FFmpeg is a multiplatform, open-source library to record, convert and stream video and audio files. Created in 2000, it is a powerful command-line tool that runs on Linux, Windows and Mac operating systems. FFmpeg is currently used by many websites and programs, including YouTube and VLC Media Player, and is published under the GNU Lesser General Public License 2.1+.
FFmpeg 2.8.17 'Feynman' 2.8.17 was released on 2020-07-07. It is the latest stable FFmpeg release from the 2.8 release branch, which was cut from master on 2015-09-05. Amongst lots of other changes, it includes all changes from ffmpeg-mt, libav master of 2015-08-28, libav 11 as of 2015-08-28. It includes the following library versions. Combine an FFmpeg powered back-end with VLC rendered previews, then add in file size estimation, a gorgeous user interface and make it entirely free. That is Adapter - the ultimate converter app for Mac and PC.
The program and its source code can be downloaded here. Please refer to the official documentation if you need any help to install FFmpeg.
The commands contained in this guide describes how to perform various tasks as such as video files conversion, audio file sound extraction, encoding files for iPod or PSP, converting a video to a gif file, and more.
- Video Converter with FFmpeg can quickly and easily convert your media from and to any format you'd like. It uses the free FFmpeg encoder and supports most any video file that FFmpeg will convert.
- In this video i am going to show How to Install FFMPEG on macOS. FFmpeg is a free software project that produces libraries and programs for handling multimed.
Get File Information From a Video File
You can easily obtain a lot of information on a given video file with the following command line instruction:
Convert Images To a Video Sequence
This command will transform all the images from the current directory (named image1.jpg
, image2.jpg
, etc…) to a video file named video.mpg
.
Convert a Video to X Images
This command will generate imagess named image1.jpg
, image2.jpg
, etc, from a given video file. The following image formats are available: PGM, PPM, PAM, PGMYUV, JPEG, GIF, PNG, TIFF, SGI.
Crop a Video File
Cropping is a very common operation in video editing. FFmpeg provides a crop filter for this specific purpose:
The options are as follows:
out_w
is the width of the output rectangleout_h
is the height of the output rectanglex
andy
specify the top left corner of the output rectangleoutput.mp4
is the output file
Resize a Video
Using the -vf scale
filter, it is possible to resize videos to a desired size:
The same works with images as well: Is gimp available for mac.
Extract a Portion of a Video
Another very common operation on video files is to extract a specific portion of a given video. This can be done super easily:
In the example above, we are cutting out a part starting at 00:00:30 into the original file with a 5 seconds length. -ss
indicates the starting time, and -t
indicates the duration.
Encode a Video Sequence for the iPod/iPhone
You can easily convert a video for iPhones and older iPods using this command:
Explanations :
- Source : source_video.avi
- Audio codec : aac
- Audio bitrate : 128kb/s
- Video codec : mpeg4
- Video bitrate : 1200kb/s
- Video size : 320px par 180px
- Generated video : final_video.mp4
Encode a Video for Sony PSP
Same goes with Sony PSP: The command line below takes a source video file and creates an output file compatible with Sony PSP.
Explanations :
- Source : source_video.avi
- Audio codec : aac
- Audio bitrate : 32kb/s
- Video codec : xvid
- Video bitrate : 1200kb/s
- Video size : 320px par 180px
- Generated video : final_video.mp4
Extract Sound From a Video, And Save It in Mp3 Format
Creating an audio file from a video is an easy task:
Explanations :
- Source video : source_video.avi
- Audio bitrate : 192kb/s
- output: mp3 format
- Generated sound : sound.mp3
Convert a Wav File to Mp3
FFmpeg isn't only for videos, there's a lot you can do with audio files as well. This example will convert a .wav
file to mp3 format.
Convert .avi Video to .mpg
Coverting video files from a format to another is extremely simple. Here, a .avi
video is converted to .mpg
:
Convert .mpg to .avi
And vice-versa. This command convert videos to a specified file format:
Convert .avi to .flv
.flv
is a very popular format for web videos. This example converts a .avi
file into .flv
, while specifying various parameters as such as the display size.
