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I would like to place the audio from a video to another video without an audio (in one command):

ffmpeg.exe -i video1_noAudio.mov -i video2_wAudio.mov -vcodec copy -acodec copy video1_audioFromVideo2.mov

I guess "-map" is the correct way to do it but I got confused with it.

Can you suggest how to resolve it?

User97693321
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Mark
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  • Same question on SU: [How to merge audio and video file in ffmpeg - Super User](https://superuser.com/questions/277642/how-to-merge-audio-and-video-file-in-ffmpeg) – user202729 May 15 '22 at 14:58

3 Answers3

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Overview of inputs

input_0.mp4 has the desired video stream and input_1.mp4 has the desired audio stream:

mapping diagram

In ffmpeg the streams look like this:

$ ffmpeg -i input_0.mp4 -i input_1.mp4

Input #0, mov,mp4,m4a,3gp,3g2,mj2, from 'input_0.mp4':
  Duration: 00:01:48.50, start: 0.000000, bitrate: 4144 kb/s
    Stream #0:0(und): Video: h264 (High) (avc1 / 0x31637661), yuv420p, 1280x720, 4014 kb/s, SAR 115:87 DAR 1840:783, 23.98 fps, 23.98 tbr, 16k tbn, 47.95 tbc (default)
    Stream #0:1(und): Audio: aac (LC) (mp4a / 0x6134706D), 48000 Hz, stereo, fltp, 124 kb/s (default)

Input #1, mov,mp4,m4a,3gp,3g2,mj2, from 'input_1.mp4':
  Duration: 00:00:30.05, start: 0.000000, bitrate: 1754 kb/s
    Stream #1:0(und): Video: h264 (High) (avc1 / 0x31637661), yuv420p, 720x480 [SAR 8:9 DAR 4:3], 1687 kb/s, 59.94 fps, 59.94 tbr, 60k tbn, 119.88 tbc (default)
    Stream #1:1(und): Audio: aac (LC) (mp4a / 0x6134706D), 48000 Hz, stereo, fltp, 55 kb/s (default)

ID numbers

ffmpeg refers to input files and streams with index numbers. The format is input_file_id:input_stream_id. Since ffmpeg starts counting from 0, stream 1:1 refers to the audio from input_1.mp4.

Stream specifiers

This can be enhanced with stream specifiers. For example, you can tell ffmpeg that you want the first video stream from the first input (0:v:0), and the first audio stream from the second input (1:a:0). I prefer this method because it's more efficient. Also, it is less prone to accidental mapping because 1:1 can refer to any type of stream, while 2:v:3 only refers to the fourth video stream of the third input file.

Examples

The -map option instructs ffmpeg what streams you want. To copy the video from input_0.mp4 and audio from input_1.mp4:

$ ffmpeg -i input_0.mp4 -i input_1.mp4 -c copy -map 0:0 -map 1:1 -shortest out.mp4

This next example will do the same thing:

$ ffmpeg -i input_0.mp4 -i input_1.mp4 -c copy -map 0:v:0 -map 1:a:0 -shortest out.mp4
  • -map 0:v:0 can be translated as: from the first input (0), select video stream type (v), first video stream (0)

  • -map 1:a:0 can be translated as: from the second input (1), select audio stream type (a), first audio stream (0)

Additional Notes

Fernando Espinosa
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llogan
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  • I agree that it's safer to use `0:v:0` and `1:a:0`, because `0:0` isn't always video, and `0:1` isn't always audio. I recorded a Quicktime video that set `0:0` as audio, `0:1` as video. – wisbucky May 18 '20 at 06:14
  • fix: has to be `-map 0:0 -map 1:0` in order to be equivalent to `-map 0:v:0 -map 1:a:0` – Fernando Espinosa Jul 07 '20 at 06:03
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I have a new command for merging audio to video

ffmpeg -i video.mp4 -i audio.mp4 -map 0.0 -map 1.0 -acodec copy -qscale 4 -vcodec mpeg4 outvideo.mp4

-qscale is option set quality to video of ffmpeg

-acodec copy is option copy default quality of audio to output video

-vcodec mpeg4 is option copy default quality of video to output video

HoangHieu
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    `-vcodec` has been around forever. It is the same as the newer aliases `-codec:v` and `-c:v`. – llogan Apr 10 '15 at 07:39
  • @HoangHieu can i add wav audio to mp4 video ? i have try `ffmpeg -i 1.mp4 -i 0.wav -map 0 -map 1 -codec copy -shortest new.mp4` the command but not work – Allan Aug 14 '15 at 03:00
  • ?? your command. **0.0** not **0**, **1.0** not **1** - 1.0 it mean: index [1] channel [0]... - **acodec copy** not **-codec copy**, it mean copy audio codec – HoangHieu Aug 14 '15 at 08:31
  • You probably want to `-vcodec copy` to avoid re-encoding the video – wolfd Jul 14 '17 at 00:21
2

The accepted answer is an excellent explanation of ffmpeg's flexible stream selection using the -map option.

However, the documentation linked above also describes a simpler syntax to do what the questioner asks, without -map:

ffmpeg -an -i video1_noAudio.mov -vn -i video2_wAudio.mov -c:a copy -c:v copy video1_audioFromVideo2.mov

Here -an means discard any audio from the first input file, -vn discards any video from the audio recording. ffmpeg then combines them in the obvious way to produce a single output file.

(-c:a and -c:v are just alternatives for -acodec and -vcodec in the question, which can be used to copy for speed, or re-encode a stream if needed.)