FFMPEG is a free software that lets you create/edit/convert videos via command line. You can download and install FFMPEG for Linux, Windows, and Mac Operating System.
FFMPEG provides a lot of features that you can apply to an video like:
– get detailed information of the video
– record video
– convert video to audio
– convert video from one format to another
– extract audio from video
– extract image from video
– resize video
– crop video
– join videos
The basic style of the command of FFMPEG is as follows:
ffmpeg [global_options] {[input_file_options] -i input_url} ... {[output_file_options] output_url} ...
Get Video Information
Video information can be fetched using the -i parameter followed by the full path to the video.
ffmpeg -i /path/to/my-video.mp4
Output:
ffmpeg version 3.4.2 Copyright (c) 2000-2018 the FFmpeg developers
built with Apple LLVM version 9.0.0 (clang-900.0.39.2)
configuration: --prefix=/usr/local/Cellar/ffmpeg/3.4.2 --enable-shared --enable-pthreads --enable-version3 --enable-hardcoded-tables --enable-avresample --cc=clang --host-cflags= --host-ldflags= --disable-jack --enable-gpl --enable-libmp3lame --enable-libx264 --enable-libxvid --enable-opencl --enable-videotoolbox --disable-lzma
libavutil 55. 78.100 / 55. 78.100
libavcodec 57.107.100 / 57.107.100
libavformat 57. 83.100 / 57. 83.100
libavdevice 57. 10.100 / 57. 10.100
libavfilter 6.107.100 / 6.107.100
libavresample 3. 7. 0 / 3. 7. 0
libswscale 4. 8.100 / 4. 8.100
libswresample 2. 9.100 / 2. 9.100
libpostproc 54. 7.100 / 54. 7.100
Input #0, mov,mp4,m4a,3gp,3g2,mj2, from 'my-video.mp4':
Metadata:
major_brand : mp42
minor_version : 0
compatible_brands: isommp42
creation_time : 2018-03-09T07:24:13.000000Z
com.android.version: 6.0.1
Duration: 00:00:19.80, start: 0.000000, bitrate: 997 kb/s
Stream #0:0(eng): Video: h264 (Baseline) (avc1 / 0x31637661), yuv420p, 320x240, 514 kb/s, SAR 1:1 DAR 4:3, 29.97 fps, 30 tbr, 90k tbn, 180k tbc (default)
Metadata:
rotate : 90
creation_time : 2018-03-09T07:24:13.000000Z
handler_name : VideoHandle
Side data:
displaymatrix: rotation of -90.00 degrees
Stream #0:1(eng): Audio: aac (LC) (mp4a / 0x6134706D), 48000 Hz, stereo, fltp, 156 kb/s (default)
Metadata:
creation_time : 2018-03-09T07:24:13.000000Z
handler_name : SoundHandle
At least one output file must be specified
At the beginning of the above output, we can see the FFMPEG version and configuration information followed by the actual information of the video.
If you want to skip the FFMPEG version and configuration information display and want the video information only then you can add another parameter -hide_banner to the command.
ffmpeg -i my-video.mp4 -hide_banner
Output:
Input #0, mov,mp4,m4a,3gp,3g2,mj2, from 'my-video.mp4':
Metadata:
major_brand : mp42
minor_version : 0
compatible_brands: isommp42
creation_time : 2018-03-09T07:24:13.000000Z
com.android.version: 6.0.1
Duration: 00:00:19.80, start: 0.000000, bitrate: 997 kb/s
Stream #0:0(eng): Video: h264 (Baseline) (avc1 / 0x31637661), yuv420p, 320x240, 514 kb/s, SAR 1:1 DAR 4:3, 29.97 fps, 30 tbr, 90k tbn, 180k tbc (default)
Metadata:
rotate : 90
creation_time : 2018-03-09T07:24:13.000000Z
handler_name : VideoHandle
Side data:
displaymatrix: rotation of -90.00 degrees
Stream #0:1(eng): Audio: aac (LC) (mp4a / 0x6134706D), 48000 Hz, stereo, fltp, 156 kb/s (default)
Metadata:
creation_time : 2018-03-09T07:24:13.000000Z
handler_name : SoundHandle
At least one output file must be specified
Crop Video
The command for cropping video is:
ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -filter:v crop=w:h:x:y output.mp4
where,
– -filter:v means video filter to output
– crop=w:h:x:y means crop filter
– here,
– w = width of the cropped output video
– h = height of the cropped output video
– x = x-coordinate position of the input video from where we want to crop the video
– y = y-coordinate position of the input video from where we want to crop the video
ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -filter:v crop=100:100:12:34 output.mp4
// OR
ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -filter:v crop=w=100:h=100:x=12:y=34 output.mp4
More examples on crop video: here
Resize / Scale Video
The command for resizing video is:
ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -filter:v scale=200:200 output.mp4
// OR
ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -vf scale=200:200 output.mp4
where,
– -filter:v or -vf means video filter to output
– scale=w:h means scale filter
– here,
– w = width of the resized output video
– h = height of the resized output video
ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -filter:v scale=w=200:h=100 output.mp4
// OR
ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -filter:v scale=200x100 output.mp4
Double the size of the video
ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -filter:v scale=w=2*iw:h=2*ih output.mp4
Half the size of the video
ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -filter:v scale=w=iw/2:h=ih/2 output.mp4
More examples on resize video / scale video: here
Extract clip from video
You can extract a clip from a video using FFMPEG. A clip can like first 10 seconds of the video, or 20 seconds of the video starting at 10 seconds.
