Video/Audio Metadata Extractor Extract comprehensive metadata from video and audio files using FFmpeg/FFprobe. Perfect for content creators, podcast producers, media managers, and developers who need structured media file information without technical complexity. ## 🎯 What it does This Actor extracts detailed metadata from media files including: - Duration (seconds) - Bitrate (kbps) - Codec information - Resolution (for video files) - Frame rate/FPS (for video files) - Audio channels (for audio files) - File size and format - Optional thumbnails from video files ## 🚀 Quick Start ### Input json { "mediaUrl": "https://www.w3schools.com/html/mov_bbb.mp4", "extractThumbnail": true } ### Output json { "duration": 10.027, "bitrate": 629, "codec": "h264", "resolution": "320x176", "fps": 25, "fileSize": 788493, "format": "mov,mp4,m4a,3gp,3g2,mj2", "audioChannels": 2, "thumbnailUrl": "https://api.apify.com/v2/key-value-stores/.../thumbnail.jpg", "sourceUrl": "https://www.w3schools.com/html/mov_bbb.mp4" } ## 📋 Input Parameters | Parameter | Type | Required | Default | Description | |-----------|------|----------|---------|-------------| | mediaUrl | string | Yes | - | URL to video or audio file (HTTP/HTTPS) | | extractThumbnail | boolean | No | false | Extract video thumbnail at 00:00:01 | ## 📊 Output Fields | Field | Type | Description | |-------|------|-------------| | duration | number | Duration in seconds | | bitrate | number | Bitrate in kbps | | codec | string | Video or audio codec (e.g., h264, aac) | | resolution | string | Video resolution (e.g., "1920x1080") | | fps | number | Frames per second (video only) | | fileSize | number | File size in bytes | | format | string | Container format | | audioChannels | number | Number of audio channels | | thumbnailUrl | string | URL to extracted thumbnail (if requested) | | sourceUrl | string | Original media file URL | ## 💰 Pricing This Actor uses pay-per-event pricing: - Actor Start: $0.01 (one-time charge when processing begins) - Successful Extraction: $0.005 per successfully processed media file You only pay for what you use. No charges for failed processing or errors. ## 🎬 Supported Formats ### Video Formats - MP4, MOV, AVI, MKV, WebM, FLV, WMV, MPEG, 3GP - H.264, H.265/HEVC, VP8, VP9, AV1 codecs ### Audio Formats - MP3, AAC, WAV, FLAC, OGG, M4A, WMA - Various audio codecs and bitrates ### Image/Thumbnail Output - JPEG format - Extracted at 1-second timestamp - Stored in Apify Key-Value Store ## 🔧 Technical Details - Runtime: Node.js 22 with TypeScript - Media Processing: FFmpeg/FFprobe - Download Timeout: 2 minutes per file - Maximum File Size: Limited by available memory (typically 2GB) - Error Handling: Graceful degradation with detailed error messages ## 📖 Use Cases ### Podcast Hosts Automatically extract episode duration, format, and technical specs for publishing platforms. ### Video Creators Batch process video libraries to generate metadata for content management systems. ### Music Platforms Analyze audio files for codec compatibility and streaming optimization. ### Content Agencies Track video metrics (resolution, FPS, duration) for client reporting and quality control. ### Developers Integrate media analysis into workflows without managing FFmpeg infrastructure. ## ⚡ Performance - Processing Speed: Typically 2-10 seconds per file (depending on file size) - Concurrent Processing: Single file per run (optimized for reliability) - Memory Usage: Efficient streaming for large files - Automatic Cleanup: Temporary files removed after processing ## 🛡️ Error Handling The Actor handles various error scenarios: - Invalid URLs - Network timeouts - Unsupported file formats - Corrupted media files - FFmpeg processing errors All errors are logged and returned in the output dataset for debugging. ## 🔍 Example Results ### Video File Example json { "duration": 120.5, "bitrate": 2500, "codec": "h264", "resolution": "1920x1080", "fps": 30, "fileSize": 37821450, "format": "mp4", "audioChannels": 2, "thumbnailUrl": "https://api.apify.com/v2/.../thumbnail.jpg", "sourceUrl": "https://example.com/video.mp4" } ### Audio File Example json { "duration": 180.25, "bitrate": 192, "codec": "mp3", "fileSize": 4325400, "format": "mp3", "audioChannels": 2, "sourceUrl": "https://example.com/podcast.mp3" } ## 🚀 Getting Started 1. Input your media URL (video or audio file) 2. Optionally enable thumbnail extraction for video files 3. Run the Actor and receive structured metadata 4. Access results in the Apify dataset or via API ## 💡 Tips - Use direct file URLs for best performance - Enable thumbnail extraction only for video files - Check the dataset for error messages if processing fails - Large files may take longer to process ## 🔗 Resources - Apify SDK Documentation - FFmpeg Documentation - Apify Platform ## 📞 Support For issues, questions, or feature requests, please contact support or create an issue in the project repository. --- Ready to extract media metadata? Start using the Video/Audio Metadata Extractor today!