| Compressor | |
|---|---|
  Logos for the one-time purchase version (left) and Apple Creator Studio version (right) | |
 Compressor v4.5 on macOS 10.15.7 screenshot and logo | |
| Developer | Apple Inc. |
| Stable release | 5.0
/ January 28, 2026[1] |
| Operating system | macOS (15.6 or later) |
| Type | Data compression |
| License | Proprietary |
| Website | apple.com/final-cut-pro |
Compressor is a video and audio media compression and encoding application for macOS made by Apple.
History
The application used to be available as part of Final Cut Pro, Soundtrack Pro, Motion, and DVD Studio Pro, and after Apple combined its professional media products into Final Cut Studio and Logic Studio bundles, Compressor became part of these bundles.
Once the bundle model was abandoned by Apple in 2011,[2][3] a new major version of Compressor (Compressor 4) was released as a separate product on the Mac App Store for $49.99.[4] The bundle model was later reintroduced in 2026, available as part of the Apple Creator Studio subscription suite, alongside the standalone purchasable Mac App Store version.[5]
Features
Compressor is used for encoding video and audio media in multiple formats, including HEVC (H.265), MPEG-1, MPEG-2 for DVD, QuickTime .mov, MPEG-4 (Simple Profile), MPEG-4 H.264 and optional (third Party and often commercial) QuickTime Exporter Components to export to Windows Media. Among its other features are the ability to convert from NTSC to PAL and vice versa, and the ability to upscale from standard-definition video to high-definition video with feature detail detection to prevent serious quality losses. Filters and effects, such as de-noising or timestamp generation, can be applied to video during the conversion process, and the video can be cropped.
Compressor could be used with the discontinued Qmaster for clustering, or configured as a server to work on the jobs submitted by other computers on the network.
With its update to 4.2 in April 2015, Apple added performance upgrades, as well as the ability to use Compressor to produce a compliant package to submit video content for distribution to the iTunes Store.[6]
Compressor supports creating files for Blu-ray discs.[7]
References
- ^ "Compressor". March 30, 2025.
- ^ "With Final Cut Pro X debut, Apple discontinues Final Cut Express, Studio, and Server". MacDailyNews. June 22, 2011. Archived from the original on October 29, 2022. Retrieved October 29, 2022.
- ^ "Logic Pro comes to Mac App Store, Logic Express dropped in the shuffle". Ars Technica. September 12, 2011. Archived from the original on October 29, 2022. Retrieved October 29, 2022.
- ^ "How to purchase Final Cut Pro X, Motion 5, Compressor". Apple, Inc. Retrieved January 29, 2012.
- ^ Miller, Chance (January 13, 2026). "Apple debuts 'Apple Creator Studio' subscription, here's what you get". 9to5Mac. Retrieved January 14, 2026.
- ^ "Apple update Final Cut Pro X to 10.2, Motion to 5.2 and Compressor to 4.2". fcp.co. Archived from the original on December 20, 2016. Retrieved April 17, 2015.
- ^ "H.264 for Blu-ray preset in Compressor". Archived from the original on July 29, 2023. Retrieved July 29, 2023.
