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How to Install FFmpeg on Ubuntu?

How to Install FFmpeg on Ubuntu 24

FFmpeg is a powerful open-source command-line tool used for processing audio and video files. It allows you to convert, compress, record, and stream multimedia content. If you're working on media projects or building applications that handle video/audio, FFmpeg is an essential utility.

In this guide, we'll walk you through how to install FFmpeg on Ubuntu and verify it’s working correctly.

Prerequisites

Before you start, ensure:

  • You have an Ubuntu system (Ubuntu 18.04, 20.04, 22.04 or newer)
  • You have sudo/root access

Method 1: Install FFmpeg from Ubuntu’s Official Repositories

This is the easiest and most reliable method for most users.

Step 1: Update Your Package List

sudo apt update

Step 2: Install FFmpeg

sudo apt install ffmpeg -y

This command will install FFmpeg along with all necessary dependencies.

Step 3: Verify the Installation

After installation, run:

ffmpeg -version

You should see output similar to this:

ffmpeg version 4.x Copyright ...

This confirms FFmpeg is installed and ready to use.

Method 2: Install the Latest FFmpeg Version from Source

Ubuntu’s repositories may not always include the latest version. To get the most up-to-date features, you can build FFmpeg from source.

Step 1: Install Required Build Tools and Libraries

sudo apt update
sudo apt install -y autoconf automake build-essential cmake git libtool pkg-config texinfo zlib1g-dev

Install additional libraries for video/audio support:

sudo apt install -y libx264-dev libx265-dev libvpx-dev libfdk-aac-dev libmp3lame-dev libopus-dev libass-dev libfreetype6-dev

Step 2: Clone FFmpeg Source Code

cd ~
git clone https://git.ffmpeg.org/ffmpeg.git ffmpeg
cd ffmpeg

Step 3: Configure and Build FFmpeg

./configure \
  --enable-gpl \
  --enable-nonfree \
  --enable-libx264 \
  --enable-libx265 \
  --enable-libvpx \
  --enable-libfdk-aac \
  --enable-libmp3lame \
  --enable-libopus \
  --enable-libass \
  --enable-libfreetype

make -j$(nproc)
sudo make install

Step 4: Verify the Build

Run:

ffmpeg -version

This should now display the latest version of FFmpeg you just built.

Optional: Install FFmpeg Development Packages

If you are developing software that depends on FFmpeg, install the development libraries:

sudo apt install libavcodec-dev libavformat-dev libavutil-dev libswscale-dev

Test FFmpeg

To ensure FFmpeg is working, try a simple conversion:

ffmpeg -i input.mp4 output.avi

This will convert an MP4 video to AVI format.

Conclusion

Installing FFmpeg on Ubuntu is straightforward using the official repositories, but you can also build from source if you need the latest version or specific features.

Whether you're compressing videos, extracting audio, or streaming media, FFmpeg is an essential tool for any multimedia workflow on Ubuntu.

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