Getting Started
Get Simple Media Encoder running: drop files, pick a format, convert. macOS 14 or later.
Install
- Download the zip from this site and unzip it.
- Drag Simple Media Encoder into Applications.
- Open it from Applications or Spotlight. The build is Developer ID signed and notarized.
Free to use under a proprietary license. Resale and redistribution are not permitted. Read the license
Quick Start Guide
Drag and Drop Media Files
Simply drag and drop your media files into Simple Media Encoder to begin the conversion process. The app supports a wide range of audio and video formats.
Select Your Output Format
Choose container, codec, and quality. Video: MP4 or MOV (H.264, H.265, ProRes). Audio: WAV, AIFF, CAF, or M4A. Frame rates include 23.976, 29.97, 59.94, and 60.
Configure Smart Options
Customize how your files are organized and named using the smart options panel:
- Include settings in filename: Adds conversion settings to output filenames (e.g., "video_H264_1080p_30fps.mp4")
- Create subfolder: Organizes files by format (Video/MP4, Audio/WAV)
- Use source file directory: Saves converted files next to originals
- Overwrite existing files: Replace files with the same name
Click Convert
Click the "Convert" button to start processing. The app will show real-time progress and estimated completion time.
Monitor Progress
Watch the conversion progress in real-time. The app displays current status, processing speed, and estimated time remaining.
Find Your Converted Files
Once conversion is complete, converted files are in the output directory you chose — next to each source file if that option is on, otherwise the folder shown in Options.
Supported Formats
Audio input
- WAV, AIFF, CAF — PCM and related uncompressed files
- M4A / AAC / ALAC — Apple compressed and lossless
- MP3 — input only (there is no MP3 encoder)
- FLAC — if AVFoundation can decode it on your Mac
Audio output
- WAV / AIFF / CAF — PCM
- M4A — AAC, HE-AAC, HE-AAC v2, ALAC
- AAC / HE-AAC sample rate max 48 kHz
Video input
- MP4, MOV, M4V — typical Apple/ISO containers
- AVI, MKV — if AVFoundation can decode the streams
- M4V is input-only
Video output
- MP4 — H.264, H.265
- MOV — H.264, H.265, ProRes 422, ProRes 4444
- ProRes is MOV-only. H.264/H.265 output is progressive.
Decode vs encode
The app accepts files AVFoundation can open. Output is only the containers and codecs listed above. Quality for H.264/H.265 is CRF 5–35; ProRes has no CRF control.
System Requirements
Operating system
macOS 14 Sonoma or later. The binary’s minimum is 14.0. Ventura (13) is not supported.
Processor
Universal — Apple Silicon and Intel. The download is a fat binary (arm64 + x86_64).
Memory
4 GB minimum, 8 GB recommended for large video batches. The converter streams; it does not load entire files into RAM.
Storage
The app itself is a few megabytes. You need free space for the converted files (ProRes and PCM are large).
First Time Setup
1. Launch the App
Double-click Simple Media Encoder in your Applications folder or use Spotlight (⌘+Space) to find it.
2. Files and Folders
The app is not sandboxed. macOS may still ask once for Desktop, Documents, or Downloads. Grant access if you write there.
3. Output folder
On the main window, pick a folder or turn on “Use source file directory.” Settings (⌘,) sets the default for new sessions.
4. Pick a preset
On the main window, choose a preset or set format, codec, and quality yourself. There is no separate “default preset” in Settings.