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MediaFX

Process videos, audio, and media files with FFmpeg

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Overview

The node provides video processing capabilities using FFmpeg, focusing here on the Video - Trim operation. It trims a video to a specified segment defined by start and end times in seconds. This is useful for extracting clips from longer videos, creating highlights, or removing unwanted sections.

Common scenarios:

  • Extracting a short clip from a full-length video.
  • Creating previews or trailers by trimming key segments.
  • Removing intros/outros or commercials from recorded videos.

Practical example:
You have a 5-minute video hosted at a URL and want to extract a 10-second highlight starting at 1 minute 30 seconds. You provide the video URL as input, set start time to 90 seconds, and end time to 100 seconds. The node outputs the trimmed video clip.

Properties

Name Meaning
Video Source Defines the source of the video to trim. Options:
- URL: Provide a direct link to the video file (e.g., https://example.com/video.mp4).
- Binary Data: Use binary data from previous nodes; specify the binary property name.
Start Time (seconds) The start time in seconds from which to begin trimming the video. Default is 0 seconds.
End Time (seconds) The end time in seconds at which to stop trimming the video. Default is 10 seconds.

Output

The node outputs the trimmed video as binary data under the binary property named data. The output item contains:

  • json: An empty JSON object {} (no additional metadata).
  • binary.data: The trimmed video file content ready for further use or saving.

This binary output can be passed to other nodes for uploading, further processing, or storage.

Dependencies

  • Requires FFmpeg installed and accessible in the environment where n8n runs.
  • No external API keys or services are needed; all processing is local.
  • Uses internal helper functions to handle temporary files and binary data.

Troubleshooting

  • No binary data found: If using binary input, ensure the specified binary property exists and contains valid video data.
  • Invalid start/end times: Start time must be less than end time and within the video's duration.
  • File access errors: When using URLs, ensure the video is accessible and not behind authentication.
  • FFmpeg errors: Check that FFmpeg is installed and properly configured in your system PATH.
  • Operation did not produce output: Indicates an internal failure during trimming; verify inputs and parameters.

If the node fails and "Continue On Fail" is disabled, it will throw an error stopping execution. Enable "Continue On Fail" to receive error details per item without halting the workflow.

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