Free Course

FFmpeg with Node.js

Build real video-processing workflows in Node.js with the FFmpeg Micro API. No FFmpeg install, no servers, no worker queues. Just fetch and JSON.

10 Lessons~2 hours totalNode 18+Runnable code
1

Getting Started

Set up your project, get an API key, and make your first authenticated request. No FFmpeg install, no npm package. Just fetch.

8 minStart lesson
2

Upload Your Video

Move a local file into the API with the presigned upload flow: request a URL, PUT the bytes, confirm. Or skip it and pass a public URL.

12 minStart lesson
3

Create a Job and Poll for Results

The core lifecycle: submit a transcode job, poll until it completes, and fetch a signed download URL for the output.

15 minStart lesson
4

Convert Between Formats

Convert between MP4, WebM, and MOV with outputFormat, plus the codec gotcha that makes WebM jobs fail if you skip it.

12 minStart lesson
5

Extract Audio

Pull an MP3 or WAV audio track out of a video for podcast and transcription workflows using the options array.

10 minStart lesson
6

Extract Frames and Thumbnails

Grab a still frame at any timestamp to build thumbnails and preview images.

10 minStart lesson
7

Custom FFmpeg Options and Filters

Go beyond presets: pass raw FFmpeg options to resize, crop, set quality, and add text overlays. Learn which options are allowed.

18 minStart lesson
8

Merge and Combine Inputs

Send multiple inputs in one job to replace an audio track, or combine separate video and audio files.

12 minStart lesson
9

Batch Processing at Scale

Process many videos with a concurrency limiter, per-item error isolation, and retry logic that respects rate limits.

18 minStart lesson
10

Production Patterns

Reliable polling, error handling by failure mode, retries with backoff, and cost control for real workloads.

20 minStart lesson

What You'll Learn

Authenticate and call the API with nothing but fetch
Upload files with the presigned upload flow
Submit jobs and poll them to completion
Convert between MP4, WebM, and MOV
Extract audio tracks and still-frame thumbnails
Pass custom FFmpeg options: resize, crop, quality, overlays
Merge separate video and audio inputs
Batch-process at scale with concurrency and retries
Handle errors and control cost in production

Start with 100 free minutes

Grab an API key and follow along. No credit card required.