Have you ever encountered the frustration of trying to send a video by email, only to be blocked by an error message stating the file is too large? This issue arises because most email platforms have strict attachment size limits that videos can easily exceed.
Emails are indispensable in business communication due to their efficiency, versatility, and professional roles. They are fast but not urgent, and detailed at minimal cost for not only collaborations but also customer sales and support.
What's more, emails record all conversations where agreements and decisions are made, which helps resolve disputes.
Benefits of attaching videos in business emails
In today's digital media-driven world, people prefer watching audiovisual content rather than reading. Adding videos to emails is an important strategy to boost your business.
Here are a few key reasons:
- Easy to understand ideas, products, or instructions with visuals. You can also embed subtitles to clarify tutorials or explanations.
- More vivid and time-saving than reading plain text.
- Captures people's attention faster.
- Enables better strategy adjustments based on video views, clicks, and audience engagement.
File size limits of various email providers
|
Email service provider |
Max attachment size |
|
Gmail |
25 MB |
|
Yahoo Mail |
25 MB (including the email message) |
|
Outlook |
By default, 20 MB (including the email message); other plans allow up to 150 MB |
|
Zoho Mail |
250 MB to 1 GB, depending on the plan |
|
Proton Mail |
25 MB |
As you can see, the maximum file size for email attachments is typically 25 MB. However, a 5-minute video in 720p resolution is roughly 75 MB, not to mention longer videos or those in 1080p or higher quality.
Additionally, if you don't compress the video before emailing it, the email platform will automatically reduce the size for you. This often results in low-quality and distorted images, which should be avoided as it can undermine your hard work and lead to a poor customer experience.
How to compress a video file for email with professional software
If your video files are too large and you want to maintain quality, a professional programme is needed. This allows you to set the exact output size while preserving quality.
- Download the video compressor iFunia Video Converter on Mac or Windows.
- Drag all the video files you want to send into the interface.
- Click the gear icon and set up the output size, resolution, codecs, and other preferences.
- Before compressing, preview the video to verify the quality. Then, click the “Start” button to compress the video.
Tip: Set the video codec to H.265, as it has 50% higher compression efficiency than H.264.
How to compress a large video file for email via cloud services
For videos larger than 500 MB, most video compressors cannot reduce the size to under 25 MB while maintaining quality. Instead, you can create a link to the video and email it, allowing the recipient to download it themselves. Here's how:
- Upload the video file to a cloud storage service like Google Drive, OneDrive, Dropbox, etc.
- Find the Share button and set access restrictions to allow anyone with the link to view it.
- Copy and paste the link into your email message.
Tip: Uploading large videos (1 GB or more) may take time. Alternatively, you can upload the video to platforms like YouTube (as an unlisted video) or Loom.
How to compress a video file for email online
Online compressors require no installation or registration - you simply visit the site and compress your video easily.
- Go to an online video compressor like FreeConvert.
- Select your video file and upload it.
- Click Advanced Settings and choose the compression method, such as targeting a file size of 25 MB.
- Click Apply and Compress to start the reduction process.
Tip: Many online compressor sites have intrusive ads. Avoid clicking on any suspicious links, as they may contain malware or unwanted extensions.
Tricks to further compress a video for email
- Shorten the video by cutting unnecessary sections.
- Convert the video format and codecs to those with higher compression efficiency, such as WebM, AV1, or H.265.
- Lower video settings, such as reducing resolution to 720p and frame rate to 30 fps, while keeping the quality intact.
- Use free zip utilities like WinZip to compress the video slightly, although this method is only effective for small reductions.
Suggestions for business email videos
- Adding brand watermarks increases brand visibility by displaying your company logo throughout the video while protecting your copyright from unauthorised distribution.
- Understanding whether recipients view the video on mobile or desktop helps optimise content for different devices, ensuring a seamless user experience.
- Keep videos short - less than 5 minutes is ideal for maintaining engagement.
- Use passwords or private links for sensitive content and avoid sharing confidential information in videos.
Conclusion
Videos in business emails enhance clarity and overall communication. They provide an engaging way to share ideas, updates, and instructions. To successfully send them without exceeding attachment size limits, solutions such as compressing files using dedicated video compressors, sharing links via cloud storage, or using online compression tools are effective options for maintaining professionalism and efficiency.
This post is edited by iFunia Studio, a multimedia expert helps brighten up your digital life and solve various video and audio problems.