Couldn't find ffmpeg or avconv - defaulting to ffmpeg, but may not work warn("Couldn't find ffmpeg or avconv - defaulting to ffmpeg, but may not work", RuntimeWarning)

[saurabhbidwai]

Steps to reproduce

from pydub import AudioSegment

Expected behavior

load the library

Actual behavior

C:\Users\DELL\Anaconda3\lib\site-packages\pydub\utils.py:165: RuntimeWarning: Couldn't find ffmpeg or avconv - defaulting to ffmpeg, but may not work
warn("Couldn't find ffmpeg or avconv - defaulting to ffmpeg, but may not work", RuntimeWarning)

Your System configuration

• Python version: 3.6
• Pydub version: 0.23.0
• ffmpeg or avlib?:
• ffmpeg/avlib version:

[saurabhbidwai]

http://blog.gregzaal.com/how-to-install-ffmpeg-on-windows/

[ChristofHenkel]

same on ubuntu 18.04

[Rajan-sust]

For ubuntu 18.04 just install ffmpeg

sudo apt install ffmpeg

[naveen-marthala]

@Rajan-sust how do i do that on windows10?

[app-src]

@Rajan-sust how do i do that on windows10?

pip install ffmpeg

In cmd

[danielcjacobs]

I installed ffmpeg on windows using "python3 -m pip install ffmpeg" and it successfully installed, but I still get the same error message.

[naveen-marthala]

first download ffmpeg from official website and include it in your path. then do pip install ffmpeg and then you will be able to use it without any problems.

[arthavmane]

first download ffmpeg from official website and include it in your path. then do pip install ffmpeg and you can then use will be able to use it without any problems.

I'm sorry but I'm a beginner. What does "include it in your path" mean? Do I need to download the source code file to a specific location?

[naveen-marthala]

by path i mean 'system environment variables'. include ffmpeg's location in your environment variables. Edit your variables and include location of it in your path like this:

[arthavmane]

Yes done. Thank you so much. It worked!

[CJSparrow]

doesn't work for me :)

[GreyAlien502]

@CJSparrow, does running the command "ffmpeg" work?

[CJSparrow]

Yeah it does work

[SubhamSubhasisPatra]

just add the class path

for mac-OS

export PATH="/Users/yourmacname/Downloads/ffmpeg-20200608-d29aaf1-macos64-static/bin:$PATH"

[hsriv0777]

by path i mean 'system environment variables'. include ffmpeg's location in your environment variables. Edit your variables and include location of it in your path like this:

Couldn't find ffmpeg or avconv - defaulting to ffmpeg, but may not work", RuntimeWarning

I have been facing this problem for three days, I have tried all the methods but still this error has come. please help me!

[hsriv0777]

e.

For ubuntu 18.04 just install ffmpeg

sudo apt install ffmpeg

["Couldn't find ffmpeg or avconv - defaulting to ffmpeg, but may not work", RuntimeWarning"]
i am using windows 10
I have been facing this problem for three days, I have tried all the methods but still this error has come. please help me!

[naveen-marthala]

If python couldn't find ffmpeg, possbile reasons(but not limited to) are:

1. you have ffmpeg properly in place. But, the ffmpeg your path refers to, is not bin folder of ffmpeg or there many not be a bin folder at all or there are some mistake in the path iteself.
2. you have set path properly. But, the ffmpeg may not have been properly downloaded or the directory structure is not what python is looking for.

[MacKenzieHnC]

Similar situation, but I can use it from the Windows 10 command prompt, but not Anaconda. I've tried all of the techniques previously mentioned.

Does Python get the directory from the Windows path? Or should I refer to something in my Anaconda folder?

[naveen-marthala]

Similar situation, but I can use it from the Windows 10 command prompt, but not Anaconda. I've tried all of the techniques previously mentioned.

Does Python get the directory from the Windows path? Or should I refer to something in my Anaconda folder?

I don't know what actually causes this behaviour. But, try including ffmpeg path in user variables, not just system variables.

[KvaksMan]

http://blog.gregzaal.com/how-to-install-ffmpeg-on-windows/

I have installed ffmpeg for windows but I get this error.

  File "D:\Python\lib\site-packages\pydub\utils.py", line 170
    warn("Couldn't find ffmpeg or avconv - defaulting to ffmpeg, but may not work", RuntimeWarning)
RuntimeWarning: Couldn't find ffmpeg or avconv - defaulting to ffmpeg, but may not work```

[Ant-007]

Can you guys please help me with this error I tried everything like adding it to env and all that stuff but it's still giving me the same error? I'm trying to do large audio files to text.

[karol-nowakowski]

If you're on Windows and Anaconda, try installing the ffmpeg package distributed by Anaconda, like this:
conda install -c main ffmpeg (you can also install it from the Anaconda Navigator).
In my case, it worked without problems.

[rbracco]

Thanks @karol-nowakowski, the conda install -c main ffmpeg worked for me when nothing else did (I tried both pip install and manual install from source and add ffmpeg to path.

[TheDavidFin]

I have the same problem: "Couldn't find ffmpeg or avconv - defaulting to ffmpeg, but may not work". But I already download ffmpeg, add path to user and system variable, uninstall and install ffmpeg and pydub by pip, but nothing can help. I don't know what I can do more. The problem the same I windows 7 and in windows server. Please help me.

[GreyAlien502]

If get the warning Couldn't find ffmpeg or avconv - defaulting to ffmpeg, but may not work,
try putting the following code in your program to check if the path python gets is the one you expect.

import os; print(os.environ["PATH"].split(os.pathsep))

We should really be showing the user the output of this whenever there's a problem finding ffmpeg,
but evidently we currently don't.

