The ffmpeg software is a free and open source suite of utilities that facilitate audio and video media. On Linux systems, installing ffmpeg gives us access to the ffmpeg command, which can be used to convert audio files to various types, such as wav, mp3, ogg, etc.
In this guide, we will go over the instructions to install ffmpeg on major Linux distros. Then, you’ll see various command line examples that can be used to convert between different audio formats. Use the examples below to convert your own files.
In this tutorial you will learn:
- How to install ffmpeg on major Linux distros
- How to use ffmpeg in audio conversion examples
| Category | Requirements, Conventions or Software Version Used |
|---|---|
| System | Any Linux distro |
| Software | ffmpeg |
| Other | Privileged access to your Linux system as root or via the sudo command. |
| Conventions |
# – requires given linux commands to be executed with root privileges either directly as a root user or by use of sudo command$ – requires given linux commands to be executed as a regular non-privileged user |
Install ffmpeg on major Linux distros
Before we dive into the conversion examples below, you’ll need to install ffmpeg on your system. The software is available on all major Linux distros and can be easily installed using your system’s package manager. Use the appropriate command below to install it on your own computer.
To install ffmpeg on Ubuntu, Debian, and Linux Mint:
$ sudo apt install ffmpeg
To install ffmpeg on Fedora:
$ sudo dnf install https://mirrors.rpmfusion.org/free/fedora/rpmfusion-free-release-$(rpm -E %fedora).noarch.rpm https://mirrors.rpmfusion.org/nonfree/fedora/rpmfusion-nonfree-release-$(rpm -E %fedora).noarch.rpm $ sudo dnf install ffmpeg
To install ffmpeg on CentOS, AlmaLinux, and Red Hat:
$ sudo dnf install --nogpgcheck https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/epel/epel-release-latest-8.noarch.rpm $ sudo dnf install --nogpgcheck https://mirrors.rpmfusion.org/free/el/rpmfusion-free-release-8.noarch.rpm https://mirrors.rpmfusion.org/nonfree/el/rpmfusion-nonfree-release-8.noarch.rpm $ sudo dnf install ffmpeg
To install ffmpeg on Arch Linux and Manjaro:
$ sudo pacman -S ffmpeg
Audio conversion examples
Check out some of the audio conversion examples below to see how ffmpeg can convert your files to different formats. We’ve compiled some of the most common options here. Note that ffmpeg has many additional quality settings and other options. It’s recommended to check out the man page and include the necessary flags in your commands.
WAV – Waveform Audio File Format
wav to mp3
wav to mp3
Convert wav to mp3 with ffmpeg:
$ ffmpeg -i audio.wav -acodec libmp3lame audio.mp3
wav to ogg
Convert wav to ogg with ffmpeg:
$ ffmpeg -i audio.wav -acodec libvorbis audio.ogg
wav to aac
Convert wav to acc with ffmpeg:
$ ffmpeg -i audio.wav -acodec libfaac audio.aac
wav to ac3
Convert wav to ac3 with ffmpeg:
$ ffmpeg -i audio.wav -acodec ac3 audio.mp3
OGG – Free, open standard container
ogg to mp3
Convert ogg to mp3 with ffmpeg:
$ ffmpeg -i audio.ogg -acodec libmp3lame audio.mp3
ogg to wav
Convert ogg to wav with ffmpeg:
$ ffmpeg -i audio.ogg audio.wav
ogg to aac
Convert ogg to aac with ffmpeg:
$ ffmpeg -i audio.ogg -acodec libfaac audio.aac
ogg to ac3
Convert ogg to ac3 with ffmpeg:
$ ffmpeg -i audio.ogg -acodec ac3 audio.ac3
AC3 – Acoustic Coder 3
ac3 to mp3
Convert ac3 to mp3 with ffmpeg:
$ ffmpeg -i audio.ac3 -acodec libmp3lame audio.mp3
ac3 to wav
Convert ac3 to wav with ffmpeg:
$ ffmpeg -i audio.ac3 audio.wav
ac3 to aac
Convert ac3 to aac with ffmpeg:
$ ffmpeg -i audio.ac3 -acodec libfaac audio.aac
ac3 to ogg
Convert ac3 to ogg with ffmpeg:
$ ffmpeg -i audio.ac3 -acodec libvorbis audio.ogg
AAC – Advanced Audio Coding
aac to mp3
Convert aac to mp3 with ffmpeg:
$ ffmpeg -i audio.aac -acodec libmp3lame audio.mp3
aac to wav
Convert aac to wav with ffmpeg:
$ ffmpeg -i audio.aac audio.wav
aac to ac3
Convert aac to ac3 with ffmpeg:
$ ffmpeg -i audio.aac -acodec ac3 audio.ac3
aac to ogg
Convert aac to ogg with ffmpeg:
$ ffmpeg -i audio.aac -libvorbis audio.ogg
Closing Thoughts
In this guide, we saw how to install the ffmpeg suite on major Linux distros, then use the ffmpeg command to convert audio files between different formats. Our examples contained some of the most common formats, but many more exist, and the ffmpeg software is packed with options. You can adapt our examples to your own needs, while customizing your commands with further options found in the ffmpeg man pages.
