What Is a .mov File? .mov Format, MIME & How to Open

Quick facts

Extension.mov

File typeQuickTime Movie

MIME typevideo/quicktime

CategoryVideo

Charset—

CompressibleNo

Format familymov

What is .mov

What is a .mov file?

A .mov file is a QuickTime Movie — Apple QuickTime multimedia container.

In the mime-db registry it maps to video/quicktime, and it is marked as non-compressible. When serving .mov over HTTP, set the Content-Type header as shown in Developer info below.

Related entities: it maps to video/quicktime — and is delivered over HTTP via the Content-Type header.

How to open .mov files

Use QuickTime or VLC to open and edit .mov files.
Any text editor (Notepad, VS Code) can inspect the raw content as text.

Developer info

When served over HTTP, responses should set the following header:

Content-Type: video/quicktime

Common software that reads/writes .mov:

QuickTimeVLCFinal Cut Pro

Relation chain

.movextension of

format

movserved as

mime type

video/quicktimesent via header

http header

Related extensions

Related MIME types

Common uses

Movies and clips
Streaming media
Screen recordings

How to edit .mov files

Open the file with QuickTime, make your changes and save.
Most editors preserve the original formatting and encoding — avoid changing the charset.

How to create .mov files

Create a new file and save it with the .mov extension, or export this format from QuickTime.

Frequently asked questions

What programs can open .mov files?

Common options include QuickTime, VLC, Final Cut Pro. You can also open many of these files with built-in viewers or a browser.

How do I create a .mov file?

Create a new file in any text editor or the app that owns the format and save it with the .mov extension.

What is the relationship between .mov and the video/quicktime MIME type?

video/quicktime is the media type identifier used for .mov files during network transfer (for example in the HTTP Content-Type header).

Sources & standards

Updated 2026-09-13

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