Hey everyone! I'm having difficulties running FFmpeg inside a Docker container on my Mac M1. I'm not very experienced with either Docker or FFmpeg, and I've tried various methods but keep encountering errors. I need to automate converting images into videos, and FFmpeg seems like the best tool for this, since other options are either pricey or not as efficient. The main challenge seems to stem from the fact that my Mac uses the ARM64 architecture, while most FFmpeg Docker images are meant for AMD64, leading to these errors. I would love any advice from anyone who's dealt with this issue before, and if you have tips on solving it through an API instead of Docker, that would be awesome. Thanks!
3 Answers
Check out the Linuxserver FFmpeg container! It supports both ARM64 and AMD64 architectures. Just make sure you specify the target architecture when pulling the image to avoid issues.
You might want to check out the Apple Silicon build of FFmpeg. I found a source that has it available. Just make sure to grab the right version that matches your M1 setup!
I'll definitely give that a shot. I tried downloading it before, but I got an error when opening the ZIP file. I’m also checking GitHub for any files.
FFmpeg can take advantage of a GPU, which speeds up processing, but it can still run on CPU if needed. Are your automations going to stay on your Mac, or do you plan to use other Linux hosts later? If you're sticking with the Mac, consider installing FFmpeg directly with Homebrew instead of Docker. There are ARM64 builds from third parties too, and while you could build your own image for specific libraries, it's a complex task unless absolutely necessary. If you plan on running on AMD64 later, Docker Desktop can build those images with the `--platform` flag, but performance will suffer due to emulation.
Right now, I want to keep everything on my Mac, but I might switch to a VPS later. Just to clarify, I'm pretty new to this—more of a designer exploring automation. I can manage integrations, but FFmpeg is kind of overwhelming for me! I followed some setup guides, but I still can’t get it to work.
Got it, but how do I specify the architecture when pulling the container?