How to Find FFmpeg Path on macOS

Finding the exact path of the FFmpeg binary on macOS is essential for configuring media scripts, video editing software, or development environments. This guide provides quick, step-by-step methods to locate your FFmpeg installation using the macOS Terminal, whether you installed it via Homebrew, MacPorts, or a manual download.

Method 1: Use the which Command

The fastest way to find FFmpeg is by using the which command. This command searches your system’s PATH enviornment variable and returns the path of the executable currently in use.

  1. Open the Terminal app (press Cmd + Space, type “Terminal”, and press Enter).

  2. Type the following command and press Enter:

    which ffmpeg

  3. The Terminal will output the absolute path. For example:

    • Homebrew (Apple Silicon M1/M2/M3): /opt/homebrew/bin/ffmpeg
    • Homebrew (Intel Mac): /usr/local/bin/ffmpeg

Method 2: Use the type Command

If the which command does not yield results, or if you want to see if FFmpeg is aliased, use the type command:

type -a ffmpeg

This will display all locations associated with the ffmpeg command name on your system.

Method 3: Standard Installation Paths

If you installed FFmpeg using popular package managers, it is highly likely located in one of these standard directories:

You can verify if the file exists in these paths by running:

ls -la /opt/homebrew/bin/ffmpeg

Method 4: Search the Entire System

If you downloaded the FFmpeg binary manually and cannot remember where you saved it, you can search your entire hard drive using the find command.

Run the following command in Terminal:

find / -name "ffmpeg" 2>/dev/null

Note: This search may take a few minutes to scan your drive. The 2>/dev/null portion of the command hides “Permission Denied” errors, keeping your terminal output clean.