Is There a Make.com FFmpeg Module? (And How to Use It)

Originally published at ffmpeg-micro.com.

You searched for an FFmpeg module in Make.com's app directory and came up empty. That's because there isn't one. Make.com doesn't have a native FFmpeg integration, and there's no third-party module for it either.

But you don't need one. Make.com's HTTP module can call any REST API, and that's all you need to add video processing to your scenarios. FFmpeg Micro gives you a simple REST API that handles FFmpeg on cloud infrastructure, so you can transcode, compress, and convert video without running FFmpeg yourself.

This guide walks you through setting up a Make.com scenario that transcodes video using the HTTP module and FFmpeg Micro's API.

Why Make.com Has No Native FFmpeg Module

FFmpeg is a command-line tool, not a SaaS product. It runs on a server and processes video files locally. Make.com modules connect to cloud services with APIs, and FFmpeg by itself doesn't have one.

That's the gap FFmpeg Micro fills. It wraps FFmpeg in a REST API running on auto-scaling cloud infrastructure. You send an HTTP request with your video URL and desired output format. FFmpeg Micro handles the processing and gives you a download link when it's done.

For Make.com users, this means you can use the standard HTTP module instead of waiting for a dedicated FFmpeg module that will probably never exist.

What You Need

A Make.com account (free tier works)
An FFmpeg Micro API key (sign up at ffmpeg-micro.com for a free tier)
A video file accessible via URL (cloud storage, direct link, etc.)

Setting Up Your Make.com FFmpeg Scenario

Step 1: Start a New Scenario

Create a new scenario in Make.com. You can trigger it however you want. A webhook, a scheduled run, or a Google Drive trigger that fires when a new file lands. For this walkthrough, we'll assume you already have a video URL to process.

Step 2: Add an HTTP Module to Start the Transcode

Add an HTTP > Make a request module with these settings:

URL: https://api.ffmpeg-micro.com/v1/transcodes
Method: POST
Headers: Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY and Content-Type: application/json
Body type: Raw
Content type: JSON
Request content:

{
  "inputs": [{"url": "https://example.com/your-video.mp4"}],
  "outputFormat": "mp4",
  "preset": {"quality": "medium", "resolution": "1080p"}
}

Replace the URL with your actual video source. The inputs field takes an array of objects, each with a url property. The outputFormat field sets your desired output. And the preset controls quality and resolution without requiring you to know FFmpeg flags.

If you need more control, skip the preset and pass raw FFmpeg options instead:

{
  "inputs": [{"url": "https://example.com/your-video.mp4"}],
  "outputFormat": "webm",
  "options": [
    {"option": "-c:v", "argument": "libvpx-vp9"},
    {"option": "-crf", "argument": "30"},
    {"option": "-b:v", "argument": "0"}
  ]
}

This gives you full FFmpeg power without installing anything.

Step 3: Poll for Job Completion

Transcoding takes time. The API returns a jobId immediately, and you poll for completion. Add a Repeater module set to run 10-15 times with a 15-second delay, followed by another HTTP > Make a request module:

URL: https://api.ffmpeg-micro.com/v1/transcodes/{{jobId}}
Method: GET
Headers: Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY

Check the status field in the response. When it reads completed, move to the next step. When it's processing or queued, the repeater loops again.

Add a Router after this module if you want to handle failed jobs separately.

Step 4: Download the Result

Once the job completes, add one more HTTP module to grab the download URL:

URL: https://api.ffmpeg-micro.com/v1/transcodes/{{jobId}}/download
Method: GET
Headers: Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY

The response includes a signed downloadUrl. Use another HTTP module to download the file, or pass the URL to Google Drive, Dropbox, or whatever storage you use in your scenario.

Common Make.com FFmpeg Workflows

Once the basic pattern works, you can build on it:

Convert uploaded videos to MP4 when a customer submits a .mov or .avi through a form
Generate compressed previews of large video files for review workflows
Extract audio from video by setting outputFormat to mp3 or m4a
Batch process new uploads by combining a Google Drive trigger with the transcode flow to process every new video automatically

The API supports MP4, WebM, AVI, MOV, MKV, FLV for video and MP3, M4A, AAC, WAV, OGG, Opus, FLAC for audio. You can convert between any of these formats.

Tips for Your Make.com FFmpeg Integration

Use a sleep module between polls if your videos are large. A 10-minute video might take 2-3 minutes to transcode. Set a 60-second sleep between status checks so you don't burn through Make.com operations.

Store your API key in a connection or data store rather than hardcoding it in every HTTP module. Makes key rotation painless later.

Handle errors explicitly. Add a filter after the status check that routes to an error handler if the job fails. The error response includes details about what went wrong.

You don't actually need a dedicated FFmpeg module in Make.com. The HTTP module and a REST API give you more flexibility than a fixed module would, because you control every parameter of the processing.