This tutorial provides step-by-step instructions to install the latest version of FFmpeg on CentOS servers. The guide is compatible with various control panels, including CWP, cPanel, Plesk, and ISPConfig.

FFmpeg is a powerful multimedia framework used for decoding, encoding, transcoding, muxing, demuxing, streaming, filtering, and playing multimedia files. It supports a wide range of formats, from outdated legacy formats to cutting-edge modern ones.

Follow the steps below to install FFmpeg version 4.x on supported systems.

System Requirements

Ensure your system meets the following prerequisites:

1. Kernel version: 3.2.x or later

Check your kernel version using:

uname -sr

2. Supported Operating Systems:

• CentOS 7/8
• Ubuntu 18.04/20.04
• Debian 9/10
• Other Linux distributions with kernel 3.2.x or above

FFmpeg Installation Steps

1. Backup Existing FFmpeg Installation

Before installing the latest version, move or rename any existing FFmpeg files to avoid conflicts:

mv /usr/local/bin/ffmpeg /usr/local/bin/ffmpeg.bak
mv /usr/local/bin/ffprobe /usr/local/bin/ffprobe.bak
mv /usr/bin/ffmpeg /usr/bin/ffmpeg.bak
mv /usr/bin/ffprobe /usr/bin/ffprobe.bak

2. Download the Latest FFmpeg Release

Navigate to the /usr/local directory and download the latest FFmpeg static build:

cd /usr/local
rm -rf ffmpeg  # Remove any old FFmpeg directory
wget https://johnvansickle.com/ffmpeg/releases/ffmpeg-release-amd64-static.tar.xz
tar xf ffmpeg-release-amd64-static.tar.xz
rm -rf ffmpeg-release-amd64-static.tar.xz
mv ffmpeg-* ffmpeg

3. Create Symlinks for FFmpeg and Ffprobe

To make FFmpeg and FFprobe accessible system-wide, create symbolic links:

ln -s /usr/local/ffmpeg/ffmpeg /usr/local/bin/ffmpeg
ln -s /usr/local/ffmpeg/ffprobe /usr/local/bin/ffprobe
ln -s /usr/local/ffmpeg/ffmpeg /usr/bin/ffmpeg
ln -s /usr/local/ffmpeg/ffprobe /usr/bin/ffprobe

4. Set File Permissions

Grant appropriate permissions to the FFmpeg and FFprobe binaries:

chmod 755 /usr/local/ffmpeg/ffmpeg
chmod 755 /usr/local/ffmpeg/ffprobe

Verify the Installation

To confirm the installation, check the FFmpeg version:

ffmpeg

You should see output similar to the following:

ffmpeg version 4.3.1-static Copyright (c) 2000-2020 the FFmpeg developers
built with gcc 8 (Debian 8.3.0-6)

Using FFmpeg and FFprobe in Applications

Use the following paths for FFmpeg and FFprobe in your scripts or applications:

• FFmpeg Path: /usr/local/bin/ffmpeg
• FFprobe Path: /usr/local/bin/ffprobe

That’s It!

With these steps completed, you now have the latest version of FFmpeg installed and ready to use on your system. FFmpeg’s powerful capabilities make it an essential tool for handling multimedia content efficiently.