QuickTime movie file (.mov)
.mov file signature | video/quicktime
QuickTime Movie (MOV) is a multimedia container format developed by Apple and associated with the QuickTime framework. It is used for storing and playing video, audio, and related media metadata in editing workflows, desktop playback, and archival distribution. The format is generally safe, but like other media containers it may rely on external codecs, and older QuickTime components have historically been affected by security vulnerabilities.
Magic Bytes
Offset 4
6D 6F 6F 76 00
Sources: Apache Tika
All Known Signatures
10 signature variants are documented for .mov files across multiple sources.
| Hex Signature | Offset | Sources |
|---|---|---|
| 6D 6F 6F 76 00 | 4 | Apache Tika |
| 6D 64 61 74 00 | 4 | Apache Tika |
| 66 72 65 65 00 | 4 | Apache Tika |
| 73 6B 69 70 00 | 4 | Apache Tika |
| 70 6E 6F 74 00 | 4 | Apache Tika |
| 66 74 79 70 | 4 | Apache Tika |
| 00 00 00 08 77 69 64 65 | 0 | Apache Tika |
| 66 74 79 70 71 74 20 20 | 4 | Gary Kessler |
| 6D 6F 6F 76 | 4 | Gary Kessler |
| 71 74 20 20 | 0 | Neil Harvey FileSignatures |
Extension
.mov
MIME Type
video/quicktime
Byte Offset
4
Risk Level
Safe
Validation Code
How to validate .mov files in Python
def is_mov(file_path: str) -> bool:
"""Check if file is a valid MOV by magic bytes at offset 4."""
signature = bytes([0x6D, 0x6F, 0x6F, 0x76, 0x00])
with open(file_path, "rb") as f:
f.seek(4)
return f.read(5) == signature
How to validate .mov files in Node.js
function isMOV(buffer: Buffer): boolean {
const signature = Buffer.from([0x6D, 0x6F, 0x6F, 0x76, 0x00]);
if (buffer.length < 9) return false;
return buffer.subarray(4, 9).equals(signature);
}
How to validate .mov files in Go
func IsMOV(data []byte) bool {
signature := []byte{0x6D, 0x6F, 0x6F, 0x76, 0x00}
if len(data) < 9 {
return false
}
return bytes.Equal(data[4:9], signature)
}
API Endpoint
/api/v1/mov
curl https://filesignature.org/api/v1/mov
See the full API documentation for all endpoints and parameters.
Related Formats
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a .mov file?
A .mov file is a QuickTime movie file file. QuickTime Movie (MOV) is a multimedia container format developed by Apple and associated with the QuickTime framework. It is used for storing and playing video, audio, and related media metadata in editing workflows, desktop playback, and archival distribution. The format is generally safe, but like other media containers it may rely on external codecs, and older QuickTime components have historically been affected by security vulnerabilities.
What are the magic bytes for .mov files?
The magic bytes for QuickTime movie file files are 6D 6F 6F 76 00 at byte offset 4. These bytes uniquely identify the file format regardless of the file extension.
How do I validate a .mov file?
To validate a .mov file, read the first bytes of the file and compare them against the known magic bytes (6D 6F 6F 76 00) at offset 4. This is more reliable than checking the file extension alone, as extensions can be renamed.
What is the MIME type for .mov files?
The primary MIME type for .mov files is video/quicktime.
Is it safe to open .mov files?
QuickTime movie file (.mov) files are generally safe to open. They are classified as low risk because they primarily contain data rather than executable code. However, always ensure files come from a trusted source.