
This page is intended for Windows 10 users but can be adapted by Unix users with only small changes. In other words, the file is enabled for Fast Start playback only when the "moov" atom is located before the "mdat" atom. By using this option, the "moov" atom is located before the "mdat" atom.
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If the file is created by adding the -movflags faststart option to the ffmpeg command line, the "moov" atom is moved at the beginning of the MP4 file during the ffmpeg second pass. The "mdat" atom is located before the "moov" atom. Normally, a MP4 file has all the metadata about all packets stored at the end of the file, in data units named atoms. This allows video playback to begin before the file has been completely downloaded. Streaming web sites recommend to upload videos with Fast Start enabled. This How to applies to H.264/MP4 files only but will probably work with H.264/MOV files too.

How to check if Fast Start is enabled for playback Introduction
