Updated Change Video Speed with FFmpeg for 2024

Change Video Speed with FFmpeg

Have you ever wanted to speed up or slow down a video? Maybe it was too long, or you wanted to draw out an exciting part of the video without having to watch the boring parts.

In this article, we will be showing you how to use FFmpeg to speed up and slow down your videos using CLI. You’ll also find some other useful FFmpeg commands that you can use on your videos.

Finally, we will explain how to automate these commands so that you can run them on all your videos with ease.

Part 1. What is FFmpeg?

FFmpeg is a free and open-source cross-platform software project that can record, convert, and stream audio and video. It was developed by Fabrice Bellard in 2000. It has since become one of the most popular tools for transcoding media content on Linux, Unix, Mac OS X, Windows NT, and more.

One of its lesser-known capabilities is to speed up or slow down videos in just about any design you can think of — with either the audio or the video synced to the other if desired.

Uses of FFmpeg

FFMPEG is a command-line tool that can manipulate and transcode video files. Its uses are as follows:

FFmpeg can create, trim, join or separate video clips on the fly and encode them into formats including MPEG, VOB, M2TS, TS, RMVB, or AVI.
It can be used for Video processing, Video packaging support, Video compression, Audio, and Video container support, FFplay, and FFprobe.
It also has extensive options for altering the look of an image in just about any way imaginable. Whether you want to change the brightness, hue, saturation, or perform multiple operations like subsampling (resizing) without reducing quality—the list goes on!

You could think of it as the Swiss army knife for video manipulation tasks. The interface might seem intimidating at first, but once you get the hang of it, all commands are broken down into simple English phrases.

The most important thing to know before getting started with this is how to use FFmpeg’s -i and -v flags for input and output, respectively. To apply effects like slow motion playback or fast motion playback, use these flags in tandem with one another when specifying which file should be edited.

Benefits and Disadvantages of FFmpeg

FFmpeg has many benefits over other video editing software because it is free and open source, meaning that you have access to the code so that you can modify it if needed. Thus, it’s a better option when compared to other video editing software such as Avidemux, QuickTime Pro 7, and Adobe Premiere Elements 12. Some of these benefits include:

Being able to edit videos on multiple platforms (Windows, Mac OS X);
FFmpeg has features to speed up and slow down video;
Being able to convert from one format into another seamlessly;
An extensive amount of features are at your disposal.

Some of the drawbacks are that some settings are not configurable, like with YouTube’s built-in editor. The main disadvantage, though, would be the lengthiness of the program’s installation process: not only do you need to download FFmpeg itself but also three external libraries like libx264, libmp3lame, and libfaac; then you must compile all six packages before the installation completes. Luckily this process doesn’t take very long.

Another possible disadvantage is the time required for downloading the various resources since they may not be readily available on standard file hosting sites such as Mediafire or Dropbox (though they can be found through third-party websites). If you’re looking for something more robust than Windows Movie Maker or iMovie, we recommend checking out FFmpeg.

Part 2. How to Speed Up a Video in FFmpeg?

FFmpeg can be used to speed up videos. It’s not the only option, but it’s one of the most common ways to make your videos faster. If you want your video to be faster, then FFmpeg is the right tool for the job. Some speed-up features include: FFmpeg speed up video and audio, ffmpeg speed up video mp4, ffmpeg change video speed, and so on.

The Ultimate Step-by-Step Guide to speed up a video in FFmpeg

The presentation timestamp (PTS) of each video frame can be modified to alter the pace of a video stream.

Step1 Open a terminal and type in FFmpeg. This will open the program.

Step2 Drag and drop the video file onto the window.

Step3 This is accomplished with the command -filter:v “setpts=.”

Step4 According to the documentation, fast motion requires: -filter:v setpts=0.5*PTS.

Step5 Click Enter.

Step6 The result would be a sped-up version of your video.

