Follow the steps for your operating system, then check where the ffmpeg executable is and what it supports. For one small conversion, the browser tools may be enough, with nothing to install. For long recordings or batch processing, install FFmpeg on your computer.

Before You Install

The FFmpeg project itself publishes only source code. Ready-to-run builds come from independent maintainers, which the official download page links to.

Windows

gyan.dev is one of the Windows build providers linked from ffmpeg.org/download.html.

Step 1: Download

Open https://www.gyan.dev/ffmpeg/builds/ and pick one of these files:

Build type Contents Recommended use
ffmpeg-release-essentials.zip Major codecs such as H.264 and AAC Everyday use; enough in most cases
ffmpeg-release-full.7z Adds libraries such as libdav1d and libsvtav1 When a library you need is missing from essentials

Step 2: Extract

Extract the archive to a folder such as C:\ffmpeg. The full .7z file needs a program that can open 7z archives. The archive may contain a parent folder named after the version, so bin is not always directly inside the folder you extracted to. Find the folder that actually contains ffmpeg.exe. After tidying up, the layout can look like this:

C:\ffmpeg\
  bin\
    ffmpeg.exe
    ffprobe.exe
    ffplay.exe

Step 3: Add to PATH

PATH is the list of folders Windows searches when you type a command.

  1. Search for “Environment Variables” in the Start menu → open “Edit the system environment variables”
  2. Click “Environment Variables” → select Path under User variables → click “Edit”
  3. Click “New” and add C:\ffmpeg\bin
  4. Close with OK

Step 4: Verify

Open a new Command Prompt or PowerShell and run:

ffmpeg -version

The output should start with ffmpeg version and the version you installed. Next, run where.exe ffmpeg in the same window to see which ffmpeg.exe Windows finds through PATH. If it lists more than one, note their order before you remove or replace anything. These checks show that FFmpeg starts. They do not show that every codec you need is included.

Method B: Use winget (Windows Package Manager)

WinGet comes with Microsoft’s App Installer on supported versions of Windows, but it can be missing or not yet registered. Run winget --version to check. If it is not available, follow Microsoft’s installation instructions or use the archive method above. Before you install, look at the package details with winget show --id Gyan.FFmpeg -e. Then install it:

winget install --id=Gyan.FFmpeg -e

After it installs, open a new terminal and run ffmpeg -version and where.exe ffmpeg. If PATH has not updated, check the installer’s output and where ffmpeg.exe actually is. Do not keep adding folders you guess at.

Not every WinGet result named “FFmpeg” is the same build. Check the package ID, publisher and source that WinGet shows.

macOS

Homebrew is the most widely used package manager for macOS.

Install Homebrew (if not already installed)

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

Install FFmpeg

brew install ffmpeg

The default install includes major codecs such as H.264, AAC and VP9.

Verify

ffmpeg -version

Method B: Use a Static Build for Intel Macs (evermeet.cx)

The evermeet.cx builds linked from FFmpeg’s site are for 64-bit Intel Macs. They are not native Apple Silicon builds. On an Apple Silicon Mac, use a build made for that chip, such as FFmpeg from a native Homebrew install. A filename that says “macOS” does not tell you which chip it is for.

  1. Download it into a folder you own. Before you make it executable or put it on PATH, check that it matches your Mac’s chip, and verify it with the provider’s signature or checksum instructions.
  2. If it checks out, follow the provider’s instructions to run it, and test that file by its full path. Only then add its folder to your user PATH. Do not replace an FFmpeg that a package manager installed.
  3. Do not turn off Gatekeeper for the whole system, and do not get around a security warning just to make the file run. If you cannot verify the file, stop and use a maintained package source instead. If you use Homebrew, check that command -v ffmpeg points to the copy you meant to use.

Linux

Ubuntu / Debian-based

FFmpeg is in Ubuntu’s official repositories.

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install -y ffmpeg

The version you get depends on your release, its repositories and updates. Check which version the package manager offers; it can be older than the latest FFmpeg release.

Verify

ffmpeg -version

Fedora / RHEL / CentOS-based

Fedora’s own repositories provide ffmpeg-free, which supports a limited set of codecs. It is a different package from the fuller FFmpeg builds in third-party repositories.

sudo dnf install ffmpeg-free

For more codecs, or on enterprise distributions such as RHEL, follow your distribution’s documentation and the RPM Fusion instructions for your exact release. Do not mix instructions written for different distributions. A working ffmpeg -version does not mean libx264 is included.

When You Need the Latest Version (BtbN Static Builds)

If your distribution’s package is too old, you can use the static builds from BtbN, which ffmpeg.org/download.html links to.

wget https://github.com/BtbN/FFmpeg-Builds/releases/download/latest/ffmpeg-master-latest-linux64-gpl.tar.xz
tar xf ffmpeg-master-latest-linux64-gpl.tar.xz

This archive is for x86-64 machines. Check your architecture, the runtime requirements and the provider’s checksums before you run it. First test the extracted ffmpeg by its full path, in a folder you own. While trying it out, do not overwrite /usr/local/bin/ffmpeg or a copy installed by your package manager.

Installation Verification Command

On any OS, run this after installing:

ffmpeg -version

Example output from the Ubuntu 24.04 package:

ffmpeg version 6.1.1-3ubuntu5 Copyright (c) 2000-2023 the FFmpeg developers
built with gcc 13 (Ubuntu 13.2.0-23ubuntu4)
configuration: --prefix=/usr --extra-version=3ubuntu5 ...
libavutil      58. 29.100 / 58. 29.100
libavcodec     60. 31.102 / 60. 31.102
libavformat    60. 16.100 / 60. 16.100
...

Check Supported Capabilities

These list the formats and codecs your build supports:

ffmpeg -formats
ffmpeg -codecs

Troubleshooting

ffmpeg: command not found

PATH is not set correctly. Check the following:

  • Windows: Is the bin/ folder you extracted on PATH? Open a new terminal and try again.
  • macOS: Is Homebrew’s bin folder on PATH? Check with echo $PATH.
  • Linux: Did the installation finish? Try which ffmpeg or type ffmpeg.

Unknown encoder 'libx264'

The installed build does not include libx264.

  • Ubuntu: The package installed with sudo apt-get install ffmpeg includes libx264
  • Windows: Use at least the essentials build from gyan.dev
  • macOS: The build installed with brew install ffmpeg includes libx264

Next Steps

Next, learn how an FFmpeg command is put together: FFmpeg Command Basic Syntax — Input, Filter, and Output Order.