Here’s an example command:
ffmpeg -ss 00:00:10.0 -i input.mp4 -c copy -t 00:00:20.0 output.mp4
// OR
ffmpeg -ss 10 -i input.mp4 -c copy -t 20 output.mp4
where,
-ss means the position in the input file from where you want to clip the video
-t means the position in the input file where the clipping is stopped
They have two formats:
[-][HH:]MM:SS[.m…]
where,
HH = number of hours
MM = number of minutes for a maximum of 2 digits
SS = number of seconds for a maximum of 2 digits
m = decimal value for seconds (SS) (optional)
OR
[-]S+[.m…]
where,
S = number of seconds
m = decimal value for seconds (SS) (optional)In both expressions, the optional ‘-’ indicates negative duration.
Join multiple videos
Convert video from one format to another
Convert video to FLV format
ffmpeg -i input.mp4 output.flv -hide_banner
Convert video to MKV format
ffmpeg -i input.mp4 output.mkv -hide_banner
Convert video to animated GIF format
ffmpeg -i input.mp4 output.gif -hide_banner
Extract Audio from Video
Here’s the command to convert video into audio:
ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -vn -acodec copy output.aac
where,
-acodec = set the audio codec
-vn = skip inclusion of video in the output (-an will skip inclusion of audio in the output)
Convert video to MP3 audio format
ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -vn output.mp3
// OR
ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -vn -acodec mp3 output.mp3
Convert video to AAC audio format
ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -vn -acodec aac output.aac
Convert video to animated GIF format
ffmpeg -i input.mp4 output.gif -hide_banner
Extract only a part of the video to MP3 audio format
This command will extract audio from the input video. Plus, it will extract the audio starting at 10 seconds of the video and continue extracting for 20 seconds after that position.
ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -ss 10 -t 20 -vn -acodec mp3 output.mp3
Extract Images from Video
Extract image every frame of the video
Note: This will create a lots of images if you have longer video.
ffmpeg -i input.mp4 output%d.jpg
Extract image every second of the video
ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -vf fps=1 output%d.png
The output files will be output1.png, output2.png, output3.png, and so on.
Extract image every 5 second of the video
ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -vf fps=1/5 output%03d.png
The output files will be output001.png, output002.png, output003.png, and so on.
Extract image every minute of the video
ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -vf fps=1/60 output%04d.png
The output files will be output0001.png, output0002.png, output0003.png, and so on.
Extract image every 5 minutes of the video
ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -vf fps=1/300 output%d.png
The output files will be output1.png, output2.png, output3.png, and so on.
Extract 5 images after 5 seconds of the video
ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -ss 00:00:05.000 -vframes 5 thumb%04d.jpg
The output files will be thumb0001.jpg, thumb0002.jpg, thumb0003.jpg, thumb0004.jpg and thumb0005.jpg.
Extract image every I-frame (KeyFrame)
ffmpeg -i input.flv -vf "select='eq(pict_type,PICT_TYPE_I)'" -vsync vfr thumb%04d.png
The output files will be thumb0001.png, thumb0002.png, thumb0003.png, and so on.
Hope this helps. Thanks.