Part 3. An Alternative to FFmpeg: Wondershare Filmora

FFmpeg is the best video editor in this e-market, and it’s totally free! The only problem with this software, however, is that it isn’t very easy to use for some newbies. If you’re looking for an alternative to FFmpeg but want one with amazing editing capabilities, Wondershare Filmora should be on top of your list! Here are some key features that make Filmora stand out among other video editors.

Wondershare Filmora has all the features you need in a video editor and is also easy enough for beginners to use. It is also compatible with Windows and Mac OS, which means there are no issues with compatibility.

One of the best features of this software, compared to FFmpeg, is its simplicity. With just a few clicks and by following the on-screen instructions, it can be used to create videos that are visually appealing and fun.

Free Download For Win 7 or later(64-bit)

Free Download For macOS 10.14 or later

The supported formats of Filmora are Video formats (AVI, MPEG-2, MPEG-4, MKV, WMV), Video codecs (AVC1, MPEG-4 AVC, VC1/WMV3), Audio formats (AC3/DTS), Picture formats (JPG/JPEG). Supports up to 4K resolution.

Filmora also offers extensive editing features, including:

Speed Ramping: To produce distinctive dramatic effects, change the speed of your film while having more control over your keyframes.
Preset Templates: Making a creative film is straightforward using the built-in Filmora Preset template
Mask and Blend: The masking and blending features in Filmora are user-friendly and packed with valuable capabilities.
AI Portrait: Easily identify people in your film and increase the fun factor when editing it.

Major approaches to speed up a video in Filmora

As we know that Filmora has the option to change the speed of a video, so let’s find out step-by-step how to do that; you can also watch this Tutorial on Youtube :

Method 1: Use the ‘Fast’ or ‘Slow’ option to change the speed

Just as simple as the heading is, this option is pretty straightforward, but you cannot decide how much speed you want to add to your video or how slow you want it to be.

Method 2: Changing Uniform Speed in Wondershare Filmora

You need to check your video’s FPS and import your clip first.

Pick your preferred video. Go to the menu and select “Download.” After hitting the “Plus” button, you may maintain the video’s quality by choosing “Match to Media.”

After the movie has loaded, you have two options: double-clicking the clip or selecting the speed option provided below the screen.

A window appears when we double-click the chosen video. We shall navigate to the “SPEED” section beneath this window. Additional “Uniform Speed” and “Speed Ramping” panels may be found on this speed panel. We shall operate within the uniform speed panel to alter the video’s tempo consistently. A slider is provided for us to adjust the movie’s pacing.

The general speed of the film is continually increased or decreased when we choose the option for constant pace. If we choose the speed option on the screen, it gives us a built-in range of numbers that we can use to change the video’s pace in addition to presets like rapid and regular slow.

Once we click “OK,” the video’s tempo adjusts automatically.

Method 3: Adjusting the Fast/Slow motion to fit your movie using the Speed Ramping option

To set up the speed ramping feature for your video, double-clicking the video will give us access to the “SPEED RAMPING” option in the speed panel. When we select the speed ramping option, we see a range of graphs. Each graph shows a number of tempo variations that we may use in our movie.

For Instance, when we select the “MONTAGE” preset, the video’s tempo changes based on how many keyframes we choose and at what rate. As previously stated, as the graph rises above one and falls below one, the movie’s tempo will slow down, increasing its regular speed.

Moving these keyframes higher will make the video go more quickly, while moving them downward will make the movie move more slowly. We may also add more keyframes by using the add button up top, as seen in the image. When satisfied with our results, we will produce the video after pressing the “OK” button.

Watch this video and know more about speed ramping.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the first thing you can do to speed up your video is to use FFmpeg. The FFmpeg project is a community-driven, non-profit collaborative project to develop and maintain an open-source code library for handling multimedia files, including video. It has many features including ffmpeg speed-up video, ffmpeg slow-down video, etc. FFmpeg is free software and supports many platforms, including Linux, macOS, iOS, and Android.

Filmora is another great alternative that allows users to speed up their videos much more easily than using FFmpeg alone. Moreover, it has built-in tools that allow users to automatically detect if there are any issues with their videos. Filmora also offers a wide range of features that you may not find in FFmpeg.

