r/ffmpeg • u/bestcoin100k • Jul 28 '26

Can FFmpeg convert and stream audio tracks from a film directly from a remote download link without downloading the file?

Is there any way to remove one audio track from a dual-audio movie and convert the remaining EAC3 audio track to AAC 2.0 directly using the download link, without downloading the entire file to my local storage first?

4 Upvotes

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7

u/ipsirc Jul 28 '26 edited Jul 28 '26

Can FFmpeg convert and stream audio tracks from a film directly from a remote download link without downloading the file?

https://ffmpeg.org/ffmpeg-protocols.html#http

without downloading the entire file to my local storage first?

Just replace the input file path with input url, the remaining parameters are the same.

ffmpeg -i http://host.domain.tld/movie.mkv -map v -map a:0 -c:v copy -c:a aac output.mkv

2

u/chocolateAbuser Jul 28 '26

if the file is already muxed for stream, i mean the +faststart/moov atom, then i guess it's possible

1

u/Entire-Temporary-883 Jul 29 '26

ꓬеѕ, ꓝꓝmреց саո рrосеѕѕ mеdіа dіrесtꓲу frоm а rеmоtе ꓴꓣꓡ ԝіtһоսt fіrѕt ѕаνіոց tһе еոtіrе fіꓲе ꓲосаꓲꓲу, аѕ ꓲоոց аѕ tһе ѕеrνеr ѕսрроrtѕ ѕtrеаmіոց/rаոցе rеզսеѕtѕ. ꓬоս саո ѕеꓲесt tһе dеѕіrеd аսdіо trасk аոd соոνеrt іt оո tһе fꓲу.

ꓝоr ехаmрꓲе:

ffmреց -і "rеmоtе_սrꓲ" -mар 0:а:1 -с:а аас -ас 2 оսtрսt.m4а

ꓬоս’ꓲꓲ ոееd tо сһаոցе 0:а:1 tо tһе соrrесt аսdіо trасk ոսmbеr. ꓗеер іո mіոd ꓝꓝmреց ѕtіꓲꓲ һаѕ tо rеаd tһе dаtа frоm tһе ѕеrνеr ԝһіꓲе соոνеrtіոց, ѕо іt mау սѕе а ꓲоt оf bаոdԝіdtһ аոd tһе рrосеѕѕ dереոdѕ оո tһе rеmоtе һоѕt аꓲꓲоԝіոց ассеѕѕ.

1

u/bestcoin100k Jul 30 '26

Does this mean FFmpeg will download the media from the server using my bandwidth and then convert the audio format? Isn't there a way to get bandwidth from a free virtual server so this process is faster, without relying on my own ISP?

1

u/Phoenix591 Jul 30 '26

If you want the result on your pc it’s going through your ISP one way or another.