Convert .avi to .dv
Another audio/video format conversion. This command will convert a .avi
file to .dv
:
This can be used as well:
Convert .avi to mpeg for DVD Players
If you have a video you'd like to watch on a DVD player, here is how to properly encode it:
Explanations :
target pal-dvd
: Output format-ps 2000000000
: Maximum size for the output file, in bits (here, 2 Gb)-aspect 16:9
: Widescreen
How To Install Ffmpeg Mac
Compress .avi video
You can compress videos in order to save space on your hard drive. Note the use of the -s
parameter to resize the output file:
Compress Ogg Theora to mpeg DVD
More unusual formats, as such as Ogg Theora, can also be converted. Note the use of -vcodec
and -acodec
to specify the video and ausio codecs to be used:
Compress .avi to SVCD mpeg2
mpeg-2 is the standard format for SVCD and CVD (which you can burn on CDR media and playback on a TV with a SVCD-CVD compatible DVD player) and DVD.
Ffmpeg Convert Aac To Wav
Depending of your player format, you have to use a different command. In the US, NTSC is the standard:
Ffmpeg Converter Mac Freeware
If your player is in PAL format, you should use the following instead:
Compress .avi to VCD mpeg2
Video CDs are a quick and cheap way to watch a video from your computer on your TV. Converting a video file to VCD is very easy.
- Source : source_video.avi
- Audio codec : aac
- Audio bitrate : 32kb/s
- Video codec : xvid
- Video bitrate : 1200kb/s
- Video size : 320px par 180px
- Generated video : final_video.mp4
Extract Sound From a Video, And Save It in Mp3 Format
Creating an audio file from a video is an easy task:
Explanations :
- Source video : source_video.avi
- Audio bitrate : 192kb/s
- output: mp3 format
- Generated sound : sound.mp3
Convert a Wav File to Mp3
FFmpeg isn't only for videos, there's a lot you can do with audio files as well. This example will convert a .wav
file to mp3 format.
Convert .avi Video to .mpg
Coverting video files from a format to another is extremely simple. Here, a .avi
video is converted to .mpg
:
Convert .mpg to .avi
And vice-versa. This command convert videos to a specified file format:
Convert .avi to .flv
.flv
is a very popular format for web videos. This example converts a .avi
file into .flv
, while specifying various parameters as such as the display size.
Convert .avi to .dv
Another audio/video format conversion. This command will convert a .avi
file to .dv
:
This can be used as well:
Convert .avi to mpeg for DVD Players
If you have a video you'd like to watch on a DVD player, here is how to properly encode it:
Explanations :
target pal-dvd
: Output format-ps 2000000000
: Maximum size for the output file, in bits (here, 2 Gb)-aspect 16:9
: Widescreen
How To Install Ffmpeg Mac
Compress .avi video
You can compress videos in order to save space on your hard drive. Note the use of the -s
parameter to resize the output file:
Compress Ogg Theora to mpeg DVD
More unusual formats, as such as Ogg Theora, can also be converted. Note the use of -vcodec
and -acodec
to specify the video and ausio codecs to be used:
Compress .avi to SVCD mpeg2
mpeg-2 is the standard format for SVCD and CVD (which you can burn on CDR media and playback on a TV with a SVCD-CVD compatible DVD player) and DVD.
Ffmpeg Convert Aac To Wav
Depending of your player format, you have to use a different command. In the US, NTSC is the standard:
Ffmpeg Converter Mac Freeware
If your player is in PAL format, you should use the following instead:
Compress .avi to VCD mpeg2
Video CDs are a quick and cheap way to watch a video from your computer on your TV. Converting a video file to VCD is very easy.
The command to use depends on your player format. Let's start with NTSC, the standard in North America:
The following is for PAL players, used mainly in Europe:
Convert .avi to Animated Gif (Uncompressed)
You can easily create an animated gif from a video file:
Mix a Video With a Sound File
If you have an audio and video file, you can mix them together:
Add Text Subtitles to a Video
If you have subtitles for a movie or documentary, it is possible to use FFmpeg to insert them into your video file:
Image Overlay on a Video
Let's finish this round-up with an advanced command. Here we are applying an overlay image to an existing video:
Some explanations:
overlay=25:25
: The image will be positioned 25px to the right and 25px down, originating from the top left corner (0:0).enable='between(t,0,20)'
: The overlay image will be shown from 00:00:00 to 00:00:20
Frequently Asked Questions
What Can FFmpeg Do?
As you can see from the examples above, a lot of things. How to reinstall safari on mac. FFmpeg is definitely a handy tool to manipulate audio and video files.
What Does FFmpeg Mean?
FFmpeg stands for Fast Forward mpeg.
Which Web Hosting Plans are recommended for FFmpeg?
Uninstall Ffmpeg Mac
Any plan with a SSH access will let you install FFmpeg on your hosting server. We recommend Digital Ocean and HostGator Cloud. More info can be found in our in-depth web hosting reviews.
Mac app emulator. This article is an English adaptation of Jean Cartier ffmpeg exemples.