<p>What the concat demuxer does is to zero out the starting timestamps of each file and make the last timestamp of a file and the starting timestamp of the next file smooth.</p>

<p>Your files have Vorbis audio, which has a codec delay of 70ms. The difference in total duration is the accumulation of these delays over all segments.</p>

<p>Skip the audio during concat and add it afterwards.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2018-04-26T18:04:05.820Z
2018-04-26T18:04:05.820Z
Gyan
<p>I have 239 small MKV video files with identical characteristics (they were cut from the original video with the same command but different <code>-ss -t</code> parameters).</p>

<p>I concatenate them all back into one long video and this video gets longer duration than the sum of durations of the small files.</p>

<p>All small files have <code>29.95 fps</code> but the concatenated video has <code>29.75 fps</code> and I do the <code>-c copy</code>, why does it change?</p>

<p>How can I concatenate the files and get the expected duration without frame rate change?</p>

<p>I counted frames of all input files and frames of the resulting video and the number of frames is the same, so the problem is in fps.</p>

<p>Also I tried to re-encode instead of copy and get proper 29.95 fps but the duration is still longer than the original, number of frames also increased...</p>

<p>I'm lost here, please advise.</p>

<p>Here is my original <code>concat</code> command:</p>

<pre><code>ffmpeg -f concat -safe 0 -i lst -c copy -y concat.mp4
</code></pre>

<p>List file 'lst' contains:</p>

<pre><code>file test_000.mkv
file test_001.mkv
file test_002.mkv
....
</code></pre>

<p>ffprobe for the first two files, they all differ by duration only:</p>

<pre><code>ffprobe version 4.0-static https://johnvansickle.com/ffmpeg/  
Copyright (c) 2007-2018 the FFmpeg developers
built with gcc 6.3.0 (Debian 6.3.0-18+deb9u1) 20170516
configuration: --enable-gpl --enable-version3 --enable-static --disable-debug --disable-ffplay --disable-indev=sndio --disable-outdev=sndio --cc=gcc-6 --enable-libxml2 --enable-fontconfig --enable-frei0r --enable-gnutls --enable-gray --enable-libaom --enable-libfribidi --enable-libass --enable-libfreetype --enable-libmp3lame --enable-libopencore-amrnb --enable-libopencore-amrwb --enable-libopenjpeg --enable-librubberband --enable-libsoxr --enable-libspeex --enable-libvorbis --enable-libopus --enable-libtheora --enable-libvidstab --enable-libvo-amrwbenc --enable-libvpx --enable-libwebp --enable-libx264 --enable-libx265 --enable-libxml2 --enable-libxvid --enable-libzimg
libavutil      56. 14.100 / 56. 14.100
libavcodec     58. 18.100 / 58. 18.100
libavformat    58. 12.100 / 58. 12.100
libavdevice    58.  3.100 / 58.  3.100
libavfilter     7. 16.100 /  7. 16.100
libswscale      5.  1.100 /  5.  1.100
libswresample   3.  1.100 /  3.  1.100
libpostproc    55.  1.100 / 55.  1.100
Input #0, matroska,webm, from 'test_000.mkv':
Metadata:
ENCODER         : Lavf58.10.100
Duration: 00:00:19.07, start: 0.064000, bitrate: 12639 kb/s
Stream #0:0: Video: h264 (High), yuv420p(progressive), 1920x1080, 29.95 fps, 29.95 tbr, 1k tbn, 59.90 tbc (default)
Metadata:
  ENCODER         : Lavc58.14.100 libx264
  DURATION        : 00:00:19.065000000
Stream #0:1: Audio: vorbis, 48000 Hz, mono, fltp
Metadata:
  ENCODER         : Lavc58.14.100 libvorbis
  DURATION        : 00:00:19.068000000
</code></pre>

