Reversing a Video File on Ubuntu Using FFmpeg

Reversing a video can be a creative effect for projects, memes, or analyzing motion. On Ubuntu, the most powerful tool for this job.

If you are new to the Ubuntu terminal or need a refresher on how to navigate directories and manage files, commands.page is an excellent resource to help you get comfortable with the command line before you begin.

Prerequisites

Before you start, ensure FFmpeg is installed on your system. Open your terminal (usually Ctrl+Alt+T) and run:

Bash

 

sudo apt update

sudo apt install ffmpeg

Reversing the Video

FFmpeg uses "filters" to modify streams. To reverse a video, we use the reverse filter.

1. Reversing Video Only (No Audio)

If your video has no sound, or you don't care about the audio, use the -vf (video filter) flag.

Run the following command:

Bash

 

ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -vf reverse output.mp4

 

• -i input.mp4: Specifies the file you want to reverse.

• -vf reverse: Tells FFmpeg to apply the video reversal filter.

• output.mp4: The name of the new, reversed file.

2. Reversing Video and Audio

If you want the sound to play backward as well (for a "demonic" or rewinding tape effect), you must also reverse the audio stream using the -af (audio filter) flag with areverse.

Run this command:

Bash

 

ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -vf reverse -af areverse output.mp4

 

Important Note on Memory Usage

The reverse filter works by buffering the entire video clip into your computer's RAM. For short clips, this is fine. However, if you attempt to reverse a large, high-resolution movie file, you may run out of memory.

For larger files, it is often better to split the video into smaller segments, reverse them individually, and then concatenate them back together.

Useful articles to help navigate the linux file system.

• Navigating Directories
• Delete Files 
• Move Files 
• Rename Files 
• Loop a Directory