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How to install FFmpeg on Linux, Windows, and macOS

Authors
  • avatar
    Name
    Hieu Cao
    Twitter

Introduction

FFmpeg is a versatile multimedia framework that can decode, encode, transcode, and stream audio and video. Whether you're a developer working on media processing or someone looking to manipulate media files, FFmpeg is an invaluable tool. This blog will guide you through the steps to install FFmpeg on various platforms.

What is FFmpeg?

FFmpeg is an open-source framework capable of handling multimedia data. It supports a wide range of audio, video, and image formats, making it a go-to solution for multimedia manipulation tasks.

Installing FFmpeg on Different Operating Systems

1. Installing FFmpeg on Windows

Steps:

  1. Download FFmpeg:

    • Go to the official FFmpeg website.
    • Download the precompiled binaries for Windows.

  2. Extract Files:

    • Extract the downloaded ZIP file to a folder of your choice.

  3. Add FFmpeg to PATH:

    • Open the Start Menu and search for "Environment Variables."
    • Select "Edit the system environment variables."
    • In the "System Properties" window, click "Environment Variables."
    • Under "System Variables," find the "Path" variable and click "Edit."
    • Add the path to the bin folder of the extracted FFmpeg directory.

  4. Verify Installation:

    • Open Command Prompt and run:
      ffmpeg -version

2. Installing FFmpeg on macOS

Steps:

  1. Install Homebrew (if not already installed):

    • Open Terminal and run:
      /bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh)"

  2. Install FFmpeg:

    • Use Homebrew to install FFmpeg:
      brew install ffmpeg

  3. Verify Installation:

    • Run the following command in Terminal:
      ffmpeg -version

3. Installing FFmpeg on Linux

Steps:

  1. Update Package List:

    • Open Terminal and run:
      sudo apt update

  2. Install FFmpeg:

    • For Debian-based systems (e.g., Ubuntu):
      sudo apt install ffmpeg
    • For Red Hat-based systems (e.g., CentOS):
      sudo yum install ffmpeg

  3. Verify Installation:

    • Run:
      ffmpeg -version

Conclusion

Installing FFmpeg is straightforward and opens up a world of possibilities for multimedia processing. Whether you're on Windows, macOS, or Linux, following the steps above will help you get FFmpeg up and running in no time. Start experimenting with its powerful capabilities today!