A fast and efficient command-line tool for converting video files between different formats. Built with Go and powered by FFmpeg.

• Single File Conversion: Convert individual video files
• Batch Conversion: Convert entire directories of videos concurrently
• Multiple Formats: Support for mp4, avi, mov, mkv, webm, flv
• Quality Presets: Choose between high, medium, and low quality settings
• Progress Tracking: Visual feedback during conversion
• Concurrent Processing: Multi-threaded batch conversions for faster processing
• Simple CLI: Easy-to-use command-line interface

FFmpeg must be installed on your system:

brew install ffmpeg

sudo apt update
sudo apt install ffmpeg

Download from ffmpeg.org or use chocolatey:

choco install ffmpeg

ffmpeg -version

1. Clone the repository:

git clone https://github.com/vib795/convert-video-formats.git
cd convert-video-formats

2. Build the binary:

go build -o convert-vid

3. (Optional) Move to your PATH:

# macOS/Linux
sudo mv convert-vid /usr/local/bin/

# Or add to your PATH
export PATH=$PATH:$(pwd)

go install github.com/vib795/convert-video-formats@latest

# Convert a single file to mp4
convert-vid convert input.avi --format mp4 --output output.mp4

# Convert using short flags
convert-vid convert input.mov -f mp4 -o output.mp4

# Convert with automatic output naming
convert-vid convert input.avi -f mp4

# Convert all videos in a folder
convert-vid convert ./videos --format mp4 --output ./converted

# Convert with high quality
convert-vid convert input.mov -f mp4 -q high

# Overwrite existing files
convert-vid convert input.avi -f mp4 --overwrite

# Specify concurrent conversions for batch processing
convert-vid convert ./videos -f mp4 -c 4

Important: When working with file or folder paths that contain spaces, you must wrap them in quotes:

# Method 1: Use quotes with positional argument (recommended for simple cases)
convert-vid convert "My Video.mov" -f mp4 -o "Output Video.mp4"
convert-vid convert "~/Downloads/My Videos/lecture.webm" -f mp4

# Method 2: Use --input flag (recommended for complex paths)
convert-vid convert --input "~/Downloads/My Videos/lecture.webm" -f mp4 -o "output.mp4"
convert-vid convert -i "Backend from first principles/01 - Roadmap.webm" -f mp4

# Method 3: For directories with spaces
convert-vid convert --input "~/Downloads/My Video Collection" -f mp4 -o "./Converted Videos"

# Real-world example
convert-vid convert \
  --input "~/Downloads/pull-vids/Backend from first principles/01 - 1. Roadmap for backend from first principles.webm" \
  --format mp4 \
  --output "1. Roadmap for backend from first principles.mp4"

Tips:

• Always use double quotes (") around paths with spaces
• The --input or -i flag is often clearer than positional arguments for complex paths
• You can use \ at the end of a line to continue a long command on the next line

convert-vid convert [input] [flags]

Note: You can provide the input path either as a positional argument (convert-vid convert "path") or using the --input flag (convert-vid convert --input "path"). The flag method is recommended for paths containing spaces.

• high: CRF 18, slow preset (best quality, larger files)
• medium: CRF 23, medium preset (balanced)
• low: CRF 28, fast preset (smaller files, lower quality)

# Basic conversion
convert-vid convert vacation.avi -f mp4

# With custom output and high quality
convert-vid convert vacation.avi -f mp4 -o vacation_hd.mp4 -q high

# Convert to different formats
convert-vid convert video.mp4 -f webm
convert-vid convert video.avi -f mkv
convert-vid convert video.mov -f flv

# Convert all videos in ./videos to mp4
convert-vid convert ./videos -f mp4

# Convert with custom output directory
convert-vid convert ./videos -f mp4 -o ./converted_videos

# Convert with 4 concurrent workers
convert-vid convert ./videos -f mp4 -c 4 -o ./output

# Convert with high quality and overwrite
convert-vid convert ./videos -f mp4 -q high --overwrite

The tool can read most common video formats including:

• mp4, avi, mov, mkv, webm, flv
• m4v, mpg, mpeg, wmv
• And many more supported by FFmpeg

• mp4 - MPEG-4 Part 14 (H.264)
• avi - Audio Video Interleave
• mov - QuickTime File Format
• mkv - Matroska Video
• webm - WebM
• flv - Flash Video

1. FFmpeg Wrapper: Uses FFmpeg for the actual video conversion
2. Concurrent Processing: Batch conversions use Go routines for parallel processing
3. Progress Feedback: Spinner animations show conversion progress
4. Smart Defaults: Automatically generates output filenames and uses optimal settings

• Single File: Conversion speed depends on video size and quality settings
• Batch Processing: Uses worker pool pattern with concurrent processing
• Default Workers: Matches your CPU core count for optimal performance
• Custom Concurrency: Adjust with -c flag based on your system resources

convert-vid-format/
├── main.go                 # Entry point
├── cmd/
│   ├── root.go            # Root command definition
│   └── convert.go         # Convert command implementation
├── internal/
│   ├── converter/
│   │   └── converter.go   # Core conversion logic
│   ├── progress/
│   │   └── progress.go    # Progress indicators
│   └── utils/
│       └── utils.go       # Helper functions
└── pkg/
    └── types/
        └── types.go       # Type definitions

go build -o convert-vid

go test ./...

go run main.go convert [args]

Error: ffmpeg is not installed or not in PATH

Solution: Install FFmpeg (see Prerequisites section)

Error: permission denied

Solution: Check file permissions or use sudo if needed

Error: output file already exists

Solution: Use --overwrite flag to replace existing files

Error: unsupported format

Solution: Check that the format is one of: mp4, avi, mov, mkv, webm, flv

Contributions are welcome! Please feel free to submit a Pull Request.

MIT License - see LICENSE file for details

• Built with Cobra for CLI framework
• Powered by FFmpeg for video conversion

Current version: 1.0.0

Note: This tool requires FFmpeg to be installed on your system. Make sure FFmpeg is in your PATH before using convert-vid.