HOWTO: Easily enable MP3, MPEG4, AAC, and other restricted encoders in FFmpeg

FakeOutdoorsman · 12:38 PM

A common question is "why doesn't the repository FFmpeg convert to mp3, aac, mpeg4, etc?". Ubuntu doesn't make it very clear to the general user as to why to repo FFmpeg is so limited or how to fix this issue. This is reflected in the number of forum questions relating to this topic.

Why is FFmpeg from the repository so limited?
Legal reasons. Some software is limited due to geographical differences in software patents, legal restrictions on free speech, and restrictions on certain technologies. Ubuntu sidesteps these legal restrictions by not including some restricted packages by default. Users must install these packages on their own. See Restricted Formats Ubuntu Community Documentation and FFmpeg License and Legal Considerations for more details.

How do I fix FFmpeg?
There are several options:

A. Compile FFmpeg yourself
B. Install the unstripped or extra libraries
C. Medibuntu

A. Compiling FFmpeg yourself (for all Ubuntu versions)
The official FFmpeg answer is to compile it yourself, giving you the power to get what you want with the bug-fixes, enhancements, and benefits of the most recent FFmpeg revision. This is an excellent solution and is explained here:

HOWTO: Install and use the latest FFmpeg and x264

This is the option that I personally use, and although it is not too hard, compiling may not be for everyone for a variety of reasons. Off to the other options...

B. Installing the unstripped or extra libraries
This is the quickest option for most users. FFmpeg from the repository does not include many restricted encoders, formats, and codecs which may include: H.263, aac (libfaac), mp3 (libmp3lame), H.264 (libx264), xvid (libxvid), and mpeg4. You can fix this by installing the unstripped or extra (Ubuntu Karmic renamed unstripped to extra) FFmpeg libraries that will enable these restricted encoders. Open up Terminal and enter:

Ubuntu Lucid Lynx 10.04 & Ubuntu Karmic Koala 9.10

Code:

sudo apt-get install ffmpeg libavcodec-extra-52

Note: The libavcodec-extra-52 package for Lucid and Karmic do not support AAC or AMR formats. I recommend using libavcodec-extra-52 from the Medibuntu repository. See option C. Medibuntu.

Ubuntu Jaunty Jackalope 9.04

Code:

sudo apt-get install ffmpeg libavcodec-unstripped-52

Ubuntu Intrepid Ibex 8.10

Code:

sudo apt-get install ffmpeg libavcodec-unstripped-51

Alternatively, you can search for these packages in the Synaptic Package Manager.

C. Medibuntu
This option is available for Ubuntu Lucid Lynx 10.04, Ubuntu Karmic Koala 9.10 and Ubuntu Hardy Heron 8.04. Medibuntu is a third-party repository that contains packages that are unable to be included in the official Ubuntu repositories. To install FFmpeg from Medibuntu open Terminal (Applications -> Accessories -> Terminal) and run the following:

Code:

sudo wget http://www.medibuntu.org/sources.list.d/`lsb_release -cs`.list --output-document=/etc/apt/sources.list.d/medibuntu.list && sudo apt-get -q update && sudo apt-get --yes -q --allow-unauthenticated install medibuntu-keyring && sudo apt-get -q update

This huge command (adapted from Medibuntu - Community Ubuntu Documentation) will install the repository information to your computer then update and authenticate the new repository. Now install FFmpeg:

Ubuntu Lucid Lynx 10.04 & Ubuntu Karmic Koala 9.10

Code:

sudo apt-get install ffmpeg libavcodec-extra-52

Ubuntu Hardy Heron 8.04

Code:

sudo apt-get install ffmpeg

That's it. Now you have a non-crippled version of FFmpeg. See some usage examples at the FFmpeg x264 encoding guide.

