How to install and add FFmpeg to the path in Windows 10/8/7

Below is a step by step guide to install FFmpeg properly in Windows, add FFmpeg to the Windows path and verify FFmpeg installation.

FFmpeg is one of the most popular, free and open source software for encoding and decoding multimedia. You can use FFmpeg to convert video and audio files, split audio files, download HLS streaming videos, etc. The best thing about FFmpeg is that you can do most of these with commands. simple.

In short, FFmpeg is great and every user should install FFmpeg in Windows.

In this quick guide, TipsMake.com shows you how to download and install FFmpeg properly in Windows 10, 8 and 7.

Install FFmpeg in Windows 10

In theory, since it's a portable software, you don't need to install FFmpeg to use it. However, you must manually navigate to the FFmpeg folder in the Command Prompt to access the ffmpeg.exe file and execute the relevant commands.

This is not a big deal, but it is not very user friendly. To solve that problem, you must add FFmpeg to the Windows 10 path with an environment variable. Once added, you can access FFmpeg via Command Prompt or PowerShell from any folder.

Here is how to do it.

Download FFmpeg for Windows 10

1. To get started, visit the official website and download the current stable build of FFmpeg.
https://ffmpeg.zeranoe.com/builds/

2. After downloading, extract the contents of the ZIP file into the directory of your choice. In the example case, the author extracted it to the root directory of drive C.

3. Rename the extracted folder to "ffmpeg". Renaming is optional but will make it easier when you add it to the Windows path.

Rename the extracted folder to "ffmpeg"

Add FFmpeg to the path of Windows 10

4. To add FFmpeg to the Windows 10 path, search for "Edit the system environment variables" in the Start menu and click on the result. The System Properties window will open.

5. Go to the Advanced tab and click the Environment Variables button .

Click the Environment Variables button

6. Select the Path variable and click Edit.

Select the Path variable and click Edit

7. Click New.

Click on New

8. In the blank field, enter C: ffmpegbin and click the OK button .

Note : If you have placed the FFmpeg folder in another directory or drive, change the directory path accordingly.

Enter C: ffmpegbin

9. This is the interface in the main Environment Variables window . Click the OK button to save the changes.

Interface in the main Environment Variables window

10. Close the main window.

Add FFmpeg to the path of Windows 7 or Windows 8

The process of adding FFmpeg to the Windows 7 path is similar to that of Windows 10 but the user interface is a bit different.

1. Open the Start menu, search for "Edit System Environment Variables" and click on the result.

2. Next, go to the Advanced tab and click the Environment Variables button .

3. In the System Variables section , find the Path variable , select it, and click the Edit button .

In the System Variables section, find the Path variable

4. Go to the end of the line in the Variable Value field and add ;C:ffmpegbin. Click the OK button to save the changes. Each path you add to the value field should be separated by a sign ;.

Note : If you have saved FFmpeg in another directory, please change the path accordingly.

Verify FFmpeg path

To check if FFmpeg is properly added to the Windows path, open a Command Prompt or PowerShell window, type ffmpeg and press Enter. If all goes well, you should see details about FFmpeg like version number, default configuration, etc.

Verify FFmpeg path