<p>Second file:</p>

<pre><code>    ffprobe version 4.0-static https://johnvansickle.com/ffmpeg/  Copyright (c) 2007-2018 the FFmpeg developers
        built with gcc 6.3.0 (Debian 6.3.0-18+deb9u1) 20170516
    configuration: --enable-gpl --enable-version3 --enable-static --disable-debug --disable-ffplay --disable-indev=sndio --disable-outdev=sndio --cc=gcc-6 --enable-libxml2 --enable-fontconfig --enable-frei0r --enable-gnutls --enable-gray --enable-libaom --enable-libfribidi --enable-libass --enable-libfreetype --enable-libmp3lame --enable-libopencore-amrnb --enable-libopencore-amrwb --enable-libopenjpeg --enable-librubberband --enable-libsoxr --enable-libspeex --enable-libvorbis --enable-libopus --enable-libtheora --enable-libvidstab --enable-libvo-amrwbenc --enable-libvpx --enable-libwebp --enable-libx264 --enable-libx265 --enable-libxml2 --enable-libxvid --enable-libzimg
    libavutil      56. 14.100 / 56. 14.100
    libavcodec     58. 18.100 / 58. 18.100
    libavformat    58. 12.100 / 58. 12.100
    libavdevice    58.  3.100 / 58.  3.100
    libavfilter     7. 16.100 /  7. 16.100
    libswscale      5.  1.100 /  5.  1.100
    libswresample   3.  1.100 /  3.  1.100
    libpostproc    55.  1.100 / 55.  1.100
    Input #0, matroska,webm, from 'test_001.mkv':
    Metadata:
        ENCODER         : Lavf58.10.100
    Duration: 00:00:12.07, start: 0.064000, bitrate: 10773 kb/s
    Stream #0:0: Video: h264 (High), yuv420p(progressive), 1920x1080, 29.95 fps, 29.95 tbr, 1k tbn, 59.90 tbc (default)
    Metadata:
        ENCODER         : Lavc58.14.100 libx264
    DURATION        : 00:00:12.053000000
    Stream #0:1: Audio: vorbis, 48000 Hz, mono, fltp
    Metadata:
        ENCODER         : Lavc58.14.100 libvorbis
    DURATION        : 00:00:12.067000000
</code></pre>

<p>Resulting video:</p>

<pre><code>ffprobe version 4.0-static https://johnvansickle.com/ffmpeg/  Copyright (c) 2007-2018 the FFmpeg developers
    built with gcc 6.3.0 (Debian 6.3.0-18+deb9u1) 20170516
configuration: --enable-gpl --enable-version3 --enable-static --disable-debug --disable-ffplay --disable-indev=sndio --disable-outdev=sndio --cc=gcc-6 --enable-libxml2 --enable-fontconfig --enable-frei0r --enable-gnutls --enable-gray --enable-libaom --enable-libfribidi --enable-libass --enable-libfreetype --enable-libmp3lame --enable-libopencore-amrnb --enable-libopencore-amrwb --enable-libopenjpeg --enable-librubberband --enable-libsoxr --enable-libspeex --enable-libvorbis --enable-libopus --enable-libtheora --enable-libvidstab --enable-libvo-amrwbenc --enable-libvpx --enable-libwebp --enable-libx264 --enable-libx265 --enable-libxml2 --enable-libxvid --enable-libzimg
libavutil      56. 14.100 / 56. 14.100
libavcodec     58. 18.100 / 58. 18.100
libavformat    58. 12.100 / 58. 12.100
libavdevice    58.  3.100 / 58.  3.100
libavfilter     7. 16.100 /  7. 16.100
libswscale      5.  1.100 /  5.  1.100
libswresample   3.  1.100 /  3.  1.100
libpostproc    55.  1.100 / 55.  1.100
Input #0, mov,mp4,m4a,3gp,3g2,mj2, from 'concat.mp4':
Metadata:
    major_brand     : isom
minor_version   : 512
compatible_brands: isomiso2avc1mp41
encoder         : Lavf58.10.100
Duration: 00:41:23.73, start: 0.000000, bitrate: 9392 kb/s
Stream #0:0(und): Video: h264 (High) (avc1 / 0x31637661), yuv420p, 1920x1080, 9313 kb/s, 29.75 fps, 29.97 tbr, 16k tbn, 59.90 tbc (default)
Metadata:
    handler_name    : VideoHandler
Stream #0:1(und): Audio: vorbis (mp4a / 0x6134706D), 48000 Hz, mono, fltp, 66 kb/s (default)
Metadata:
    handler_name    : SoundHandler
</code></pre>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2018-04-26T15:42:09.137Z
The difference is due to the accumulation of the audio delay. What are you altering in the segment files?
Gyan
CC BY-SA 3.0
2018-04-26T15:50:04.527Z
The original video has a huge panoramic frame, I cut fullhd parts from it from different places.
Northern Captain
CC BY-SA 3.0
2018-04-26T16:04:43.687Z
So, no editing of the audio? Run your concat command with audio disabled `-an` and check.
Gyan
CC BY-SA 3.0
2018-04-26T17:22:51.080Z
You are right, if I remove the audio channel everything becomes fine and the duration is exactly as it should be. Thanks, but I don't understand why this is happening, why it's impossible to cut the audio exactly at the time the video frame ends.
Now will do the workaround - concat video only and then merge with audio channel from the original full length video.
Thanks a lot!
Northern Captain
<ffmpeg>
ffmpeg - concatenate multiple almost identical files ends up in longer video than expected
Northern Captain
# ffmpeg - concatenate multiple almost identical files ends up in longer video than expected

