Free MOV sample files
The QuickTime container that iPhones and cameras record: the parent of MP4, and structured the same way. Download valid MOV test files in 4 exact sizes, from 100 KB to 5 MB, each with a checksum.
- Extension
- .mov
- MIME type
- video/quicktime
- Kind
- Binary
- Category
- Video
MOV files by size
Every file below is a valid QuickTime movie file of exactly the stated size. Open a file's page for its checksum and contents. MOV files cannot be displayed by a browser, so their pages show the file's details instead of a preview.
| File | Size | Contents | Download |
|---|---|---|---|
| 100 KB MOV samplesample-mov-100kb.mov | 100 KB102,400 bytes | 640 × 360 px | Download MOV |
| 500 KB MOV samplesample-mov-500kb.mov | 500 KB512,000 bytes | 640 × 360 px | Download MOV |
| 1 MB MOV samplesample-mov-1mb.mov | 1 MB1,048,576 bytes | 640 × 360 px | Download MOV |
| 5 MB MOV samplesample-mov-5mb.mov | 5 MB5,242,880 bytes | 640 × 360 px | Download MOV |
What is a MOV file?
MOV is the QuickTime file format, which Apple introduced in 1991. A movie is a tree of atoms, each with a size and a four-letter type, describing tracks of video, audio and timed metadata. The MP4 format was derived from it, so the two are close relatives and share most of their structure.
iPhones, many cameras and professional editing tools write MOV. The picture is commonly H.264 or HEVC from a phone, and ProRes from an editing suite.
How to recognise a MOV file
Software recognises a MOV file by its file signature: fixed bytes at the start of the file, also called magic bytes or a magic number.
| Extension | .mov |
|---|---|
| MIME type | video/quicktime |
| Specification | QuickTime File Format (Apple) |
| Structure | Atoms: ftyp, moov, mdat |
| Common codecs | H.264, HEVC and ProRes video; AAC and PCM audio |
| Relation to MP4 | MP4 is derived from it |
What to test for
These are the behaviours that most often go wrong when software handles MOV files.
- Phones upload MOV by default, so an allow-list that names only video/mp4 rejects the most common video a mobile user has.
- Browser playback is uneven. Safari plays MOV; other browsers depend on the codec inside and on how the server labels the file. Convert to MP4 for anything shown on a web page.
- Phone footage stores its orientation as a rotation flag instead of rotating the pixels. A pipeline that ignores the flag produces sideways video.
Strengths of MOV
- Written directly by iPhones, cameras and editing software.
- Carries professional codecs such as ProRes, and rich timed metadata.
Limitations of MOV
- Unreliable in browsers other than Safari.
- Often holds codecs that need transcoding before the web can play them.
Typical uses of MOV test files
- Testing video uploads from iPhones and cameras
- Checking transcoding of MOV to MP4 for web playback
- Verifying that an allow-list accepts video/quicktime
- Testing thumbnail and duration extraction
Software that opens MOV
- QuickTime Player, iMovie and Final Cut Pro
- VLC and FFmpeg
- Adobe Premiere Pro and DaVinci Resolve
- Safari; other browsers only for some codecs
Specifications
Related
MOV sample files: questions
- What is the difference between MOV and MP4?
- Very little in structure: MP4 was standardised from the QuickTime format. MOV allows more codecs and Apple-specific features, while MP4 is the version every browser and device is built to play.
- Do the MOV samples have sound?
- No. They contain one H.264 video track and no audio track, with the index at the start of the file.
- What is the MIME type of a MOV file?
- The MIME type is video/quicktime. The file extension is .mov.
- Is a sample MOV file the same as a dummy or example MOV file?
- Yes. Sample, test, dummy and example MOV files are different names for the same thing: a MOV file with known contents that stands in for a real one. Any file on this page will do wherever a tutorial or a test plan asks for a dummy MOV file.