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How to Trim and Cut Video with FFmpeg: Timestamps, Duration, Split (2026 Guide)

ffmpeg video-trimming video-editing
How to Trim and Cut Video with FFmpeg: Timestamps, Duration, Split (2026 Guide)

Need to extract a 30-second clip from a long video? Remove the first 10 seconds of a recording? Split a video into multiple parts? FFmpeg can do all of this from the command line—if you know the right flags.

This guide covers every trimming scenario with exact commands. And if you’d rather just drag a slider, there’s a free visual alternative at the end.

Prerequisites: Install FFmpeg

FFmpeg

macOS:

brew install ffmpeg

Ubuntu/Debian:

sudo apt update && sudo apt install ffmpeg

Windows: Download from ffmpeg.org, extract, and add bin to PATH.

Basic Trimming

Cut by Start Time and Duration

Extract 30 seconds starting at the 1-minute mark:

ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -ss 00:01:00 -t 00:00:30 -c copy output.mp4
  • -ss 00:01:00 — start at 1 minute
  • -t 00:00:30 — duration of 30 seconds
  • -c copy — copy streams without re-encoding (fast)

Cut by Start and End Time

Extract from 1:00 to 2:30:

ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -ss 00:01:00 -to 00:02:30 -c copy output.mp4
  • -to 00:02:30 — stop at 2 minutes 30 seconds

Cut the First N Seconds

Keep only the first 60 seconds:

ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -t 60 -c copy output.mp4

Remove the First N Seconds

Skip the first 10 seconds:

ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -ss 10 -c copy output.mp4

Cut the Last N Seconds

This requires knowing the total duration. For a 5-minute video, to remove the last 30 seconds:

ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -t 00:04:30 -c copy output.mp4

Fast Copy vs Re-encoding

Fast Mode (-c copy)

ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -ss 00:01:00 -t 30 -c copy output.mp4

Pros: Instant, no quality loss Cons: May start a few seconds before your timestamp (cuts at the nearest keyframe)

Precise Mode (re-encode)

ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -ss 00:01:00 -t 30 -c:v libx264 -c:a aac output.mp4

Pros: Frame-accurate cutting Cons: Slower, slight quality loss from re-encoding

Best of Both: Input Seeking + Output Re-encoding

ffmpeg -ss 00:00:58 -i input.mp4 -ss 2 -t 30 -c:v libx264 -c:a aac output.mp4

This seeks to 0:58 before decoding (fast), then precisely trims 2 seconds in to reach exactly 1:00.

Split Video into Multiple Parts

Split into Equal Parts

Split a 10-minute video into 2-minute segments:

ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -c copy -map 0 -segment_time 120 -f segment -reset_timestamps 1 segment_%03d.mp4

This creates segment_000.mp4, segment_001.mp4, etc.

Split at Specific Timestamps

# Part 1: 0:00 to 2:00
ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -ss 0 -to 00:02:00 -c copy part1.mp4

# Part 2: 2:00 to 5:00
ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -ss 00:02:00 -to 00:05:00 -c copy part2.mp4

# Part 3: 5:00 to end
ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -ss 00:05:00 -c copy part3.mp4

Extract and Remove Audio

Extract Audio Track Only

ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -vn -c:a copy audio.m4a
  • -vn — no video

Extract as MP3

ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -vn -c:a libmp3lame -b:a 320k audio.mp3

Remove Audio (Keep Video Only)

ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -an -c:v copy output_silent.mp4
  • -an — no audio

Common Errors and Fixes

Trimmed video starts with frozen frame or glitch

This happens with -c copy when the cut point isn’t on a keyframe. Fix by re-encoding:

ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -ss 00:01:00 -t 30 -c:v libx264 -c:a aac output.mp4

Audio and video go out of sync after trimming

Add -avoid_negative_ts make_zero:

ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -ss 00:01:00 -t 30 -c copy -avoid_negative_ts make_zero output.mp4

“Non-monotonous DTS” warnings

These usually don’t affect the output but indicate timestamp issues. If the output is broken:

ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -ss 00:01:00 -t 30 -fflags +genpts -c copy output.mp4

Trimming is inaccurate by several seconds

Place -ss before -i for faster seeking, or after -i for accuracy:

# Faster but less accurate (seeks in input)
ffmpeg -ss 00:01:00 -i input.mp4 -t 30 -c copy output.mp4

# Slower but frame-accurate (decodes then seeks)
ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -ss 00:01:00 -t 30 -c:v libx264 -c:a aac output.mp4

Skip the Terminal: Use WaveSpeed Desktop Instead

Precise video trimming with FFmpeg means juggling timestamp formats, keyframe alignment, copy vs re-encode decisions, and sync issues. For most people, that’s way more complexity than necessary.

WaveSpeed Desktop includes a built-in Media Trimmer with a visual timeline:

  • Drag and drop your video
  • Use the visual slider to set start and end points
  • Click trim — done

No timestamp math. No keyframe headaches. No terminal.

WaveSpeed Desktop Media Trimmer

Download WaveSpeed Desktop for free: https://github.com/WaveSpeedAI/wavespeed-desktop/releases

FAQ

What’s the difference between -t and -to? -t specifies duration (e.g., -t 30 means 30 seconds). -to specifies the end timestamp (e.g., -to 00:02:30 means stop at 2:30).

Can I trim without losing quality? Yes—use -c copy to avoid re-encoding. The tradeoff is that cuts may not be frame-accurate (they snap to the nearest keyframe).

How do I find the exact duration of a video?

ffprobe -v error -show_entries format=duration -of csv=p=0 input.mp4

Can I trim multiple files at once? Not in a single command. You’d need a shell loop for each file. WaveSpeed Desktop supports batch trimming with drag-and-drop.