Playing and editing audio-visual from the command line
Melt
Lead Image © Okea, 123RF.com
Whether you are an expert or a beginner, you can learn to edit audio and video clips at the command line with Melt.
When free software users think of Melt, they usually think first of GCC MELT [1], the popular extension system to the GCC compiler. However, Melt, the command-line multimedia player [2], is just as interesting in its own right, because it supports every file format you can imagine, and probably a few that you haven't. Admittedly, Melt's non-standard syntax takes a bit of learning, but as a command, it can be as simple or as complex as you choose to make it.
Melt is part of the Media Lovin' Toolkit (MLT) [3], a cross-platform multimedia framework designed for television. Two characteristics make Melt stand out: First, it has few dependencies, and, second, it works with existing multimedia libraries and applications. These characteristics are possible because of Melt's modular design and its high-level bindings for major programming languages like C++, Java, Lua, Perl, PHP, Python, Ruby, and Tcl. Additionally, Melt is thoroughly modern, making use of multicore processors and GPU processors.
Functionally, Melt is a full-featured editor that can customize both audio and video clips in detail, either for one-time playback or for permanent changes. Strictly speaking, Melt was originally a test tool for the MLT framework. However, its versatility means that, in a few small circles, Melt has become that most free software of applications: A command-line tool for purposes that are usually expected only in a desktop environment. These days, Melt is often found by itself in the repositories of major distributions.
[...]
Buy this article as PDF
(incl. VAT)
Buy Linux Magazine
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.
News
-
Linux 7.4 is "Much Healthier" Thanks to AI
At nearly 42 million lines, Linux 7.4 is the largest merge in the kernel’s history.
-
Working Exploit for a Linux Kernel Flaw Made Public
Even before a bug received its CVE identifier or an upstream fix, the local privilege escalation vulnerability exploit found its way into the wild.
-
r/opensource Bans AI-Assisted and AI-Related Projects
The de facto subreddit for all things open source has not only banned AI-related projects but also users who "don't speak English."
-
Bottlenecks Discovered by Meta Engineers Lead to Scalability Improvements
Thanks to a small group of engineers at Meta, the Linux kernel module kernfs has been improved, which has led to some serious gains.
-
PwnEscape Poses VM Vulnerability
A guest-to-host escape flaw in Linux KVM, named PwnEscape, might be yet another means of attacking Linux.
-
Linux Mint 27 Set for a Christmas Release
The developers behind Linux Mint have announced a Christmas release, and it looks like Santa's sack will be brimming with features.
-
Is Linus Torvalds Vibe Coding?
The creator of Linux has added AI into his process for Linux kernel development, and it's more than just for debugging.
-
openKylin 3.0 Released with Expanded AI Integration
The latest release features a pre-installed AI agent to help perform tasks.
-
DigitalOcean Ends Open Source Credits Program
In a change that has surprised many open source developers, DigitalOcean has decided to sunset its Open Source Credits Program.
-
Office 365 Available for Testing on Linux via Bottles
Linux users can now test the official Office 365, thanks to Mirko Brombin's work on Bottles.