Skip to main content

How to convert MP4 files to AVI in Windows and Mac OS X

Freemake Video Converter for Windows offers multiple options for converting your audio and video files to other formats. Using this program, we were able to successfully convert MP4 files to AVI without breaking a sweat.

Meanwhile, if you’re using a Mac, your best bet for this task is Any Video Converter, which is the best free media conversion program that’s available for Apple users. With this guide, we’ll show you how to convert your MP4 files to AVI, whether you’re using a Windows PC or a Mac-based computer.

Recommended Videos

Click here to jump to steps for converting MP4 to AVI on a Mac

How to convert MP4 to AVI in Windows

With Freemake Video Converter, changing your media files from one type to another takes just a few clicks of the mouse. Freemake offers free downloads of its video converter through this website, and it’s compatible with Windows XP, Vista, 7, and 8/8.1.

Step 1 – Download Freemake Video Converter

Once you open the page we linked you to above, click the green download button to the left of Freemake Video Converter at the top. When the download is complete, double-click the installer to begin setting up Freemake, then follow the on-screen instructions. We recommend that you un-check the option to install Conduit Search Protect. Also, choose Custom install, and de-select the bloatware that Freemake Video Converter attempts to load onto your system.

Freemake Video Converter Setup
Image used with permission by copyright holder

At 78.3MB, Freemake is a pretty small program, and takes just a few moments to install. Click Finish when install is complete, and Freemake Video Converter should launch automatically.

Step 2 – Converting an MP4 file to AVI

Click the +Video button in the upper left corner of Freemake, and find the MP4 file that you want to convert. Once you do, double click on it to add it to the work list.

Add Video to Freemake
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Step 3 – Click the “to AVI” button on the bottom-left part of Freemake. From here, Freemake offers multiple output options to choose from, including screen resolution, which codecs to use, and more.

Once you’re done customizing the options, choose where Freemake should save the converted file, and click Convert to kick off the process.

Convert AVI Freemake
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Step 4 – Lastly, click Okay in the Success screen to finish the job. Your newly minted AVI file should be located in the destination folder that you specified. To play it, double-click on it like you would with any other video.

Next page: How to convert MP4 to AVI using a Mac

How to convert MP4 to AVI in Mac OS X

Step 1 – Download and install Any Video Converter

Open the link above, and click the button labeled “Download Intel” to start pulling Any Video Converter to your Mac. Once prompted, drag Any Video Converter into your Applications folder.

Download
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Step 2 – Open Any Video Converter from your Applications folder. Click Open when your computer asks whether you trust the downloaded application.

Any Video Converter Open Dialogue Box
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Step 3 – Convert an MP4 file to AVI

Click the Add File(s) button in the lower left corner of the screen and locate the MP4 file that you wish to convert.

Add file to Any Video Converter
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Open the drop-down menu on the right side of the screen in the “Profile” window and click on the film reel logo at the bottom. Then, select “Customized AVI Video” to set the conversion type to AVI format. Click “Convert Now” to begin the process. After a few moments, Any Video Converter should be spitting out a new AVI for you.

Any Video Converter Format Select
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Step 4 – Finding and playing your new AVI

If you want immediate access to the new file, click the “History” tab on the left side of the screen to view the freshly converted video. You can watch the clip from the application itself. Alternatively, you can click on the magnifying glass on the right side of the screen to open the folder containing the finished product.

History of files in Any Video Converter
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Did this walk-through teach you how to convert your MP4 files to AVI? If you’re having trouble, let us know in the comments section below.

Topics
Brandon Widder
Brandon Widder is a multimedia journalist and a staff writer for Digital Trends where he covers technology news, how-to…
I tested Intel’s new XeSS 2 to see if it really holds up against DLSS 3
The Intel logo on the Arc B580 graphics card.

Although it technically arrived alongside the Arc B580, Intel quickly disabled its new XeSS 2 feature shortly after it was introduced. Now, it's back via a new driver update, and with a few fixes to major crashes issues. I took XeSS 2 out for a spin with the Arc B580, which has quickly climbed up the rankings among the best graphics cards, but does XeSS 2 hold up its side of the bargain?

XeSS 2 is Intel's bid to fight back against Nvidia's wildly popular DLSS 3. The upscaling component at the core of XeSS is the same, but XeSS 2 includes both a Reflex-like latency reduction feature and, critically, frame generation. The latency reduction, called XeLL, is enabled by default with frame generation.

Read more
Windows PCs now works with the Quest 3, and I tried it out for myself
i tried windows new mixed reality link with my quest 3 alan truly sits in front of a pc and adjusts virtual screen while wear

Microsoft and Meta teamed up on a new feature that lets me use my Windows PC while wearing a Quest 3 or 3S, and it’s super easy to connect and use. I simply glance at my computer and tap a floating button to use Windows in VR on large displays only I can see.

Meta’s new Quest 3 and 3S are among the best VR headsets for standalone gaming and media consumption. When I want more performance or need to run one of the best Windows apps that aren’t yet available in VR, I can connect to a much more powerful Windows PC.
Setting up Mixed Reality Link
Scanning Microsoft's Mixed Reality Link QR code with a Meta Quest 3 Photo by Tracey Truly / Digital Trends

Read more
How to transfer your books from Goodreads to StoryGraph
Front page of a book on Onyx BOOX Go 10.3 tablet.

Goodreads has been the only game in town for Android and iOS book-tracking for a long time now, and like most monopolies, it has grown old and fat. Acquired by Amazon in 2013, avid book readers have had lots to complain about in recent years, with the service languishing unloved, with no serious updates and an aging interface. It's been due some serious competition for a long time, and lo and behold, some has arrived. StoryGraph is a book-tracking app that offers everything you'll find on Goodreads but with an algorithm that lets you know about what you might love, and adds features any bibliophile will know are essential — like a Did Not Finish list.

Read more