Undoing Changes Made By This Guide
B. Uninstalling the unstripped or extra libraries

Code:

sudo apt-get remove ffmpeg libavcodec-*-5*

C. Uninstalling FFmpeg and the Medibuntu Repository

Code:

sudo apt-get autoremove ffmpeg medibuntu-keyring && sudo rm /etc/apt/sources.list.d/medibuntu.list && sudo apt-get update

Let me know if you have any questions or comments. Thanks to andrew.46 for suggesting this guide.

mocha

Well done. This clears up a lot of confusion.

wittelw

Excellent guide! My only suggestion is to point people wanting to encode directly to your also most excellent article on compiling the sources: http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=786095

This solved my problems perfectly and let me convert some files .mov to .avi and I wasn't able to find the solution anywhere else! Thanks!

naripela

Men!!! Great tutorial!! Thanks a lot, I was searching this for a long time!

jeffers.r

Hey folks,

I've been having a very difficult time doing some very basic trimming with ffmpeg and was hoping someone might be able to provide a little input. The input video is mpeg2 and the audio is ac3, and the problem is related to the ac3 sound, which no longer plays after the trimming. I've installed ffmpeg based on the examples above, unstripped, and also tried compiling ffmpeg based on FakeOutdoorsman's other tutorial with the latest svn, but still no luck.

I'm running this very simply command:

Code:

ffmpeg -i test.mpg -vcodec copy -acodec copy -ss 00:00:00 -t 90 test_trimed.mpg

and I get what appears to be a successful trim:

Code:

FFmpeg version git-5d5fb67, Copyright (c) 2000-2009 Fabrice Bellard, et al.
  configuration: --enable-gpl --enable-nonfree --enable-pthreads --enable-libfaac --enable-libfaad --enable-libmp3lame --enable-libtheora --enable-libx264 --enable-libxvid
  libavutil     50. 3. 0 / 50. 3. 0
  libavcodec    52.29. 0 / 52.29. 0
  libavformat   52.33. 0 / 52.33. 0
  libavdevice   52. 2. 0 / 52. 2. 0
  libswscale     0. 7. 1 /  0. 7. 1
  built on May 23 2009 12:47:43, gcc: 4.3.3

Seems stream 0 codec frame rate differs from container frame rate: 59.94 (60000/1001) -> 29.97 (30000/1001)
Input #0, mpeg, from 'test.mpg':
  Duration: 00:04:31.23, start: 0.255589, bitrate: 9422 kb/s
    Stream #0.0[0x1e0]: Video: mpeg2video, yuv420p, 704x480 [PAR 10:11 DAR 4:3], 9510 kb/s, 29.97 tbr, 90k tbn, 59.94 tbc
    Stream #0.1[0x80]: Audio: ac3, 48000 Hz, stereo, s16, 256 kb/s
Output #0, mpeg, to 'test_trimed.mpg':
    Stream #0.0: Video: mpeg2video, yuv420p, 704x480 [PAR 10:11 DAR 4:3], q=2-31, 9510 kb/s, 90k tbn, 29.97 tbc
    Stream #0.1: Audio: ac3, 48000 Hz, stereo, s16, 256 kb/s
Stream mapping:
  Stream #0.0 -> #0.0
  Stream #0.1 -> #0.1
Press [q] to stop encoding
frame= 2702 fps=  0 q=-1.0 Lsize=  100652kB time=90.02 bitrate=9159.9kbits/s    
video:97418kB audio:2813kB global headers:0kB muxing overhead 0.419587%

Yet when I play the video, I have no sound. I'm guessing I must be missing the correct library within my configuration for ac3, but can't seem to pinpoint what that is. I've also done some work with mencoder, which works fine for audio, but it has trouble trimming video instead (I think it has issues with key frames, trimming leaves the video choppy).

Do you think this is related to my configuration?

mc4man · 05:31 PM

While ffplay may playback with sound for other players you probably should add a -target dvd (specify pal or ntsc (edit: in this case ntsc

Ex.
doug@doug-desktop:~$ ffmpeg -i 2.mpg -acodec copy -vcodec copy -t 90 -target ntsc-dvd 2-1.mpg

jeffers.r

Wow, that's fantastic. Worked like a charm. Thank you so much!

Quote:

Originally Posted by mc4man

While ffplay may playback with sound for other players you probably should add a -target dvd (specify pal or ntsc

Ex.
ffmpeg -i 2.mpg -acodec copy -vcodec copy -t 90 -target ntsc-dvd 2-1.mpg

andrew.46

Hi,

Just a quick note to thank FakeOutdoorsman for putting this page together which promises to be of great assistance to the many who struggle with the necessary shortcomings of Ubuntu's stock FFmpeg package.

