Dev Tools · 3h ago
FFmpeg bitrate math: hitting exact file sizes without guesswork
A developer explains how to calculate video bitrate from target file size and duration, eliminating trial-and-error encoding. The method reserves 2% for container overhead and subtracts audio bitrate before solving for video bitrate. The author implemented the approach in a Rust CLI tool called DeepShrink.
Meridian48 take
The math is straightforward, but most tutorials skip it — this post fills a practical gap for developers who need precise file sizes for platforms like Discord.
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How I make ffmpeg hit an exact file size (the bitrate math nobody explains) →
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ffmpegvideo-encoding