Ffmpeg uses as many inputs and outputs as you provide. You have to keep in mind that all file options apply only to the file that follows them (you’ll have to write them again for the next file).Īny file not preceded by -i is considered an output file. The basic form a ffmpeg command is: ffmpeg. With ffmpeg installed, I’ll go over basic commands to get you started using this powerful tool. To install ffmpeg in Fedora-based Linux distributions, you can use this command: sudo dnf install ffmpeg How to use ffmpeg: The Basics To install ffmpeg in Arch-based distributions, use the following command: sudo pacman -S ffmpeg Install ffmpeg in Fedora-based distributions Sudo apt install ffmpeg -y Install ffmpeg in Arch-based distributions Simply use these commands: sudo add-apt-repository ppa:jonathonf/ffmpeg-4 There is an unofficial PPA that you can use to install the latest ffmpeg release. If you have any suggestions, tips or corrections, let me know in the comments! Note: Although I’ve researched ffmpeg thoroughly and tested everything I’ll mention in this article, I don’t edit videos (or other media) on a daily basis.

I’ll be using Ubuntu 18.04, but these commands should work for other distributions too. I’ll be explaining everything in detail so you can understand what is going on even if you are new to the Linux world.

I’ll even get into some more complex features. In this ffmpeg tutorial, I’ll show you how to install ffmpeg and I’ll be covering it’s different uses. However, it’s a very powerful program that can be used in more complex ways and even replace an editing workflow. What I love even more about ffmpeg is that it can be used on it’s own to accomplish many processing tasks in a very simple manner (with one or two commands). A number of Linux video editors use ffmpeg underneath the GUI. It is a framework with a multitude of features and, because of it’s open source license, it is the base for many widespread apps such as VLC, YouTube, iTunes and many more. It also demonstrates some useful ffmpeg commands for practical usage.įfmpeg is a CLI (command line based) utility for processing media files. Brief: This detailed guide shows how to install ffmpeg in Ubuntu and other Linux distributions.

List of ffmpeg commands