(Asked by: username_0 on 2018-04-26)

I have 239 small MKV video files with identical characteristics (they were cut from the original video with the same command but different -ss -t parameters).
I concatenate them all back into one long video and this video gets longer duration than the sum of durations of the small files.
All small files have 29.95 fps but the concatenated video has 29.75 fps and I do the -c copy, why does it change?
How can I concatenate the files and get the expected duration without frame rate change?
I counted frames of all input files and frames of the resulting video and the number of frames is the same, so the problem is in fps.
Also I tried to re-encode instead of copy and get proper 29.95 fps but the duration is still longer than the original, number of frames also increased...
I'm lost here, please advise.
Here is my original concat command:
ffmpeg -f concat -safe 0 -i lst -c copy -y concat.mp4

List file 'lst' contains:
file test_000.mkv
file test_001.mkv
file test_002.mkv
....

ffprobe for the first two files, they all differ by duration only:
ffprobe version 4.0-static https://johnvansickle.com/ffmpeg/  
Copyright (c) 2007-2018 the FFmpeg developers
built with gcc 6.3.0 (Debian 6.3.0-18+deb9u1) 20170516
configuration: --enable-gpl --enable-version3 --enable-static --disable-debug --disable-ffplay --disable-indev=sndio --disable-outdev=sndio --cc=gcc-6 --enable-libxml2 --enable-fontconfig --enable-frei0r --enable-gnutls --enable-gray --enable-libaom --enable-libfribidi --enable-libass --enable-libfreetype --enable-libmp3lame --enable-libopencore-amrnb --enable-libopencore-amrwb --enable-libopenjpeg --enable-librubberband --enable-libsoxr --enable-libspeex --enable-libvorbis --enable-libopus --enable-libtheora --enable-libvidstab --enable-libvo-amrwbenc --enable-libvpx --enable-libwebp --enable-libx264 --enable-libx265 --enable-libxml2 --enable-libxvid --enable-libzimg
libavutil      56. 14.100 / 56. 14.100
libavcodec     58. 18.100 / 58. 18.100
libavformat    58. 12.100 / 58. 12.100
libavdevice    58.  3.100 / 58.  3.100
libavfilter     7. 16.100 /  7. 16.100
libswscale      5.  1.100 /  5.  1.100
libswresample   3.  1.100 /  3.  1.100
libpostproc    55.  1.100 / 55.  1.100
Input #0, matroska,webm, from 'test_000.mkv':
Metadata:
ENCODER         : Lavf58.10.100
Duration: 00:00:19.07, start: 0.064000, bitrate: 12639 kb/s
Stream #0:0: Video: h264 (High), yuv420p(progressive), 1920x1080, 29.95 fps, 29.95 tbr, 1k tbn, 59.90 tbc (default)
Metadata:
  ENCODER         : Lavc58.14.100 libx264
  DURATION        : 00:00:19.065000000
Stream #0:1: Audio: vorbis, 48000 Hz, mono, fltp
Metadata:
  ENCODER         : Lavc58.14.100 libvorbis
  DURATION        : 00:00:19.068000000

