FFprobe
FFprobe is FFmpeg's companion inspection tool: you point it at a media file from the command line and it lists the file's technical details without altering anything. It shows codec, resolution, frame rate, bitrate, duration, audio tracks and container information. Output can be printed as readable text or as JSON for scripts to use.
Why it matters
Bad or unusual uploads are a leading cause of failed processing and broken playback. Checking files before processing lets a platform reject or route problem videos early, saving compute costs and support time. FFprobe gives that information for free, in a format scripts can read.
How it works
- FFprobe opens the media file and reads its container header without changing anything.
- It lists each stream inside, such as video, audio and subtitles, with its codec.
- It reports details such as resolution, frame rate, bitrate, duration and color settings.
- It prints the result as text or JSON, which other code can check automatically.
How do I get video duration and resolution with FFprobe?
You can get duration and resolution by running FFprobe with JSON output and asking for stream and format details. For example: ffprobe -v error -print_format json -show_format -show_streams input.mp4. The format section shows duration and overall bitrate. Each video stream entry shows width, height, codec and frame rate.
FFprobe vs MediaInfo: which should I use?
Use FFprobe when you need scriptable output that matches what FFmpeg will see, and MediaInfo when you want a quick, readable summary. FFprobe ships with FFmpeg and outputs JSON, which suits automated upload checks. MediaInfo has a friendly interface and shows some encoder settings that FFprobe does not report.
Where it's used
Video platforms and online learning platforms run FFprobe behind the scenes to check every uploaded file, spotting broken or unsupported videos before processing starts.
By the numbers
- FFprobe is one of three command-line tools shipped with FFmpeg, alongside the ffmpeg converter and the ffplay media player. (FFmpeg (Wikipedia))
