About HandBrake

What HandBrake is

HandBrake is an open-source video transcoder available for Linux, Mac, and Windows. Everyone can use HandBrake to make videos for free.

HandBrake is a post-production tool. Its primary purpose is to convert videos from supported source formats to MP4, MKV, or WebM format. If you wish to make changes to your Source video, please use an appropriate video editing software.

What HandBrake does

HandBrake takes videos you already have and makes new ones that work on your mobile phone, tablet, TV media player, game console, computer, or web browser—nearly anything that supports modern video formats.

HandBrake works with most common video files and formats, including ones created by consumer and professional video cameras, mobile devices such as phones and tablets, game and computer screen recordings, and DVD and Blu-ray discs. HandBrake leverages tools such as FFmpeg libavcodec and libavformat libraries, x264, x265, and svt-av1 to create new MP4, MKV, or WebM video files from these Sources.

HandBrake does:

HandBrake can also make videos that are smaller—taking up less storage space on your device—than the originals.

What HandBrake does not do

HandBrake does not:

HandBrake also does not defeat or circumvent copy protection of any kind. It does not work with video files employing Digital Rights Management (DRM). This includes but is not limited to, copy protected content from iTunes, Amazon Video, Netflix, or other online providers, and many commercial DVD and Blu-ray discs.

Applications such as AnyDVD HD for Windows and MakeMKV for Linux, Mac, and Windows can create copies of DVD and Blu-ray discs that HandBrake can open, reducing wear on the original discs and often fixing errors due to poorly mastered or otherwise broken discs.1

Do not use HandBrake or any other application to copy materials you do not own or have the right to copy. If you are uncertain about your right to copy any material, you should contact your legal advisor.

Next steps

Continue to Where to get HandBrake.


  1. The HandBrake Team has no affiliation with these applications or their creators. If support is needed, please use their respective contact channels directly.