Andrew

andrew.46

Hi Fakeoutdoorsman,

Congratulations on Tutorial of the Week for this guide!! A well deserved award.

All the very best,

Andrew

Ralph Corderoy

Quote:

Originally Posted by FakeOutdoorsman

D. Installing FFmpeg from Medibuntu
This option is only available for Ubuntu Hardy Heron 8.04 and Ubuntu Gutsy Gibbon 7.10.

That's wrong, e.g. it's available for 9.04. See https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Medibuntu

Quote:

Originally Posted by FakeOutdoorsman

Code:

sudo wget http://www.medibuntu.org/sources.list.d/`lsb_release -cs`.list --output-document=/etc/apt/sources.list.d/medibuntu.list; sudo apt-get -q update; sudo apt-get --yes -q --allow-unauthenticated install medibuntu-keyring; sudo apt-get -q update

It would be better to use "&&" instead of ";" where possible since "cmd1 && cmd2 && cmd3" only executes cmd2 if cmd1 succeeded, etc.

April 5th, 2009	#1
FakeOutdoorsman Chocolate-Covered Ubuntu Beans Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Alaska Beans: 2,018	HOWTO: Easily enable MP3, MPEG4, AAC, and other restricted encoders in FFmpeg A common question is "why doesn't the repository FFmpeg convert to mp3, aac, mpeg4, etc?". Ubuntu doesn't make it very clear to the general user as to why to repo FFmpeg is so limited or how to fix this issue. This is reflected in the number of forum questions relating to this topic. Why is FFmpeg from the repository so limited? Legal reasons. Some software is limited due to geographical differences in software patents, legal restrictions on free speech, and restrictions on certain technologies. Ubuntu sidesteps these legal restrictions by not including some restricted packages by default. Users must install these packages on their own. See Restricted Formats Ubuntu Community Documentation and FFmpeg License and Legal Considerations for more details. How do I fix FFmpeg? There are several options: A. Compile FFmpeg yourself B. Install the unstripped or extra libraries C. Medibuntu A. Compiling FFmpeg yourself (for all Ubuntu versions) The official FFmpeg answer is to compile it yourself, giving you the power to get what you want with the bug-fixes, enhancements, and benefits of the most recent FFmpeg revision. This is an excellent solution and is explained here: HOWTO: Install and use the latest FFmpeg and x264 This is the option that I personally use, and although it is not too hard, compiling may not be for everyone for a variety of reasons. Off to the other options... B. Installing the unstripped or extra libraries This is the quickest option for most users. FFmpeg from the repository does not include many restricted encoders, formats, and codecs which may include: H.263, aac (libfaac), mp3 (libmp3lame), H.264 (libx264), xvid (libxvid), and mpeg4. You can fix this by installing the unstripped or extra (Ubuntu Karmic renamed unstripped to extra) FFmpeg libraries that will enable these restricted encoders. Open up Terminal and enter: Ubuntu Lucid Lynx 10.04 & Ubuntu Karmic Koala 9.10 Code: sudo apt-get install ffmpeg libavcodec-extra-52 Note: The libavcodec-extra-52 package for Lucid and Karmic do not support AAC or AMR formats. I recommend using libavcodec-extra-52 from the Medibuntu repository. See option C. Medibuntu. Ubuntu Jaunty Jackalope 9.04 Code: sudo apt-get install ffmpeg libavcodec-unstripped-52 Ubuntu Intrepid Ibex 8.10 Code: sudo apt-get install ffmpeg libavcodec-unstripped-51 Alternatively, you can search for these packages in the Synaptic Package Manager. C. Medibuntu This option is available for Ubuntu Lucid Lynx 10.04, Ubuntu Karmic Koala 9.10 and Ubuntu Hardy Heron 8.04. Medibuntu is a third-party repository that contains packages that are unable to be included in the official Ubuntu repositories. To install FFmpeg from Medibuntu open Terminal (Applications -> Accessories -> Terminal) and run the following: Code: sudo wget http://www.medibuntu.org/sources.list.d/`lsb_release -cs`.list --output-document=/etc/apt/sources.list.d/medibuntu.list && sudo apt-get -q update && sudo apt-get --yes -q --allow-unauthenticated install medibuntu-keyring && sudo apt-get -q update This huge command (adapted from Medibuntu - Community Ubuntu Documentation) will install the repository information to your computer then update and authenticate the new repository. Now install FFmpeg: Ubuntu Lucid Lynx 10.04 & Ubuntu Karmic Koala 9.10 Code: sudo apt-get install ffmpeg libavcodec-extra-52 Ubuntu Hardy Heron 8.04 Code: sudo apt-get install ffmpeg That's it. Now you have a non-crippled version of FFmpeg. See some usage examples at the FFmpeg x264 encoding guide. Undoing Changes Made By This Guide *B. Uninstalling the unstripped* or extra libraries** Code: sudo apt-get remove ffmpeg libavcodec--5 C. Uninstalling FFmpeg and the Medibuntu Repository Code: sudo apt-get autoremove ffmpeg medibuntu-keyring && sudo rm /etc/apt/sources.list.d/medibuntu.list && sudo apt-get update Let me know if you have any questions or comments. Thanks to andrew.46 for suggesting this guide. Last edited by FakeOutdoorsman; 2 Days Ago at 12:38 PM.. Reason: trivial typo

