FFmpeg Transpose Filter: Rotate Clockwise and Flip

This guide explains how to use FFmpeg's built-in transpose video filter to rotate a video clockwise and flip it in a single operation. You will learn the exact command-line syntax using predefined filter values, understand the difference between vertical and horizontal flip combinations, and see how to execute the command without re-encoding your audio stream.

The Direct Command: Clockwise and Vertical Flip

The FFmpeg transpose filter features a built-in parameter designed specifically to rotate video 90 degrees clockwise and flip it vertically.

To execute this, use the numeric value 3 or the named alias clock_flp:

ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -vf "transpose=3" -c:a copy output.mp4

Alternatively, using the named alias:

ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -vf "transpose=clock_flp" -c:a copy output.mp4

Command Breakdown:

• -i input.mp4: Specifies the source video file.
• -vf "transpose=3": Applies the video filter to rotate 90 degrees clockwise and flip vertically.
• -c:a copy: Copies the audio stream directly without re-encoding to preserve quality and save processing time.
• output.mp4: The resulting output file.

Rotating Clockwise with a Horizontal Flip

The native transpose=3 filter performs a vertical flip alongside the clockwise rotation. If your use case requires a 90-degree clockwise rotation paired with a horizontal flip, chain the standard clockwise transpose filter (transpose=1) with the hflip filter:

ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -vf "transpose=1,hflip" -c:a copy output.mp4

Reference: Built-in transpose Values

The transpose filter accepts values from 0 to 3 to handle common rotation and flip combinations:

Rotating 270 Degrees Clockwise and Flipping

If you need to rotate clockwise by 270 degrees (equivalent to 90 degrees counter-clockwise) and flip vertically, use value 0:

ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -vf "transpose=0" -c:a copy output.mp4