FFmpeg MCP Server for Warp: Video Processing in Your AI Terminal

Warp's agent mode can call MCP servers to extend what it does beyond shell commands. Connect the FFmpeg Micro MCP server, and you can process video with natural language right from your terminal. No curl commands to construct, no API parameters to remember, no switching to another app.

This guide covers setup, configuration, and real examples of video processing through Warp's AI agent.

Quick setup: add FFmpeg Micro to Warp in 2 minutes

You need two things: a free FFmpeg Micro API key (grab one at ffmpeg-micro.com) and Warp installed on your machine.

Option 1: Warp Settings (recommended)

Open Warp and go to Settings > Agents > MCP servers. Click + Add, select the CLI Server tab, and paste this configuration:

{
  "ffmpeg-micro": {
    "command": "npx",
    "args": ["-y", "@ffmpeg-micro/mcp-server"],
    "env": {
      "FFMPEG_MICRO_API_KEY": "your_api_key_here"
    }
  }
}

Replace your_api_key_here with your actual API key and click Start.

Option 2: Config file

Create or edit ~/.warp/.mcp.json on macOS (or ~/.local/state/warp-terminal/.mcp.json on Linux) and add the same JSON block. Restart Warp to pick up the changes.

To verify the connection, open Warp's agent mode and ask a question about video processing. You should see FFmpeg Micro listed as an available tool.

What the MCP server exposes

Once connected, Warp's AI agent can call FFmpeg Micro's tools directly. No manual API requests needed. The MCP server provides:

You describe what you want in plain English, and the agent figures out which MCP tool to call and what parameters to pass.

Real examples: natural language video processing

Open Warp's agent mode and try these.

Convert a video to WebM:

Type: "Convert this MP4 to WebM at medium quality: https://storage.example.com/demo.mp4"

Warp's agent calls the FFmpeg Micro create_transcode tool with the right parameters. You get a job ID back, and can ask "what's the status of that transcode?" to check progress.

Resize for social media:

Type: "Take this video and resize it to 720p: https://storage.example.com/presentation.mp4"

The agent uses the resolution preset to create a 720p output without you specifying codec settings or FFmpeg flags.

Custom FFmpeg operations:

Type: "Process this video with H.265 encoding at CRF 28 with slow preset: https://storage.example.com/raw-footage.mp4"

For advanced operations, the agent constructs the correct options array with -c:v libx265, -crf 28, and -preset slow. You get full FFmpeg control without writing JSON by hand.

Generate subtitles:

Type: "Transcribe this video to SRT: https://storage.example.com/interview.mp4"

The agent calls the transcribe endpoint, polls for completion, and gives you the download link for the SRT file.

Batch operations

Warp's agent mode handles multi-step workflows. You can chain operations:

"Upload the file at ~/videos/raw.mp4, then transcode it to 1080p MP4 at high quality"

The agent runs the three-step upload flow (get presigned URL, PUT to cloud storage, confirm upload) and then creates the transcode job automatically. You don't manage intermediate URLs or storage paths.

For multiple files, describe the batch:

"Convert all MP4 files in ~/videos/ to WebM at medium quality"

The agent iterates through the directory, uploading and transcoding each file. Each job runs independently on FFmpeg Micro's infrastructure, so your machine isn't doing any of the heavy lifting.

How this differs from Claude Desktop or Cursor

The FFmpeg Micro MCP server works the same across clients. The difference is the workflow context. Warp is terminal-native. You're already in the shell, already working with files and directories. The MCP server extends your terminal instead of requiring you to switch to a chat window or IDE.

Warp's agent also has direct access to your filesystem and shell environment. It can list files, check outputs, and chain shell commands with MCP tool calls in one conversation. That makes batch processing and file management smoother than in a standalone chat interface.

Common pitfalls

MCP server not started. Adding the configuration doesn't activate it automatically. Go to Settings > Agents > MCP servers and click Start next to ffmpeg-micro. Enable auto-start so it launches with Warp.

Wrong Node.js version. The npx command needs Node.js 18 or later. If you're on an older version, the MCP server won't start. Check with node --version.

API key not set. If you see authentication errors, verify that FFMPEG_MICRO_API_KEY in your config matches the key from your FFmpeg Micro dashboard at ffmpeg-micro.com/dashboard.

FAQ

Do I need FFmpeg installed locally to use this?

No. The MCP server calls FFmpeg Micro's cloud API. All video processing runs on remote infrastructure. You don't need FFmpeg on your machine.

Is the free tier enough to test this?

Yes. FFmpeg Micro's free tier includes processing minutes for evaluation and small workloads. Sign up at ffmpeg-micro.com to get your API key.

Can I use the remote MCP server instead of npx?

FFmpeg Micro also has a hosted MCP endpoint at https://mcp.ffmpeg-micro.com. You can configure this as a URL-based server in Warp. This avoids running a local Node.js process.

Does this work with Warp's cloud agents?

Yes. Pass the FFmpeg Micro MCP configuration to cloud agents using Warp's --mcp flag. This enables background video processing triggered by webhooks, CI events, or scheduled tasks.

What video formats does FFmpeg Micro support?

Input: MP4, WebM, AVI, MOV, MKV, plus audio formats (MP3, WAV, FLAC, AAC). Output: MP4, WebM, MOV. The API handles format detection automatically.

*Last verified: July 2026 against Warp and the FFmpeg Micro API v1.*