Video Compressor AI
This video compression tool was developed to streamline the process of creating ultra-light video assets for professional creative use. Instead of navigating multiple platforms and software to achieve the industry-standard limit of 1.5 MB or less, users can simply drag and drop their files for instant compression.
In creative industries, especially across social media, CRM platforms, and email marketing, file size restrictions often limit motion design and video expression. This tool removes that barrier, enabling the production of high-quality micro videos and GIFs that maintain visual impact while remaining format-ready. It is not just a technical solution, but a new canvas for creative possibility.
The Problem
Design workflows were constantly slowed down because GIFs and video files were too large, forcing us to shrink or shorten content and preventing us from creating the high-quality motion pieces we actually wanted to deliver.
The Solution - How It Works:
Drag, Drop, Compress
The API is built around a minimal user interaction model - simply drag and drop a video file. Once uploaded, the system automatically detects file type, resolution, and bitrate, then begins adaptive compression to ensure the final output falls below 1.5 MB while preserving motion clarity and color fidelity. No manual configuration, no export panels, no external tools.
Adaptive Compression Engine
Rather than using a single compression preset, the API dynamically adjusts bitrate, resolution, and codec parameters based on the input file. It prioritizes key visual elements - motion edges, gradients, and contrast - to balance quality with extreme size limitations. This enables the final output to appear visually rich, even within strict kilobyte constraints required by email platforms and social media uploads..
Inspired by Professional Adobe Workflows
The compression logic was informed by industry-standard techniques used in Adobe Creative Cloud applications such as Adobe Media Encoder and After Effects. Key settings like two-pass encoding, bitrate targeting, and frame rate optimization were translated into automated processes. What typically requires navigating complex export panels is now executed instantly through API logic.
Optimized for Creative Use Cases
The tool was built specifically for designers, motion artists, and marketing teams who need rapid, shareable video loops, GIFs, and micro-animations. By guaranteeing deliverables under 1.5 MB, it allows creatives to focus on storytelling rather than technical limitations - making it ideal for CRM embeds, email campaigns, product teasers, and social previews.
Future-Ready for Motion Innovation
With lightweight video as a foundation, this API opens the door to new visual formats - seamless motion loops, cinemagraph-style GIFs, and ultra-portable animations. It is not just compression technology, but infrastructure for the next generation of micro-motion content.
How it Works- Further (Technical Aspect)
I built a Node.js API that runs on Heroku and uses FFmpeg under the hood to compress and optimize raw video uploads. When a client (designer, editor, or automation tool) sends a video file to the API, the server processes the file by:
Ingesting the video via an upload endpoint.
Running FFmpeg commands (spawned through Node’s
child_process) to re-encode the video with optimized codecs, bitrates, and parameters that reduce filesize without noticeable loss of visual quality.Writing the compressed output as a new video, which can then be fetched through a retrieval endpoint.
Returning metadata (such as original size vs. compressed size, duration, and format) so clients can verify compression effectiveness.
On deployment, I used a dedicated Heroku buildpack to include FFmpeg, allowing the app to run the video-processing binary in the Heroku environment. elements.heroku.com+1
This API empowers my team (or company) to integrate seamless video optimization into workflows, whether for designer exports, email campaigns, or media upload pipelines without worrying about ballooning file sizes or manual re-encoding.
Results
Reduced video and GIF file sizes by 90%+, often cutting multi-megabyte exports down to lightweight, email-safe assets.
Enabled designers to create longer, smoother, higher-quality motion pieces instead of settling for short, choppy GIFs.
Eliminated constant workflow slowdowns caused by oversized files, improving speed and collaboration across teams.
Saved designers hours of manual compression work each week by automating the entire process through a simple upload endpoint.
Increased reliability for CRM and media teams by ensuring all assets were optimized, compatible, and fast-loading.