---
name: "avidemux"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "avidemux-cli"
version: "2.8.1-13"
release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/avidemux"
---

# avidemux(1)

a free video editor

## NAME

Avidemux — a free video editor

## SYNOPSIS

**avidemux** \[**options**\]

**avidemux\_gtk** \[**options**\]

**avidemux\_cli** \[**options**\] \[**files ...**\]

## DESCRIPTION

Avidemux is a free video editor designed for simple cutting, filtering and encoding tasks. It supports many file types, including AVI, MPG (VCD, SVCD), DVD compatible MPEG, MP4 and ASF, using a variety of codecs. Tasks can be automated using projects, job queue and powerful scripting capabilities.

Homepage: http://avidemux.sourceforge.net/

## OPTIONS

- **--nogui**

  run in silent mode

- **--listfilters**

  list all filters by name

- **--run** *script*

  load and run a script

- **--audio-normalize** *mode*

  activate normalization with *mode*

- **--audio-resample** *num*

  resample to *num* Hz

- **--filters** *filter*

  load a *filter* preset

- **--codec-conf** *config*

  load a codec configuration

- **--vcd-res**

  set to VCD resolution

- **--svcd-res**

  set to SVCD resolution

- **--dvd-res**

  set to DVD resolution

- **--halfd1-res**

  set to 1/2 DVD resolution

- **--save-jpg** *filename*

  save to a jpeg file

- **--begin** *frame*

  set start *frame*

- **--end** *frame*

  set end *frame*

- **--save-unpacked-vop** *filename*

  save as avi file, unpacking vop

- **--save-packed-vop** *filename*

  save as avi file, packing vop

- **--save-ogm** *filename*

  save as ogm file

- **--save-raw-audio** *filename*

  save audio as-is

- **--save-raw-video** *filename*

  save as raw video stream (mpeg/... )

- **--save-uncompressed-audio** *filename*

  save as uncompressed audio

- **--load** *filename*

  load video or workbench

- **--load-workbench** *filename*

  load workbench file

- **--append** *filename*

  append a video

- **--save** *filename*

  save as avi file

- **--save-workbench** *filename*

  save as workbench file

- **--force-b-frame**

  Force detection of bframe in next loaded file

- **--force-alt-h264**

  Force use of alternate read mode for h264

- **--force-unpack**

  Force detection of packed vop in next loaded file

- **--force-smart**

  Engage smart copy mode with CQ=3 at next save

- **--external-mp3** *filename*

  load external mpeg audio as audio track

- **--external-ac3** *filename*

  load external ac3 audio as audio track

- **--external-wav** *filename*

  load external wav audio as audio track

- **--no-audio**

  load external wav audio as audio track

- **--audio-delay** *+msec\|-msec*

  set audio time shift in ms (+ or -)

- **--audio-map**

  build audio map (MP3 VBR)

- **--audio-bitrate** *bitrate*

  set audio encoding *bitrate*

- **--fps** *fps*

  set frames per second

- **--audio-codec** *codec*

  set audio *codec* (MP2/MP3/AC3/NONE (WAV PCM)/TWOLAME/COPY)

- **--video-codec** *codec*

  set video *codec* (Divx/Xvid/FFmpeg4/VCD/SVCD/DVD/XVCD/XSVCD/COPY)

- **--video-conf** *config*

  set video codec conf (cq=q\|cbr=br\|2pass=size)\[,mbr=br\]\[,matrix=(0\|1\|2\|3)\]

- **--reuse-2pass-log**

  reuse 2pass logfile if it exists

- **--set-pp** *value* *strength*

  set post processing default value, *value* (1=hdeblok\|2=vdeblock\|4=dering) and *strength* (0-5)

- **--vobsub** *vobfile* *vosubfile* *ifofile*

  Create vobsub file (*vobfile* *vosubfile* *ifofile*)

- **--autosplit** *num*

  split every *num* MBytes

- **--info**

  show information about loaded video and audio streams

- **--autoindex**

  try to generate required index files

- **--output-format** *format*

  set output *format* (AVI\|OGM\|ES\|PS\|AVI\_DUAL\|AVI\_UNP\|...), often named as container format

- **--rebuild-index**

  rebuild index with correct frame type

- **--var** *name=value*

  set a variable i.e. '--var myvar=3'

- **--help**

  print a quick help

- **--quit**

  exit the program quickly

- **--probePat** *probe*

  Probe for PAT//PMT..

## CUSTOM SCRIPTS

- Custom encoding settings can be created with the scripting engine. Do the following steps:

  - 1\. Start avidemux and open any video file.

  - 2\. Configure you own encoding settings.

  - 3\. Save the settings as project (File -\> Save project as...) with suffix ".js".

  - 4\. Quit avidemux.

  - 5\. Open the project file in a simple editor and delete useless lines.

  \* You need the first line "//AD" and the line "app = new Avidemux()"\
   \* and the encoding settings beginning with "app.video.codec(...)".

- 6\. Save this script file with suffix ".js" in the user directory "~/.avidemux/custom".

  - 7\. This custom script is now available in avidemux under the menu item "Custom".

  ## NOTES

For more information see Avidemux Wiki at http://www.avidemux.org/admWiki/ and Forum at http://www.avidemux.org/admForum/.

Avidemux sources and executables are available from the project web site at http://avidemux.sourceforge.net/.

## AUTHOR

Avidemux was written by Mean \<fixounet@free.fr\>. Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU General Public License, Version 2 any later version published by the Free Software Foundation.

This manual page was original written by Joo Martin \<debian@joomart.de\>, for the Debian system (but may be used by others).