How to Boost Bass at 60Hz with FFmpeg Equalizer
This guide demonstrates how to use the FFmpeg equalizer
audio filter to target and boost bass frequencies specifically at 60Hz.
You will learn the exact command-line syntax, the breakdown of the
required parameters, and how to apply these changes to both audio and
video files without losing quality.
The FFmpeg Bass Boost Command
To boost the 60Hz frequency, you need to apply the
equalizer audio filter (-af) in your FFmpeg
command.
Here is the standard command to boost the 60Hz frequency by 8 decibels (dB) for an audio file:
ffmpeg -i input.mp3 -af "equalizer=f=60:width_type=h:width=20:g=8" output.mp3Parameter Breakdown
The equalizer filter uses specific parameters to isolate
and modify the target frequency:
f=60: Specifies the center frequency in Hertz (Hz). Setting this to60targets the low-end sub-bass region.width_type=h: Defines the unit of measurement for the bandwidth. The valuehstands for Hz.width=20: Sets the width of the frequency band to 20Hz. This means the filter will affect frequencies from approximately 50Hz to 70Hz, centering at 60Hz.g=8: Sets the gain in decibels (dB). A positive number like8boosts the signal, while a negative number would attenuate (lower) it.
Boosting Bass in a Video File
If you are working with a video file (like an MP4) and want to boost the bass without re-encoding the video stream, use the following command to copy the video stream directly and only process the audio:
ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -c:v copy -af "equalizer=f=60:width_type=h:width=20:g=8" output.mp4Adjusting the Width using Q-Factor (Alternative)
Instead of defining the bandwidth width in Hz, you can use the Q-factor. A lower Q-factor results in a wider curve (affecting more surrounding frequencies), while a higher Q-factor creates a narrower, more precise boost.
ffmpeg -i input.mp3 -af "equalizer=f=60:width_type=q:width=1.2:g=8" output.mp3In this command, width_type=q and width=1.2
are used to create a smooth, musical bass boost around the 60Hz
mark.