Agent skill
ffmpeg-core
FFmpeg fundamentals for video/audio manipulation. Covers common operations (trim, concat, convert, extract), codec selection, filter chains, and performance optimization. Use when planning or executing video processing tasks.
Install this agent skill to your Project
npx add-skill https://github.com/MadAppGang/claude-code/tree/main/plugins/video-editing/skills/ffmpeg-core
SKILL.md
plugin: video-editing updated: 2026-01-20
FFmpeg Core Operations
Production-ready patterns for video and audio manipulation using FFmpeg.
System Requirements
- FFmpeg (5.0+ recommended)
- Verify installation:
ffmpeg -version - For hardware acceleration: check
ffmpeg -hwaccels
Cross-Platform Installation
macOS:
brew install ffmpeg
Linux (Ubuntu/Debian):
sudo apt update && sudo apt install ffmpeg
Linux (Fedora/RHEL):
sudo dnf install ffmpeg
Windows:
# Using Chocolatey
choco install ffmpeg
# Or download from https://ffmpeg.org/download.html
Common Operations Reference
1. Video Information
Extract metadata and stream information:
# Get full metadata
ffprobe -v quiet -print_format json -show_format -show_streams "input.mp4"
# Get duration only
ffprobe -v error -show_entries format=duration -of default=noprint_wrappers=1:nokey=1 "input.mp4"
# Get resolution
ffprobe -v error -select_streams v:0 -show_entries stream=width,height -of csv=s=x:p=0 "input.mp4"
2. Trimming and Cutting
# Trim by time (fast, no re-encoding)
ffmpeg -ss 00:01:30 -i input.mp4 -to 00:02:45 -c copy output.mp4
# Trim with re-encoding (frame-accurate)
ffmpeg -ss 00:01:30 -i input.mp4 -to 00:02:45 -c:v libx264 -c:a aac output.mp4
# Extract specific segment by frames
ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -vf "select=between(n\,100\,500)" -vsync vfr output.mp4
3. Concatenation
# Using concat demuxer (same codecs required)
# First create file list:
# file 'clip1.mp4'
# file 'clip2.mp4'
# file 'clip3.mp4'
ffmpeg -f concat -safe 0 -i filelist.txt -c copy output.mp4
# Using concat filter (different codecs, re-encodes)
ffmpeg -i clip1.mp4 -i clip2.mp4 -filter_complex "[0:v][0:a][1:v][1:a]concat=n=2:v=1:a=1" output.mp4
4. Format Conversion
# MP4 to MOV (ProRes for FCP)
ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -c:v prores_ks -profile:v 3 -c:a pcm_s16le output.mov
# Any to H.264 MP4 (web-friendly)
ffmpeg -i input.avi -c:v libx264 -preset medium -crf 23 -c:a aac -b:a 128k output.mp4
# Extract audio only
ffmpeg -i video.mp4 -vn -c:a libmp3lame -q:a 2 audio.mp3
ffmpeg -i video.mp4 -vn -c:a pcm_s16le audio.wav
5. Resolution and Scaling
# Scale to specific resolution
ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -vf "scale=1920:1080" output.mp4
# Scale maintaining aspect ratio
ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -vf "scale=1920:-1" output.mp4
# Scale to fit within bounds
ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -vf "scale='min(1920,iw)':min'(1080,ih)':force_original_aspect_ratio=decrease" output.mp4
6. Audio Operations
# Adjust volume
ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -af "volume=1.5" output.mp4
# Normalize audio (loudnorm)
ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -af loudnorm=I=-16:TP=-1.5:LRA=11 output.mp4
# Mix audio tracks
ffmpeg -i video.mp4 -i audio.mp3 -filter_complex "[0:a][1:a]amerge=inputs=2" -c:v copy output.mp4
# Replace audio
ffmpeg -i video.mp4 -i new_audio.mp3 -c:v copy -map 0:v:0 -map 1:a:0 output.mp4
7. Video Effects and Filters
# Fade in/out
ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -vf "fade=t=in:st=0:d=1,fade=t=out:st=9:d=1" output.mp4
# Speed adjustment (2x faster)
ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -filter_complex "[0:v]setpts=0.5*PTS[v];[0:a]atempo=2.0[a]" -map "[v]" -map "[a]" output.mp4
# Add text overlay
ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -vf "drawtext=text='Title':fontsize=48:fontcolor=white:x=(w-text_w)/2:y=50" output.mp4
# Color correction
ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -vf "eq=brightness=0.1:saturation=1.2:contrast=1.1" output.mp4
Codec Selection Guide
| Use Case | Video Codec | Audio Codec | Container |
|---|---|---|---|
| Web delivery | libx264/libx265 | aac | mp4 |
| Final Cut Pro | prores_ks | pcm_s16le | mov |
| Archive/lossless | ffv1 | flac | mkv |
| Quick preview | libx264 -preset ultrafast | aac | mp4 |
| Social media | libx264 -crf 20 | aac -b:a 192k | mp4 |
ProRes Profiles (for FCP)
| Profile | Flag | Quality | Use Case |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proxy | -profile:v 0 | Low | Offline editing |
| LT | -profile:v 1 | Medium | Light grading |
| Standard | -profile:v 2 | High | General editing |
| HQ | -profile:v 3 | Very High | Final delivery |
| 4444 | -profile:v 4 | Highest | VFX/compositing |
Performance Optimization
# Use hardware acceleration (macOS)
ffmpeg -hwaccel videotoolbox -i input.mp4 -c:v h264_videotoolbox output.mp4
# Use hardware acceleration (Linux with NVIDIA)
ffmpeg -hwaccel cuda -i input.mp4 -c:v h264_nvenc output.mp4
# Parallel processing
ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -threads 0 output.mp4
# Limit memory usage
ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -max_muxing_queue_size 1024 output.mp4
Error Handling Patterns
# Check if file is valid video
ffprobe -v error -select_streams v:0 -show_entries stream=codec_type -of csv=p=0 "file.mp4" 2>/dev/null
# Returns "video" if valid
# Validate output after processing
validate_video() {
local file="$1"
if ffprobe -v error -select_streams v:0 -show_entries stream=codec_type -of csv=p=0 "$file" 2>/dev/null | grep -q "video"; then
echo "Valid"
return 0
else
echo "Invalid or missing video stream"
return 1
fi
}
Related Skills
- transcription - Extract audio for Whisper processing
- final-cut-pro - Convert processed clips for FCP timelines
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