FFmpeg in Make.com: 7 Scenarios That Don't Require Self-Hosting

Originally published at ffmpeg-micro.com.

Make.com doesn't have a native FFmpeg module. If you've searched the app directory for one, you already know. But you can still run any FFmpeg operation from a Make.com scenario using the HTTP module and a cloud FFmpeg API.

No Docker container. No server. No binary to install. One HTTP request with a JSON body, and your video gets processed in the cloud.

FFmpeg Micro is a cloud API that lets you add video processing to any app with a single HTTP call. No FFmpeg installation, no server management. All you need in Make.com is the HTTP module.

Setup: The HTTP Module

Every scenario below uses the same HTTP "Make a Request" module. Configure it once:

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

Get a free API key at ffmpeg-micro.com. The JSON body changes per scenario. The module config stays the same.

1. Convert Customer Uploads to Web-Ready MP4

Users upload MOV files from iPhones. Your web player only handles MP4.

{
  "inputs": [{ "url": "https://your-bucket.s3.amazonaws.com/upload.mov" }],
  "outputFormat": "mp4",
  "preset": {
    "quality": "high",
    "resolution": "1080p"
  }
}

The preset mode handles codec and quality for you. No FFmpeg flags required.

2. Trim Clips for Landing Pages

You have raw interview footage. You need a 15-second highlight for your homepage.

{
  "inputs": [{ "url": "https://your-storage.com/interview.mp4" }],
  "outputFormat": "mp4",
  "options": [
    { "option": "-ss", "argument": "00:02:15" },
    { "option": "-t", "argument": "15" }
  ]
}

This grabs 15 seconds starting at the 2:15 mark. The output is a clean, re-encoded MP4 ready for your site.

3. Create Vertical Shorts from Landscape Video

One horizontal video, cropped to 9:16 for TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts.

{
  "inputs": [{ "url": "https://your-storage.com/landscape.mp4" }],
  "outputFormat": "mp4",
  "options": [
    { "option": "-vf", "argument": "crop=ih*9/16:ih,scale=1080:1920" }
  ]
}

The crop math (ih*9/16:ih) takes the center of the frame and drops the sides. scale=1080:1920 outputs at standard vertical resolution.

4. Compress Old Video Archives

Your Google Drive is full of uncompressed screen recordings eating storage. Compress them without visible quality loss.

{
  "inputs": [{ "url": "https://your-storage.com/raw-recording.mp4" }],
  "outputFormat": "mp4",
  "options": [
    { "option": "-c:v", "argument": "libx264" },
    { "option": "-crf", "argument": "23" },
    { "option": "-preset", "argument": "slow" },
    { "option": "-c:a", "argument": "copy" }
  ]
}

CRF 23 is visually lossless for most content. The slow preset squeezes more compression at the cost of processing time. Audio stays untouched with -c:a copy.

5. Add Text Branding to Every Video

Your marketing team publishes 20 videos a week. Every one needs the company name burned into the frame.

{
  "inputs": [{ "url": "https://your-storage.com/raw-video.mp4" }],
  "outputFormat": "mp4",
  "options": [
    {
      "option": "@text-overlay",
      "argument": {
        "text": "Your Company Name",
        "style": {
          "fontSize": 36,
          "x": "W-tw-20",
          "y": "H-th-20",
          "boxBorderW": 8
        }
      }
    }
  ]
}

The @text-overlay virtual option handles font rendering, word wrap, and positioning. No drawtext filter syntax to wrestle with.

6. Stitch Multiple Clips Into One Highlight Reel

Three separate clips from a product demo. You need them joined into a single video for your sales deck.

{
  "inputs": [
    { "url": "https://your-storage.com/clip-1.mp4" },
    { "url": "https://your-storage.com/clip-2.mp4" },
    { "url": "https://your-storage.com/clip-3.mp4" }
  ],
  "outputFormat": "mp4",
  "preset": {
    "quality": "high"
  }
}

Pass multiple URLs in the inputs array. FFmpeg Micro concatenates them in order and re-encodes to a consistent output format.

7. Transcode to WebM for Web Delivery

Your site uses the <video> tag with WebM as the primary source. VP9 delivers smaller files than H.264 at the same visual quality.

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

VP9 with CRF 30 produces great quality at roughly half the file size of H.264. Setting -b:v 0 lets the CRF value fully control quality instead of capping bitrate.

Polling for Results

Every transcode job runs asynchronously. After creating one, poll the status:

GET https://api.ffmpeg-micro.com/v1/transcodes/{id}

When status is completed, grab the download URL:

GET https://api.ffmpeg-micro.com/v1/transcodes/{id}/download

In Make.com, use a "Repeater" module with a delay to poll every 10 seconds until the job finishes.

Get Started

FFmpeg Micro has a free tier with no credit card required. Grab an API key, drop an HTTP module into your next Make.com scenario, and try one of these JSON bodies.

No server. No Docker. No FFmpeg installation. Just an HTTP call.

Get your free API key

FAQ

Does Make.com have a native FFmpeg module?

No. Make.com can't run FFmpeg directly. You need an external API like FFmpeg Micro, which you call through Make.com's HTTP module. One POST request per video operation.

How much does video processing cost in Make.com?

FFmpeg Micro charges per minute of video processed, separate from your Make.com plan. There's a free tier for getting started. Most Make.com workflows process short clips (under 5 minutes each), so costs stay low. See pricing for current rates.

Can I chain multiple FFmpeg operations in one scenario?

Yes. Each FFmpeg Micro API call handles one operation. Chain multiple HTTP modules in your Make.com scenario to run sequential operations. For example: trim first, then compress, then add text. Each step gets its own HTTP module with a different JSON body.

What video formats does FFmpeg Micro support?

Input: MP4, WebM, AVI, MOV, MKV, plus audio formats (MP3, WAV, FLAC, AAC). Output: MP4, WebM, or MOV. Most Make.com workflows use MP4 for both input and output.

How long does processing take?

Most operations complete in 5 to 30 seconds for videos under 10 minutes. Longer videos or compute-heavy encoding (like H.265 with the slow preset) take proportionally longer. FFmpeg Micro scales automatically, so processing time stays consistent regardless of how many jobs you run.