FFmpeg Command Generator
How to Install and Use FFmpeg on Windows, macOS, and Linux
If you don't already know, FFmpeg is a free, open source, and powerful cross-platform multimedia framework able to record, convert, and stream audio and video. I have created the FFmpeg Command Generator above to help you to easily generate FFmpeg commands to convert or merge video and audio files, but if you want to take advantage of all the features FFmpeg has to offer, check out the official documentation.
How to install FFmpeg on Windows 64-bit
Download the latest git master build from gyan.dev. If you are confused about which file to choose, click here to download the file you need. Once the archive downloaded, extract the content using 7-Zip or any other archive program you have. In the folder that has been extracted (where the bin, doc, and presets folders are) create a new text file, paste the following code, save the file then rename it ff-prompt.bat.
@ECHO OFF REM FF Prompt 1.2 REM Open a command prompt to run ffmpeg/ffplay/ffprobe REM Copyright (C) 2013-2015 Kyle Schwarz TITLE FF Prompt IF NOT EXIST bin\ffmpeg.exe ( CLS ECHO bin\ffmpeg.exe could not be found. GOTO:error ) CD bin || GOTO:error PROMPT $G SET PATH=%CD%;%PATH% CLS ffmpeg -version ECHO. ECHO For help run: ffmpeg -h ECHO For formats run: ffmpeg -formats ^| more ECHO For codecs run: ffmpeg -codecs ^| more ECHO. ECHO Current directory is now: "%CD%" ECHO The bin directory has been added to PATH ECHO. CMD /Q /K GOTO:EOF :error ECHO. ECHO Press any key to exit. PAUSE >nul GOTO:EOF
Once it's done, right-click on it and select “Desktop (create shortcut)” under the “Send To” menu. That's it, FFmpeg is ready, there is nothing to install on your computer! When you want to use FFmpeg to convert your media files, double-click on the shortcut that has been created on your desktop to open the FFmpeg prompt, right-click on it to paste a command generated above, then press Enter ↵ on your keyboard.
How to install FFmpeg on macOS 64-bit
Create a folder named ffmpeg in your home directory. Download the latest snapshot build from evermeet.cx. If you are confused about which file to choose, click here to download the .zip file you need (note: the binaries are compiled for Mac OS X 10.9 and later, they will not run on earlier versions). Extract the content in the folder that you have just created then open a Terminal window and type or copy/paste the following commands.
- On macOS 10.15 (Catalina) the binary has to be removed from quarantine.
xattr -dr com.apple.quarantine <path_to_binary>
- Get inside the ffmpeg folder.
cd ~/ffmpeg
- Add the current working directory to PATH.
echo "PATH=\"\$PATH:$(pwd)\"" >> /etc/paths
- Close the Terminal window for changes to take effect then re-open a new one.
- In the new Terminal window, confirm that FFmpeg is ready to be used.
ffmpeg -version
[sample output]
ffmpeg version x.x.x Copyright (c) 2000-20xx the FFmpeg developers
built on ...
configuration: ...
...
That's it! You are now able to convert your media files using FFmpeg! Open a Terminal window, paste a command that you have generated using the FFmpeg Command Generator above, then press Enter ↵ on your keyboard.
How to install FFmpeg on Linux
The easiest way is to download the latest static build from JohnVanSickle.com and to read the FAQ for installation instructions.