FFmpeg is a command-line tool for manipulating video, audio, and multimedia files. It supports format conversion, compression, streaming, frame extraction, and more. Installation varies by operating system, requiring specific steps to download binaries, configure environment variables, and verify CLI access.

Install and Set Up FFmpeg

For Windows

Step 1: Open a web browser and navigate to FFmpeg.org.

Step 2: Under the Windows section, you will find two categories under Windows EXE Files:

CategoriesDescription
Windows builds from gyan.devThese FFmpeg builds are provided by gyan.dev and are suitable for general users who need stable and regularly updated FFmpeg versions
Windows builds by BtbNThese builds are provided by BtbN and are targeted towards advanced users who may need custom or experimental FFmpeg configurations.
  • Windows builds from gyan.dev: These FFmpeg builds are provided by gyan.dev and are suitable for general users who need stable and regularly updated FFmpeg versions
  • Windows builds by BtbN: These builds are provided by BtbN and are targeted towards advanced users who may need custom or experimental FFmpeg configurations.
FFmpeg Windows Executable File Categories: gyan.dev vs BtBN Builds

Builds from gyan.dev

Step 1: Click on Windows builds from gyan.dev and scroll down to the Git master builds section

Step 2: You will find the latest FFmpeg Git master branch builds available for download ( ffmpeg-git-essentials.7z or ffmpeg-git-full.7z )

Step 3: You can download these files directly to your system. The version details and .sha256 checksum files are provided for verification.

Downloadable FFmpeg Builds with Version and Checksum Files

Builds by BtbN

Step 1: Click on Windows builds by BtbN.

Step 2: On the GitHub page, locate the latest release and download the static build zip file for Windows.

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ffmpeg-master-latest-win64-gpl-shared.zip
Downloading the Latest FFmpeg Build from BtBN GitHub Repository

Once you have downloaded the appropriate FFmpeg build from either gyan.dev or BtbN, extract the files to a folder on your system. After extraction, configure the system by setting the path to the bin folder.

Step 3: After downloading, go to your Downloads folder, right-click the zip file, and select "Extract All → to extract it to a folder like C:\ffmpeg.

Step 4: Open the extracted folder and locate the bin directory inside (it will be something like C:\ffmpeg\ffmpeg-<version>\bin).

Step 5: Open CMD as an administrator, and run this command to set the path for FFmpeg:

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setx /m PATH "C:\ffmpeg\ffmpeg-[version]-full_build\bin;%PATH%"

Replace [version] with the appropriate FFmpeg version you downloaded (e.g., 2025-04-21-git-9e1162bdf1).

Setting FFmpeg Path in Windows CMD Using setx Command

Step 6: Open CMD and run this command to confirm that FFmpeg is installed correctly.

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ffmpeg -version
Verifying FFmpeg Installation Using the ffmpeg -version Command

For macOS

Step 1: Open the Terminal, and run this command to see if Homebrew is already installed:

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brew --version

Step 2: If Homebrew is not installed, then run this command in your terminal to install Homebrew:

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/bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh)
Installing Homebrew on macOS via Terminal Command

Step 3: Once Homebrew is set up, we will set up the path by running these commands

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nano .zshrc
Export PATH=??? /opt/homebrew/bin:$PATH???
Editing .zshrc to Add Homebrew to System PATH on macOS

The reason we are setting up the path in the .zshrc file is that Zsh (Z shell) does not automatically recognize the brew command after installation. This happens because Homebrew is installed in a custom directory (typically /opt/homebrew/bin) which is not included in the default system PATH.
Adding this path to the .zshrc file ensures that the brew command is available in the terminal every time we open a new session. This step allows Zsh to recognize and execute the brew command properly.

Step 4: Run the following command to apply the changes made to the .zshrc file:

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source .zshrc
The source command is used to reload the .zshrc file after modifying it. This ensures that the changes you made to the PATH variable (i.e., adding the Homebrew path) are immediately applied without restarting the terminal. By running this command, you make the brew command accessible in your current terminal session.

Step 5: Run this command to install FFmpeg

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Brew install ffmpeg
Installing FFmpeg Using Homebrew on macOS Terminal

Step 6: Run this command to verify that FFmpeg is installed correctly

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ffmpeg -version
Verifying FFmpeg Installation via Terminal on macOS

For Linux (Ubuntu/Debian)

Step 1: Use Ctrl + Alt + T to open a terminal window.

Step 2: Before installing anything, update your system"s package list to ensure all repositories are current:

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$ sudo apt update
Updating Package Lists on Ubuntu Using sudo apt update

Step 3: Once your package list is updated, install FFmpeg by running as this installs FFmpeg and all required dependencies.

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$ sudo apt install ffmpeg
Installing FFmpeg and Dependencies via APT

Step 4: After the installation is complete, confirm that FFmpeg was installed correctly:

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$ ffmpeg -version
Verifying FFmpeg Installation Using ffmpeg -version