[dzbanecznix]

for me pip install ffmpeg-python worked after I added ffmpeg to path

[aqasemi]

if you already install ffmeg and add it to path, just reopen your IDE in my case it was vscode and you are ready to go.
"there is noneed to install the ffmeg or ffmeg-python libraries using pip".

[omegastripes]

if you already install ffmeg and add it to path, just reopen your IDE in my case it was vscode and you are ready to go.
"there is noneed to install the ffmeg or ffmeg-python libraries using pip".

Additionally I had to relogin user to make it to work on windows.

[zeroalphagit]

After install ffmepg and adding it to the system variables path i had to restart my IDE

[NathanRibeiroC]

If you're on Windows and Anaconda, try installing the ffmpeg package distributed by Anaconda, like this:
conda install -c main ffmpeg (you can also install it from the Anaconda Navigator).
In my case, it worked without problems.

Worked for me, the ones that are in trouble installing packages on anaconda, always try using: conda package install command, because it organizes better the path in order to work fine with anaconda enviroments.

Thanks bro.

[tatashbar]

conda install -c main ffmpeg worked for me

[alec-jensen]

For windows users: Install chocolatey (https://chocolatey.org/install) then run choco install ffmpeg

[alixaprodev]

if you already install ffmeg and add it to path, just reopen your IDE in my case it was vscode and you are ready to go.
"there is noneed to install the ffmeg or ffmeg-python libraries using pip".

Thank you so much it worked

[shanmukh05]

If you're on Windows and Anaconda, try installing the ffmpeg package distributed by Anaconda, like this:
conda install -c main ffmpeg (you can also install it from the Anaconda Navigator).
In my case, it worked without problems.

You're my life saver😅

[sheloholes]

If you're on Windows and Anaconda, try installing the ffmpeg package distributed by Anaconda, like this:
conda install -c main ffmpeg (you can also install it from the Anaconda Navigator).
In my case, it worked without problems.

You're my life saver😅

what this -c does?

[karol-nowakowski]

If you're on Windows and Anaconda, try installing the ffmpeg package distributed by Anaconda, like this:
conda install -c main ffmpeg (you can also install it from the Anaconda Navigator).
In my case, it worked without problems.

You're my life saver😅

what this -c does?

It specifies which repository (channel) to take the package from (in this case, main, which includes packages built by Anaconda). If you omit this, conda will install the default version which may or may not work.

[chuongmep]

For windows users: Install chocolatey (https://chocolatey.org/install) then run choco install ffmpeg

It working for me.

[dstushar7]

For windows users: Install chocolatey (https://chocolatey.org/install) then run choco install ffmpeg

This worked well.

[mdequanter]

by path i mean 'system environment variables'. include ffmpeg's location in your environment variables. Edit your variables and include location of it in your path like this:

Couldn't find ffmpeg or avconv - defaulting to ffmpeg, but may not work", RuntimeWarning

I have been facing this problem for three days, I have tried all the methods but still this error has come. please help me!

That worked for me to!

[Fifanon]

After adding the path C:\ffmpeg\bin to the environment variables, close any opened command line window, before the change takes effect.

[MicheleAwada]

first download ffmpeg from official website and include it in your path. then do pip install ffmpeg and then you will be able to use it without any problems.

but what if i want to make a game i cant tell people to go download that and do a bunch of stuff for it to work

[Fretless14]

I second @MicheleAwada. How would you package this?

[jiaaro]

For folks making games, you can set the path to ffmpeg explicitly. Alternatively, pydub will also look for ffmpeg in the current working directory for your program

[Fretless14]

I made a folder for an edited version of Pydub and included ffmpeg/ffprobe/ffplay in a folder, and changed the utils.py file to point to those executables, and works great. I should be able to package it with the rest of the app when I get to pyinstaller.

[QinHsiu]

conda install -c main ffmpeg

it's work for me, thanks.

[pranav-chandrode]

If you're on Windows and Anaconda, try installing the ffmpeg package distributed by Anaconda, like this: conda install -c main ffmpeg (you can also install it from the Anaconda Navigator). In my case, it worked without problems.

It worked for me like a charm! Thank you.

[FrostFireFalcon]

I did scoop install ffmpeg in windows powershell and it finally worked. I didn't need to add path to system variables.

[Shaked-g]

I followed this tutorial on Win10 and it solved it for me.
basically downloading and adding to PATH.

https://phoenixnap.com/kb/ffmpeg-windows

[samycrash]

#- download the ffmpeg from the website (https://ffmpeg.org/download.html)
#- extract the ffmpeg, in bin you will see ffmpeg.exe
#- copy that file to your project file, and now run it again, i think it must done.

[Basit-Arif]

first download ffmpeg from official website and include it in your path. then do pip install ffmpeg and then you will be able to use it without any problems.

how to do this thing in Mac OS

[JonathanYang-yzh]

I installed ffmpeg and added it to PATH successfully. I verified with the command ffmpeg -help in cmd. But I am still getting this warning.

[MOTURUPRAVEENBHARGAV]

#348 (comment)

This helped me. Thank You @samycrash

[maxpetrusenko]

This helped me on m2:

brew install ffmpeg

[chai-13w]

I followed this tutorial on Win10 and it solved it for me. basically downloading and adding to PATH.

https://phoenixnap.com/kb/ffmpeg-windows

It solved my problem very effectively！