Outline – If you have ever stumbled upon the tiring way to find and delete duplicate MP4 videos on your Mac, this is the suitable result for you. In the following piece of content, we will explore the methods on answering the question “how to delete duplicate MP4 files on Mac?”
In the prevailing age of digital outburst, video files have become a common or integral part of our entertainment zone. Due to this, we create a folder to collect our favorite memories at one place. However, while doing this, we unknowingly download duplicate files. This can lead to a cluttered file system.
Besides this, it can also be challenging, if you are searching for a specific movie file. Hence, to overcome this problem, we will suggest you our preferred manual and automated solutions to organize your MP4 files in one go. Sometimes, you could also encounter other file formats such as JPG, PNG, GIF, etc. for which, we recommend a guide on “How to delete duplicate photos on PC?”
Things to Ponder on If you Keep the Duplicate MP4 Files on Mac
Here are some of the consequences if you choose not to remove the identical clips on macOS:
- Duplicate MP4 files on Mac waste disk space.
- Identical clips clutter and disorganize files.
- Duplicates increase backup size unnecessarily.
- Copies make identifying original MP4 files difficult.
- Duplicates hinder data recovery after system failures.
- Clones extend search time for MP4 files.
- Manual management risks deleting important MP4 files.
- Use software to effectively delete identical files.
- Regular cleanup keeps the file system organized.
How to Remove Duplicate MP4 Files on Mac OS Via Finder?
Explore a solution for removing duplicate video clips using the Finder application:
- Open Finder and find the MP4 files folder in Applications.
- In the video storage folder, switch to the “List” view and sort by name or size.
- One by one select the duplicate MP4 file those who have the same name or size.
- Select duplicates using the Command key, right-click, and choose “Move to Trash” to delete.
How to Find and Remove Duplicate Multimedia Files on macOS through Terminal?
This section covers the technical steps for identifying and removing identical MP4 files from the media library. Familiarity with basic Terminal app commands is required. Now, let’s jump into the procedure.
- Access Terminal – Go to Applications → Utilities → Terminal.
- Navigate to Video Folder – Use ‘cd‘ to reach the video directory (e.g., cd /path/to/video/folder).
- Identify Duplicates – Run the command
find . -type f -exec md5 {} \; | sort | uniq -w32 -d –all-repeated=separate
- Delete Duplicates – Manually delete duplicates using ‘rm‘ (e.g., rm /path/to/duplicate/video).
Notes:
Always back up files before deletion to prevent accidental loss.
Terminal commands can permanently remove files.
How to Get Rid of Duplicate MP4 files on Mac with Photos App?
This method isn’t very popular with users as Photos App is typically for images. However, it’s versatile for video too. Let’s explore:
Begin with Photos
- Open your Mac’s “Photos” app to get started.
Add MP4 files
- Drag and drop MP4 files or use “Import” if they’re not in the Photos library.
Craft a Smart Album
- Click “File” in the menu, then select “New Smart Album.”
- Define criteria like File Name or Date to identify duplicates.
Evaluate the Smart Album
- Review the Smart Album for matching MP4 files to identify any duplicates.
Remove Duplicate MP4 files
- Select duplicates within the Smart Album, press “Delete,” and confirm.
Clear Recently Deleted
- Deleted MP4 files land in “Recently Deleted.” For a permanent removal, go there, select MP4 files, and click “Delete All” or “Recover.”
Drawbacks in the Freely Accessible Solutions to Remove Duplicate MP4 Files
Given below are some of the common problems the users face while eliminating duplicate MP4 files.
- File identification and deletion strain computing power, causing delays.
- Free processes risk unintentional data loss.
- Manual deletion may miss storage optimization.
- Easy methods are impractical with growing datasets.
- Consistent file naming impacts accuracy but is relied upon.
- Complimentary deduplication needs frequent adjustments.
- Manual processes risk exposing sensitive information.
- Identifying legitimate versions among duplicates is challenging.
- Meeting regulations is hard without automation.
- Existing processes lack flexible deduplication criteria.
How to Remove Duplicate MP4 files on macOS? – An Ideal Way
In this process, though free, certain drawbacks arise. Yet, opting for the most straightforward and efficient SysTools duplicate file finder and remover resolves this issue on Mac Big Sur, Ventura, Sonoma, and all versions. Additionally, this utility can remove redundant MP4 files in just a few clicks. Notable attributes of this application include its simplicity and effectiveness:
- Smart file scanning with a recognition engine.
- Recursive scanning option.
- Move or delete duplicate video files.
- Scan 70+ file extensions (e.g., .mp3, .mp4, .png, .jpg).
- Detect visually identical images.
- Preserve user data during scanning.
- Try the free trial version.
Noteworthy steps to scan and erase duplicate .mp4 files on the macOS system:
- Download and install the Duplicate Video File Finder Tool.
- Click “Add Folder” to choose the target folder.
- Configure scan settings, including file types (MP4, AVI, etc.), in the dialog box. Click “Continue.”
- Delete duplicate video files by clicking “Delete.”
- After the elimination process, check for “Deleted” under the Action tag.
Final Takeaway
From the above content, you must have got any idea on how to delete MP4 files on macOS in one go. First, we explore manual and expert methods for removing similar video clips on macOS Ventura and older versions. Although manual ways are free, their reliability often falls short. Therefore, we suggest using a dedicated duplicate video removal app.
