Creating an if-then statement when using FFMPEG

[Jim Sustacek]

If the quality is good at the lowest bitrate, why not use the lowest bitrate for all files? 🙂

I don’t know how to do any if/else switching within FFMPEG, but if you are indeed on a Mac, you could do it with BASH scripting in the Terminal, or even easier, using an Applescript. Save the following Applescript code as an application and then drag your video files onto it. (Edit the FFMPEG command to your liking, of course!)

-- Drop files on app icon
on open the_files

-- Loop through files
repeat with i from 1 to length of the_files

-- Get file path
set the_file to (item i of the_files) as text

-- Get file size in MB
set file_size to (size of (info for file the_file)) / 1000000

-- Set your FFMPEG command base
set the_command to ("/path/to/ffmpeg -i " & quoted form of (POSIX path of the_file) & " -b:a 128k -b:v ")

-- Append different video bitrates to your FFMPEG command based on file size
if file_size is greater than 200 then
set the_command to (the_command & "1500")
else if file_size is greater than 100 then
set the_command to (the_command & "1100")
else
set the_command to (the_command & "555")
end if

-- Finish your FFMPEG command
set the_command to (the_command & "k " & quoted form of (POSIX path of (the_file & ".compressed.mp4")))

-- Run your FFMPEG command
do shell script (the_command)

end repeat

end open