Organize your work your way.
By David Nield Updated: February 13,
2020
A file’s format—the way
that it’s saved and encoded—determines what you can do with it and which
programs will open it. (You can check its format by looking at the file name’s
extension.) Think of each format like a different language, with some only understood
by specific platforms and applications. To access any given file, you may need
to convert it to a new format.
For example, something your
colleague created on a macOS word processor might not work on your Windows 10 computer.
Or a website that asks you to upload a photo might insist that it be a specific
type of file. Whatever quandary you encounter, you can usually hunt down an app
that will help. In this guide, we’ll recommend some of the best
format-conversion services out there and give you a few tips so you’ll never be
stuck with a wrongly-encoded file again.
First
step: check your applications
Frequently, the application
you used to create the file in the first place will let you save it as
something else. If you’re viewing a document in Google Docs, for example, you
can click File and Download to bring up a
list of formats to which you can convert the page. These include Microsoft
Word, PDF, and plain text. The desktop programs Word and Apple’s Pages offer a
similar selection of formats.
It’s the same with image
editing programs. Most of these applications let you save your pictures as a
variety of file types, so you can pick the appropriate one. Export an image
from Photos on macOS, for example, via File and Export.
It will let you choose between JPEG, PNG, and TIFF formats.
If you know you’ll want to
access a given file using multiple programs, you can save it in several formats
to begin with.
Of course, you won’t always
have access to the program that originally created the file. In that case,
you’ll want to use a conversion program. The program you choose will depend on
the type of file you’re tinkering with.
For
converting video
For your video conversion
needs, you can’t go wrong with the free programs Handbrake and VLC. Handbrake (for Windows, macOS, and Linux)
takes video files from almost every imaginable format and converts them into
any other popular video type. It’s simple to operate and even lets you pick
from standard pre-set modes in order to, say, optimize the videos you’re
converting for an iPhone X. When
you’re more comfortable with the software, you can dig deeper into the settings
for the codecs—the exact standards by which the video files are saved. Beyond
that, Handbrake can rip videos from DVDs and supports subtitles and chapter
markers in your conversions.
Equally impressive, VLC Media Player (for
Windows, macOS, and Linux) can play a whole host of video formats, including
MPEG-4, H.264, WMV, and MKV with no extra plug-ins. It can also convert a broad
selection of different file types. Think of it as a Swiss Army knife for video
conversions. With the program open on screen, choose Media,
then Convert/Save. The application will ask you to pick a video
file from the hard drive,
and you can then choose the format you want to change it into. Rather than
writing over the original file, VLC will create a separate copy of the
newly-reformatted video. You can include subtitles and chapter markers in the
conversion, and even convert batches of files at once.
For
converting images
You can find even more free
programs to convert your photos, so we’ve selected our top three picks. XnConvert (for
Windows, macOS, and Linux) lets you resize pictures, change the color depth,
and even add text as you’re converting your photos. And if you’re in a hurry,
you can convert whole batches of images at once.
Equally as impressive as
XnConvert, Adapter (for
Windows and macOS) is a little more user-friendly. To get started, drag files
on top of the application interface, choose your output format, and then click
the Convert button. Along the way, you can change the
resolution and quality of the file. Adapter is happy converting a long list of
files in one go and will convert popular video and audio file formats as well.
If you prefer something
that requires no installation and can be run from inside any web browser, then
give the versatile Zamzar a try.
It supports conversions to and from more than 1,200 different file types,
including pictures, video, and audio. The only downside is that you’ll have to
pony up your email address in order to use the service: once it converts a
file, it’ll send a link to the address you provided.
For
converting audio
Some of the applications
we've mentioned above, like Zamzar and Adapter, also tackle audio files. If you
want a dedicated audio converter, however, you can find plenty of other
programs.
The free fre:ac (for Windows, macOS, and
Linux) supports a wide variety of formats from FLAC to MP3. In addition, you’ll
get several options that let you tinker with the audio quality. Load up your
tracks using the Add audio files button on the top left, then
choose your output format on the General settings part of
the Options menu. To set the output options in more detail,
select Options and Configure selected
encoder. Once you’re happy with the settings, click the green play
button on the toolbar to start the conversion (encoding) process.
The simple and
straightforward Free
Audio Converter from Freemake (for Windows only) is another
good choice. With this application, just drag your audio into the program
window, choose your output format from the list at the bottom, and you’re good
to go. It supports common audio formats such as MP3, AAC, WMA, OGG, and FLAC.
Finally, if you want to
take more control over the audio as you convert it, opt for the free audio
editor Audacity (for
Windows, macOS, and Linux). In addition to a full suite of editing tools, it
gives you the option to convert your files between various popular formats. To
do so, open the track in question, hit the File menu, and head
to the Export option.
For
converting documents
Compared with music and
movie files, documents seem relatively simple. But converting between document
formats can be trickier, because many of them—the Word document format from
Microsoft, the Pages document format from Apple, and so on—are proprietary.
Because of its finicky
format, you should, wherever possible, try using a document’s native program to
open it and convert it to something else. If you don’t have the right software
to do so, consider falling back on a web app. You can access basic versions of
both Microsoft Office and Apple iWork online, allowing you to
use them from any browser for free.
If you still need a
dedicated tool, we like the free Doxillion Document Converter
Software (for Windows and macOS). It supports Word, HTML, PDF,
and other common document formats. And it’s easy to use, handling everything
through a single one-screen interface. Hit the Add Files button
to build a list of files, then set your output options in the pane underneath.
Finally, the free online
document converter FileZigZag can
competently handle a variety of file types, including Microsoft Office formats
and PDFs. Like Zamzar, it makes you provide an email address in order to
receive a download link for the converted file. But other than that, it’s
straightforward and easy to use, and you can run it from any browser window.
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