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Repair common Windows errors and clear accumulated junk for a smoother, more stable PC - no reinstall needed.Free scan · no reinstallTo loop an entire video and make an encoded output use a constant frame rate, put -stream_loop -1 before the input and re-encode with an output frame rate such as -r 30 or -fps_mode cfr. Use the source’s intended frame rate unless you have a reason to convert it: YouTube recommends encoding and uploading at the frame rate the video was recorded.
Loop the video and encode at a constant frame rate
This example repeats an MP4 indefinitely, encodes a one-hour output at 30 fps, and includes audio if the input has an audio stream:
ffmpeg -stream_loop -1 -i input.mp4 -map 0:v:0 -map '0:a?' -t 3600
-c:v libx264 -r 30 -pix_fmt yuv420p
-c:a aac -movflags +faststart output.mp4- Replace
input.mp4with your file andoutput.mp4with the desired output filename. - Replace
30with the intended frame rate. If the source rate is fractional, use the exact rational rate where appropriate, such as30000/1001. - Change
3600to the output duration in seconds. The command stops after that duration even though the input is set to loop indefinitely. -stream_loop -1is an input option, so it must appear before-i input.mp4. FFmpeg uses-1for infinite repetition.-map '0:a?'maps audio when present but allows the command to continue when the input has no audio. The video map selects the first video stream.
This is a starting point, not a guarantee for every source. Check the finished file’s playback and audio/video alignment, particularly if the source has unusual timestamps, variable frame rate, multiple tracks, or an audible or visible seam where the loop restarts.
Choose the frame rate before you encode
First determine the source’s intended frame rate and decide whether the output should preserve it. YouTube lists 24, 25, 30, 48, 50, and 60 fps as common rates, and says other rates are acceptable. Its recommendation is: “Content should be encoded and uploaded in the same frame rate it was recorded.” YouTube Help: YouTube recommended upload encoding settings.
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Preserve the source rate
For footage intended to be 25 fps, use -r 25; for footage intended to be 29.97 fps, use a rational value such as -r 30000/1001. Preserving the intended cadence avoids an unnecessary conversion. Variable-frame-rate files can require additional inspection: do not assume a single reported rate captures every timestamp irregularity.
Convert only when you have a target-rate reason
If you encode at a different rate, FFmpeg may duplicate or drop frames to reach it. That changes the cadence; it does not create genuinely new motion. FFmpeg documents the output -r behavior as duplicating or dropping frames before encoding to achieve the selected constant output rate. FFmpeg documentation: Video Options.
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Use CFR deliberately, not as a stream-copy label
Re-encoding with output -r
The example command re-encodes video with -c:v libx264. In that mode, output -r can set the encoded rate; FFmpeg duplicates or drops frames as needed. To state the constant-frame-rate intent explicitly, you can add -fps_mode cfr alongside the output rate, for example -r 30 -fps_mode cfr. FFmpeg defines cfr as duplicating or dropping frames to attain the requested constant rate. FFmpeg documentation: Video Options.
Stream copy does not convert the cadence
Using -c:v copy avoids decoding and re-encoding the video, but it also means FFmpeg does not duplicate or drop frames to produce CFR. An output -r value with stream copy only signals a rate to the muxer; if that rate conflicts with packet timestamps, the resulting file may be invalid. Use stream copy when preserving the existing encoded stream matters more than changing frame cadence—not as a way to make variable cadence constant.
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Choose whole-file looping or frame looping
| Method | What repeats | When to use it |
|---|---|---|
-stream_loop -1 |
The entire input file, indefinitely. | Use it for repeating a complete video as the input to a longer encode or stream workflow. |
Video loop filter |
Selected frames within the video. | Use it for a frame-level effect or a short section that must repeat, rather than repeating the whole input. |
For a finite number of whole-input repetitions, replace -1 with the desired loop count; 0 means no repetition. FFmpeg documents the input looping option and the separate video loop filter in its command-line documentation.
Check YouTube’s upload encoding recommendations separately
Looping and frame-rate conversion do not by themselves determine whether an export follows YouTube’s recommended upload encoding settings. For MP4 uploads, YouTube’s recommendations include H.264 video, progressive scan, High Profile, two consecutive B-frames, a closed GOP with a GOP length of half the frame rate, CABAC, and 4:2:0 chroma subsampling. It recommends BT.709 for standard-dynamic-range color. These are platform recommendations, not mandatory settings for every workflow. YouTube Help: YouTube recommended upload encoding settings.
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YouTube’s SDR bitrate recommendations vary by resolution and frame-rate group. For example, its table lists 1080p at 8 Mbps for standard frame rates and 12 Mbps for high frame rates; for 2160p/4K it lists 35–45 Mbps and 53–68 Mbps, respectively. Those are recommendations, not guaranteed quality outcomes or universal required bitrates. Consult YouTube’s current table for the resolution and frame-rate group you intend to upload.
The sample command uses H.264 and 4:2:0 pixel format, but it does not explicitly set every YouTube recommendation, such as profile, GOP structure, or bitrate. Add those only when your delivery requirements call for them and verify the resulting encode.
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Troubleshoot common results
- The output still is not constant frame rate: confirm that video is being re-encoded rather than copied, and set an output rate with
-r; optionally add-fps_mode cfr. - The motion looks uneven after conversion: compare the source’s intended rate with the requested rate. Conversion can duplicate or drop frames; return to the source rate if no conversion is needed.
- The output ends too soon or too late: check
-t, which sets the requested output duration in seconds. Remember that-stream_loop -1supplies repeated input but does not set the output duration. - The command fails on a silent video: retain the optional audio mapping
-map '0:a?'; without the question mark, mapping a missing audio stream can fail. - There is a pause, click, or jump at the loop seam: inspect the source’s ending and beginning, including audio and timestamps. Repetition cannot make mismatched endpoints seamless.
- The file behaves incorrectly after adding
-rwith-c:v copy: remove the frame-rate override or re-encode. Stream copy does not perform frame duplication or dropping.
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