ffmpeg-static

📋 Tips & Best Practices

1. Always resolve the binary once at startup

Call resolveFfmpeg() once and cache the result — don't call require('ffmpeg-static') inline in hot paths.

2. Prefer -c copy when no re-encoding is needed

Stream copy (-c copy) is instantaneous and lossless. Only decode/encode when you actually need to change the codec or apply filters.

3. Use -ss before -i for fast seeking

-ss 00:01:00 -i input.mp4 (before -i) uses keyframe seeking (fast). -i input.mp4 -ss 00:01:00 (after -i) decodes from the start (accurate but slow for large files).

4. Always pass -y in non-interactive scripts

-y overwrites output without prompting. Without it, FFmpeg hangs waiting for stdin in CI or background processes.

5. Validate inputs before building command arrays

Never interpolate user-supplied strings directly into FFmpeg args. Always validate paths exist and are the expected media type using ffprobe first.

6. For hardware encoding, require system FFmpeg

Check ffmpeg -hwaccels at startup and gate hardware-accelerated paths on the system binary being active.

7. Set -loglevel error in production

Reduces stderr noise. Re-enable verbose logging (-loglevel verbose) when debugging a failed transcode.

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