Second file:
    ffprobe version 4.0-static https://johnvansickle.com/ffmpeg/  Copyright (c) 2007-2018 the FFmpeg developers
        built with gcc 6.3.0 (Debian 6.3.0-18+deb9u1) 20170516
    configuration: --enable-gpl --enable-version3 --enable-static --disable-debug --disable-ffplay --disable-indev=sndio --disable-outdev=sndio --cc=gcc-6 --enable-libxml2 --enable-fontconfig --enable-frei0r --enable-gnutls --enable-gray --enable-libaom --enable-libfribidi --enable-libass --enable-libfreetype --enable-libmp3lame --enable-libopencore-amrnb --enable-libopencore-amrwb --enable-libopenjpeg --enable-librubberband --enable-libsoxr --enable-libspeex --enable-libvorbis --enable-libopus --enable-libtheora --enable-libvidstab --enable-libvo-amrwbenc --enable-libvpx --enable-libwebp --enable-libx264 --enable-libx265 --enable-libxml2 --enable-libxvid --enable-libzimg
    libavutil      56. 14.100 / 56. 14.100
    libavcodec     58. 18.100 / 58. 18.100
    libavformat    58. 12.100 / 58. 12.100
    libavdevice    58.  3.100 / 58.  3.100
    libavfilter     7. 16.100 /  7. 16.100
    libswscale      5.  1.100 /  5.  1.100
    libswresample   3.  1.100 /  3.  1.100
    libpostproc    55.  1.100 / 55.  1.100
    Input #0, matroska,webm, from 'test_001.mkv':
    Metadata:
        ENCODER         : Lavf58.10.100
    Duration: 00:00:12.07, start: 0.064000, bitrate: 10773 kb/s
    Stream #0:0: Video: h264 (High), yuv420p(progressive), 1920x1080, 29.95 fps, 29.95 tbr, 1k tbn, 59.90 tbc (default)
    Metadata:
        ENCODER         : Lavc58.14.100 libx264
    DURATION        : 00:00:12.053000000
    Stream #0:1: Audio: vorbis, 48000 Hz, mono, fltp
    Metadata:
        ENCODER         : Lavc58.14.100 libvorbis
    DURATION        : 00:00:12.067000000

Resulting video:
ffprobe version 4.0-static https://johnvansickle.com/ffmpeg/  Copyright (c) 2007-2018 the FFmpeg developers
    built with gcc 6.3.0 (Debian 6.3.0-18+deb9u1) 20170516
configuration: --enable-gpl --enable-version3 --enable-static --disable-debug --disable-ffplay --disable-indev=sndio --disable-outdev=sndio --cc=gcc-6 --enable-libxml2 --enable-fontconfig --enable-frei0r --enable-gnutls --enable-gray --enable-libaom --enable-libfribidi --enable-libass --enable-libfreetype --enable-libmp3lame --enable-libopencore-amrnb --enable-libopencore-amrwb --enable-libopenjpeg --enable-librubberband --enable-libsoxr --enable-libspeex --enable-libvorbis --enable-libopus --enable-libtheora --enable-libvidstab --enable-libvo-amrwbenc --enable-libvpx --enable-libwebp --enable-libx264 --enable-libx265 --enable-libxml2 --enable-libxvid --enable-libzimg
libavutil      56. 14.100 / 56. 14.100
libavcodec     58. 18.100 / 58. 18.100
libavformat    58. 12.100 / 58. 12.100
libavdevice    58.  3.100 / 58.  3.100
libavfilter     7. 16.100 /  7. 16.100
libswscale      5.  1.100 /  5.  1.100
libswresample   3.  1.100 /  3.  1.100
libpostproc    55.  1.100 / 55.  1.100
Input #0, mov,mp4,m4a,3gp,3g2,mj2, from 'concat.mp4':
Metadata:
    major_brand     : isom
minor_version   : 512
compatible_brands: isomiso2avc1mp41
encoder         : Lavf58.10.100
Duration: 00:41:23.73, start: 0.000000, bitrate: 9392 kb/s
Stream #0:0(und): Video: h264 (High) (avc1 / 0x31637661), yuv420p, 1920x1080, 9313 kb/s, 29.75 fps, 29.97 tbr, 16k tbn, 59.90 tbc (default)
Metadata:
    handler_name    : VideoHandler
Stream #0:1(und): Audio: vorbis (mp4a / 0x6134706D), 48000 Hz, mono, fltp, 66 kb/s (default)
Metadata:
    handler_name    : SoundHandler

**Tags:** ffmpeg

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: The difference is due to the accumulation of the audio delay. What are you altering in the segment files?  
> **username_0**: The original video has a huge panoramic frame, I cut fullhd parts from it from different places.  
> **username_1**: So, no editing of the audio? Run your concat command with audio disabled `-an` and check.  
> **username_0**: You are right, if I remove the audio channel everything becomes fine and the duration is exactly as it should be. Thanks, but I don't understand why this is happening, why it's impossible to cut the audio exactly at the time the video frame ends. Now will do the workaround - concat video only and then merge with audio channel from the original full length video. Thanks a lot!  

---

## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2018-04-26. Score: 2 | Accepted answer

What the concat demuxer does is to zero out the starting timestamps of each file and make the last timestamp of a file and the starting timestamp of the next file smooth.

Your files have Vorbis audio, which has a codec delay of 70ms. The difference in total duration is the accumulation of these delays over all segments.

Skip the audio during concat and add it afterwards.


---

