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Windows Setup

Install and configure FFmpeg on Windows

Table of Contents

Installation

Download FFmpeg

  1. Go to ffmpeg.org/download.html
  2. Under "Windows", click on "Windows builds from gyan.dev"
  3. Download the "ffmpeg-release-essentials.zip" (or full build for more codecs)
  4. Extract to a folder (e.g., C:\ffmpeg)

Add to PATH

  1. Open System Properties (Win+Pause or search "Environment Variables")
  2. Click "Environment Variables"
  3. Under "System variables", find "Path" and click "Edit"
  4. Click "New" and add C:\ffmpeg\bin
  5. Click OK to save

Verify Installation

Open a new Command Prompt and run:

ffmpeg -version

Using Chocolatey

choco install ffmpeg

Using Scoop

scoop install ffmpeg

Using winget

winget install FFmpeg

Bundling FFmpeg with Your App

Download and Extract

  1. Download the static FFmpeg build
  2. Extract ffmpeg.exe and ffprobe.exe
  3. Place them in your project's windows/ directory

Modify CMakeLists.txt

Add to windows/CMakeLists.txt:

# Install FFmpeg binaries
install(FILES "${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/ffmpeg.exe"
        DESTINATION "${INSTALL_BUNDLE_DATA_DIR}")
install(FILES "${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/ffprobe.exe"
        DESTINATION "${INSTALL_BUNDLE_DATA_DIR}")

Configure Fluvie

import 'dart:io';
import 'package:path/path.dart' as path;
import 'package:fluvie/fluvie.dart';

void main() {
  final execDir = path.dirname(Platform.resolvedExecutable);
  final ffmpegPath = path.join(execDir, 'data', 'ffmpeg.exe');

  if (File(ffmpegPath).existsSync()) {
    FluvieConfig.configure(ffmpegPath: ffmpegPath);
  }

  runApp(MyApp());
}

MSIX Packaging

When creating an MSIX package:

Include FFmpeg in Package

Add to your pubspec.yaml:

msix_config:
  assets_directory_path: windows/assets

Place FFmpeg in windows/assets/.

Configure at Runtime

import 'package:path_provider/path_provider.dart';

void main() async {
  WidgetsFlutterBinding.ensureInitialized();

  // For MSIX, assets are in a specific location
  final appDir = await getApplicationSupportDirectory();
  final ffmpegPath = path.join(appDir.path, 'ffmpeg.exe');

  if (File(ffmpegPath).existsSync()) {
    FluvieConfig.configure(ffmpegPath: ffmpegPath);
  }

  runApp(MyApp());
}

Troubleshooting

'ffmpeg' is not recognized

FFmpeg is not in PATH. Either:

  1. Add FFmpeg to PATH (see installation steps)
  2. Or configure the full path: 
    FluvieConfig.configure(ffmpegPath: r'C:\ffmpeg\bin\ffmpeg.exe');

Windows Defender SmartScreen

When running an unsigned app with bundled FFmpeg:

  1. Click "More info"
  2. Click "Run anyway"

For distribution, consider code signing your application.

Antivirus False Positives

Some antivirus software flags FFmpeg. You may need to:

  1. Add an exception for your app's directory
  2. Use a well-known FFmpeg distribution (gyan.dev, BtbN)

Long Path Issues

If you encounter path length issues:

  1. Enable long paths in Windows: 
    reg add "HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\FileSystem" /v LongPathsEnabled /t REG_DWORD /d 1 /f
  2. Restart your computer