then start a new session. A completed upload is not the same as a delivered Discord message.