diff --git a/services/node-agent/internal/runner/runner.go b/services/node-agent/internal/runner/runner.go
index 4292ee9..cb5e472 100644
--- a/services/node-agent/internal/runner/runner.go
+++ b/services/node-agent/internal/runner/runner.go
@@ -10,6 +10,8 @@ import (
 	"os"
 	"os/exec"
 	"path/filepath"
+	"runtime"
+	"strings"
 	"time"
 )
 
@@ -97,6 +99,87 @@ func mockRender(ctx context.Context, job *Job, outputPath string, onProgress Pro
 	return outputPath, nil
 }
 
+// findRenderedOutput locates the file aerender actually produced. The requested
+// path is e.g. <dir>/output.mp4, but the output module may have written
+// output.avi / output.mov / output.mp4. Prefer an exact match, then .mp4, then
+// the largest output.* file in the directory.
+func findRenderedOutput(requested string) string {
+	if st, err := os.Stat(requested); err == nil && st.Size() > 0 {
+		return requested
+	}
+	dir := filepath.Dir(requested)
+	base := strings.TrimSuffix(filepath.Base(requested), filepath.Ext(requested)) // "output"
+	matches, _ := filepath.Glob(filepath.Join(dir, base+".*"))
+	var best string
+	var bestSize int64 = -1
+	for _, m := range matches {
+		st, err := os.Stat(m)
+		if err != nil || st.IsDir() {
+			continue
+		}
+		// Prefer .mp4 immediately.
+		if strings.EqualFold(filepath.Ext(m), ".mp4") && st.Size() > 0 {
+			return m
+		}
+		if st.Size() > bestSize {
+			best, bestSize = m, st.Size()
+		}
+	}
+	return best
+}
+
+// ffmpegPath locates an ffmpeg binary: $FFMPEG_PATH, then `ffmpeg(.exe)` next to
+// the agent executable, then PATH. Returns "" when none is found.
+func ffmpegPath() string {
+	if p := os.Getenv("FFMPEG_PATH"); p != "" {
+		if _, err := os.Stat(p); err == nil {
+			return p
+		}
+	}
+	name := "ffmpeg"
+	if runtime.GOOS == "windows" {
+		name = "ffmpeg.exe"
+	}
+	if exe, err := os.Executable(); err == nil {
+		cand := filepath.Join(filepath.Dir(exe), name)
+		if _, err := os.Stat(cand); err == nil {
+			return cand
+		}
+	}
+	if p, err := exec.LookPath(name); err == nil {
+		return p
+	}
+	return ""
+}
+
+// transcodeToMP4 converts a lossless AE render (AVI/MOV) to a web-playable H.264
+// MP4 using ffmpeg. Returns the .mp4 path. Errors if ffmpeg is unavailable.
+func transcodeToMP4(ctx context.Context, src, requested string) (string, error) {
+	ff := ffmpegPath()
+	if ff == "" {
+		return "", fmt.Errorf("ffmpeg not found (set FFMPEG_PATH or place ffmpeg.exe next to the agent)")
+	}
+	dst := strings.TrimSuffix(requested, filepath.Ext(requested)) + ".mp4"
+	args := []string{
+		"-y", "-i", src,
+		"-c:v", "libx264", "-preset", "medium", "-crf", "20", "-pix_fmt", "yuv420p",
+		"-c:a", "aac", "-b:a", "192k",
+		"-movflags", "+faststart",
+		dst,
+	}
+	log.Printf("[ffmpeg] %s %v", ff, args)
+	cmd := exec.CommandContext(ctx, ff, args...)
+	cmd.Stdout = os.Stdout
+	cmd.Stderr = os.Stderr
+	if err := cmd.Run(); err != nil {
+		return "", fmt.Errorf("ffmpeg: %w", err)
+	}
+	if st, err := os.Stat(dst); err != nil || st.Size() == 0 {
+		return "", fmt.Errorf("ffmpeg produced no output")
+	}
+	return dst, nil
+}
+
 // ── Real AE render via aerender.exe ──────────────────────────────────────────
 
 func aeRender(ctx context.Context, aePath string, job *Job, outputPath string, onProgress ProgressFn, onPreview PreviewFn) (string, error) {
@@ -108,6 +191,9 @@ func aeRender(ctx context.Context, aePath string, job *Job, outputPath string, o
 	//   -project <path.aep>
 	//   -comp <name>  (or -rqindex 1 when no comp name is known)
 	//   -output  <output.mp4>
+	// Modern AE can't reliably write H.264 directly from aerender, so we let it
+	// render with the project's output module (typically Lossless AVI/MOV) and
+	// transcode to MP4 with ffmpeg afterwards (see transcodeToMP4).
 	// Without -comp/-rqindex, aerender ignores -output and renders nothing.
 	args := []string{"-project", job.AEPFilePath}
 	if job.CompName != "" {
@@ -150,8 +236,28 @@ func aeRender(ctx context.Context, aePath string, job *Job, outputPath string, o
 			if err != nil {
 				return "", fmt.Errorf("aerender exit: %w", err)
 			}
+			// Find what aerender actually wrote (output.avi / .mov / .mp4).
+			actual := findRenderedOutput(outputPath)
+			if actual == "" {
+				return "", fmt.Errorf("aerender finished but no output file found in %s", filepath.Dir(outputPath))
+			}
+			// Already an MP4? done.
+			if strings.EqualFold(filepath.Ext(actual), ".mp4") {
+				_ = onProgress(ctx, 95, "Encoding complete")
+				return actual, nil
+			}
+			// Transcode the lossless render → H.264 MP4 (much smaller, web-playable).
+			_ = onProgress(ctx, 92, "Transcoding to MP4…")
+			mp4, terr := transcodeToMP4(ctx, actual, outputPath)
+			if terr != nil {
+				// ffmpeg missing/failed — fall back to the raw render so the job
+				// still delivers a file (large, but valid).
+				log.Printf("[ae] transcode failed (%v) — uploading raw %s", terr, filepath.Ext(actual))
+				return actual, nil
+			}
 			_ = onProgress(ctx, 95, "Encoding complete")
-			return outputPath, nil
+			_ = os.Remove(actual) // drop the multi-GB intermediate
+			return mp4, nil
 		case <-ticker.C:
 			if pct < 90 {
 				pct += 5