Free Download For macOS 10.14 or later

Filmora also offers extensive editing features, including:

Speed Ramping: To produce distinctive dramatic effects, change the speed of your film while having more control over your keyframes.
Preset Templates: Making a creative film is straightforward using the built-in Filmora Preset template
Mask and Blend: The masking and blending features in Filmora are user-friendly and packed with valuable capabilities.
AI Portrait: Easily identify people in your film and increase the fun factor when editing it.

Major approaches to speed up a video in Filmora

As we know that Filmora has the option to change the speed of a video, so let’s find out step-by-step how to do that; you can also watch this Tutorial on Youtube :

Method 1: Use the ‘Fast’ or ‘Slow’ option to change the speed

Just as simple as the heading is, this option is pretty straightforward, but you cannot decide how much speed you want to add to your video or how slow you want it to be.

Method 2: Changing Uniform Speed in Wondershare Filmora

You need to check your video’s FPS and import your clip first.

Pick your preferred video. Go to the menu and select “Download.” After hitting the “Plus” button, you may maintain the video’s quality by choosing “Match to Media.”

After the movie has loaded, you have two options: double-clicking the clip or selecting the speed option provided below the screen.

Once we click “OK,” the video’s tempo adjusts automatically.

Method 3: Adjusting the Fast/Slow motion to fit your movie using the Speed Ramping option

Watch this video and know more about speed ramping.

Conclusion

If You Want to Know More About the Basics of Final Cut Pro, It Would Be Helpful to Watch a Beginner Tutorial, with the Length of only 20 Minutes, an Introduction of the Whole Program

“Storytelling at its most powerful”, - words we read on the first page of the official web-site of Final Cut Pro, non-linear video editing software program which runs on Mac computers. The software lets us to log and transfer videos onto a hard drive, where it can be edited, processed, and output to a wide variety of formats. Final Cut Pro is so advanced that it is used by hobbyist filmmakers and industry professionals in TV, Film, and media. Anyone can get a free trial of the software for their Macs, but, to purchase directly from the Mac App Store it costs $299.99. It’s evident that Final Cut Pro can’t be downloaded, installed, and thus used on Windows, which is unfortunate, but for Mac users, it’s a very powerful video editing software.

What are the features this advanced computer program offers to Mac users? – itreads on the web-site of Final Cut Pro:

Object Tracker and Cinematic mode;
Blazing pro performance;
Editing, audio, motion graphics, color grading, and delivery;
The best plug-ins, effects, and tools from leading developers.

One of the most impressive things about Final Cut Pro is that through it, you can create 2D and 3D titles right in the program, apply and modify filters, and use the built-in chroma key for high-quality green- and blue-screen effects. But, one should not be alarmed when it comes to experience and knowledge in editing – even though Final Cut Pro seems so advanced with its powerful tools and the possibilities it contains, it is designed for easy use and can be used by amateurs as well as professionals.

The interface, which, when it comes to editing, is one of the most important aspects (if not the main one!), seems quite standard - an ordinary window configuration, sidebar with libraries, events, projects, collections… If you want to know more about the basics of Final Cut Pro, it would be helpful to watch a beginner tutorial , with the length of only 20 minutes, an introduction of the whole program.

Anyway, the main topic of this article is about cropping – how to crop a video in Final Cut Pro? If you are a Mac user and have this program installed on your computer, and you as well have a footage where you want to remove some portions of the video and adjust the size of the cropped clip within a certain area, this article is for you. Even though cropping is especially used when it comes to the images, it is extremely helpful in certain situations about the video clips, as well. So, let’s dive into each step of cropping in Final Cut Pro!

Steps to crop a video in Final Cut Pro

After getting Final Cut Pro ready to work in and opening it, you need to start as always, as in any other software: Of course, choose Import Media.

The software will ask your permission to access files in your computer, so, in order to import some, guess you have to click on OK.

