Create a video from an image and an audio file
Video platforms don't accept audio-only files. To publish a podcast, a song or a recording on YouTube, you just need to pair it with a still image: the command creates a video whose length exactly matches the audio.
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How to use it
- Install ffmpeg if you haven't already.
- Put the image and the audio file in the same folder, then open a terminal in that folder.
- Copy the generated command, adjust the file names if needed, then run it.
- Open the resulting file to check the result.
For YouTube and social media
YouTube, Instagram and Facebook only accept videos. A cover image and an audio track are enough to publish a podcast, a music demo or an interview. Use the 1920 × 1080 format for YouTube and the vertical one for Stories and Reels.
Touch up the audio first
If the audio is too quiet, boost or normalize it before creating the video.
Frequently asked questions
Why does the video stop when the audio ends?
The -shortest option stops encoding when the shortest stream ends. Since the image is looped endlessly with -loop 1, the audio determines the length.
Is the file big?
No: the image never changes, and the -tune stillimage option optimizes the encoding. A one-hour video with a single image is about the size of the audio plus a few megabytes.
Can I show several images?
Yes, use the dedicated slideshow page, then add the music to the resulting video.
Why 25 frames per second (fps) for a still image?
Some players and platforms reject videos with a very low frame rate. 25 fps avoids those problems without noticeably increasing the file size.