April 8th, 2009	#2
mocha Quad Shot of Ubuntu Join Date: Sep 2006 Beans: 481	Re: HOWTO: Easily enable MP3, MPEG4, AAC, and other restricted encoding in FFmpeg Well done. This clears up a lot of confusion. __________________ Biostar TA790GXB A2+ \| Phenom II X4 945 \| 4GB DDR2-800 \| 1TB SATA II \| Nvidia 9500GT (G96) Asus P5B-E \| C2D E6420 \| 2GB DDR2-800 \| 400GB SATA II \| Nvidia 7600GS Asus A7N8X-E Dlx \| Barton 2600+ \| 1GB DDR \| 280GB IDE \| Nvidia 6200

April 12th, 2009	#3
wittelw First Cup of Ubuntu Join Date: Apr 2007 Beans: 8	Re: HOWTO: Easily enable MP3, MPEG4, AAC, and other restricted encoding in FFmpeg Excellent guide! My only suggestion is to point people wanting to encode directly to your also most excellent article on compiling the sources: http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=786095 This solved my problems perfectly and let me convert some files .mov to .avi and I wasn't able to find the solution anywhere else! Thanks!

May 8th, 2009	#4
naripela First Cup of Ubuntu Join Date: Jan 2009 Beans: 1	Re: HOWTO: Easily enable MP3, MPEG4, AAC, and other restricted encoding in FFmpeg Men!!! Great tutorial!! Thanks a lot, I was searching this for a long time!

May 23rd, 2009	#6
mc4man Fresh Ground Ubuntu Join Date: Jun 2007 Beans: 5,568	Re: HOWTO: Easily enable MP3, MPEG4, AAC, and other restricted encoding in FFmpeg While ffplay may playback with sound for other players you probably should add a -target dvd (specify pal or ntsc (edit: in this case ntsc Ex. doug@doug-desktop:~$ ffmpeg -i 2.mpg -acodec copy -vcodec copy -t 90 -target ntsc-dvd 2-1.mpg Last edited by mc4man; May 23rd, 2009 at 05:31 PM..

May 24th, 2009	#8
andrew.46 Still having fun... Join Date: Dec 2006 Beans: 3,814	Re: HOWTO: Easily enable MP3, MPEG4, AAC, and other restricted encoding in FFmpeg Hi, Just a quick note to thank FakeOutdoorsman for putting this page together which promises to be of great assistance to the many who struggle with the necessary shortcomings of Ubuntu's stock FFmpeg package. Andrew __________________ Do you think that's air you're breathing?

July 4th, 2009	#9
andrew.46 Still having fun... Join Date: Dec 2006 Beans: 3,814	Re: HOWTO: Easily enable MP3, MPEG4, AAC, and other restricted encoding in FFmpeg Hi Fakeoutdoorsman, Congratulations on Tutorial of the Week for this guide!! A well deserved award. All the very best, Andrew __________________ Do you think that's air you're breathing?

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