Then, it will let you choose your file – but not by opening the new window (as in most cases), rather, you can choose file within the software.

Once you have your file(s) chosen, you need to find Import Selected button on the down and right.

This will lead you towards the editor again, but if you try to drag and drop your file into the sequence, the program will not follow this simple order…

This is because what the window below reads and looks like – it offers you create a New Project first. So, you need to hit it.

This will create the sequence where you can add the video you have already selected and imported from your media.

Now, it’s time to find where the cropping option is. It’s quite simple – look at the icon below and a little left of the screen where your video clip shows, click on it and you will see three options: Transform, Crop, and Distort. Needless to say, you will choose crop in this case, even if other options sound quite interesting, too!

Choosing Crop also gives you three options: Trim, Crop, and Ken Burns. Stick with the Crop again!

You will notice the kind of rulers on the angles of the video clip – they are there so you can crop your footage manually, by holding and moving them with your cursor to your liking.

Of course, if you direct your cursor in the middle of the cropped video, you can move the whole cropping window around it, so you can find the area where you intend to crop better.

And when the selected area is ready, you need to click on Done button on the right top side of the screen. If you are not satisfied with the result, you can take the step back, by clicking on Reset button right next to Done and modify the area again.

On the right side of the screen, you notice a window where Crop is also written. Alongside it, if you hover over the option with your mouse, you will see the word: Show. Clicking on it will let you crop the video from each side from there, too.

There, you can “play around” with Left, Right, Top, and Bottom sides.

In the process, if you are unsure or you want to compare the original video to the cropped version of it, keep in mind that you can uncheck the Crop button.

Finally, when you feel the result is what you have imagined, you can proceed to saving your work. For it to be done, you need to now find an Export button top right of the whole editor, and then, choose Export File (or else, if that’s what you are willing to do).

The next step would be Export Settings. You will see a new window which has three sections: Info, Settings, and Roles. The most important one here would be considered Settings, where you choose your preferred Format, Video Codec, Resolution, Color Space, Audio Format, and Action.

When you click on Next, you then choose the Name of your project and the location where you want to save it exactly.

Then you click on Save, and in a short amount of time, you have your new cropped video where you chose to save it! So, that’s it with cropping in the Final Cut Pro!

An easier way to crop a video in Wondershare Filmora

When it comes down to Mac, we can also discussed another program which is available on Mac as well as Windows operating system. This software is Filmora Video Editor , which is a simple yet sophisticated video editor that empowers the stories with everything a video editor program can offer to its users. On its official web-site, Filmora is declared as the best video editor, which allows you to edit videos with minimal effort (and isn’t that exactly what one wants when trying to just crop a video?..), enhance videos with 800+ stunning effects, unleash creativity with Hollywood effects, and, import and export in almost any format. One can say that the interface looks quite like that of Final Cut Pro…

Free Download

For Win 7 or later (64-bit)

Free Download

For macOS 10.14 or later

So, shall we imagine we use Wondershare Filmora X to crop our video, what would be the steps to do it?..

Needless to say, downloading and installing the software is the first step. To add files, you need to click on Import Media Files Here.

Choose your clip(s) you would like to crop and then drag and drop it in the sequence.

Above your video in the sequence, you will see little icons and find a Crop one.

Click on it and a new window will open – it’s for Crop and Zoom, where you can choose a needed ratio or do it manually (for it, you have to select Custom first).

After clicking OK, your video will be cropped as you like. Then, you can proceed with Exporting it – click on Export, choose your preferred settings, and save the video.

So, in this article, we got to know to software Final Cut Pro better and learned about how to crop our footage using this program; we also discussed how to do the same in Wondershare Filmora X, shall we need a different software.

And now, you can choose your preferred one and follow these step, or, why not try both?..

What are the features this advanced computer program offers to Mac users? – itreads on the web-site of Final Cut Pro:

Object Tracker and Cinematic mode;
Blazing pro performance;
Editing, audio, motion graphics, color grading, and delivery;
The best plug-ins, effects, and tools from leading developers.