Looking for a detailed guide on how to download and install FFMPEG on Windows 11? FFMPEG is a free and open-source software for all your video and audio processing needs. On its own, FFMPEG is a very powerful tool for peeps who want to process content for streaming, uploading, and other necessities.
However, it is not as easy to use as a paid video or audio content editor (software). Nevertheless, we have brought to you a detailed guide on how you can download and install FFMPEG on Windows 11.
How to download & install FFMPEG on Windows 11?
The steps to download and install FFMPEG are a bit critical – you will need to research a bit about what you actually need from the software. We will, however, list the steps and include as much detail as possible for your help. When you visit the link to download FFMPEG, you will come across two download options –
1) Gyan.dev
2) BtbN
Now, we have included the details of both for your convenience. However, if you are a beginner and don’t have much idea about FFMPEG, we recommend you download the software from gyan.dev. Keep reading.
Download the FFMPEG files from Gyan.dev
If you want to download the FFMPEG from gyan.dev’s, here’s how you should proceed:
1) Open the link: gyan.dev.
2) You will see three sections: git master builds, release builds, and tools.
3) Git master builds are often updated and include new features, unlike the release builds. Release builds will only be updated with bug and security fixes – no new features. Hence, the developers recommend downloading a git master build. To know more about git master and release builds, you can scroll down to the about these builds section of the page.
4) Now, decide whether you will need full library support or an essentials-only build. Scroll down to the libraries section to have a look at what is included with a full or an essentials build. If you are not sure about this, download the full build as it will include all the libraries.
5) Now, depending on the above discussion, we recommend you download any of the following FFMPEG builds (git master):
6) Looking for direct links? Here are the direct download links for both:
– Full
– Essentials
Extraction of the FFMPEG files
7) Once you have downloaded the required installation files, you will need to extract them. For this, you will need software like 7zip. Or, you can use any file extract/archiver software. However, we will be describing the process of installing FFMPEG using 7zip. If you don’t have 7zip, make sure you download the latest build for your PC from the above link. If you use a different extractor, the process will be the same.
8) Once you have downloaded 7zip, open the .zip file you downloaded for FFMPEG installation. Select More apps in the How do you want to open this file? window and then select Look for another app on this PC. Now, navigate to the location where you have installed 7zip. Open the 7zip folder > 7zfm > Open. 7zip will now open up the .zip file for FFMPEG installation.
9) Make a new folder for the FFMPEG files – open C: drive and use the shortcut keys CTRL+N to create a new folder – before extracting. Next, open the FFMPEG installation folder you see in the 7zip window. Open the bin folder and extract the contents to the new folder in C: drive.
Edit Environment Variables (Don’t miss this)
10) Lastly, you must add FFMPEG to Windows Environment Variables. Before heading onto this, copy the FFMPEG folder location path.
11) Open the Start Menu, search for Edit the system environment variables settings, and open it. Click the Environment Variables option at the bottom. Under the User Variables section, select Path and then click on Edit… > New. Paste the location/path of the FFMPEG folder, and click OK.
That’s it. You have now successfully added FFMPEG to your system. Open the Command Prompt (Run as administrator) and type ffmpeg – you will receive a reply stating all FFMPEG details. Henceforth, you can use the ffmpeg commands on your system.
BtbN
If you are trying to install FFMPEG from BtbN, you will have to follow the same process as for gyan.dev. However, if you take a look at the downloads page of BtbN, it’s not as easy to understand as gyan.dev. If you are well aware of your requirements from FFMPEG, you may prefer BtbN because they offer a lot of customization in terms of CODECS. After you download the required files from BtbN, you can follow steps 7-11 from above to complete the FFMPEG installation.
For more Windows 11 tutorials, stay tuned to Androidgram!
