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FFmpeg MCP Server

by radzevich

FFmpeg MCP Server

A Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that provides secure FFmpeg functionality through a sandboxed environment. This server allows AI assistants and other MCP clients to perform video/audio processing tasks using FFmpeg in an isolated environment.

Features

  • Sandboxed Execution: All FFmpeg commands run in isolated temporary directories for security

  • File Management: Upload, download, and manage files within the sandbox

  • Google Cloud Storage Integration: Direct integration with GCS for file transfers

  • Security: Only FFmpeg commands are allowed, preventing arbitrary code execution

  • RESTful API: Runs as an HTTP server using FastMCP

Installation

Prerequisites

  • Python 3.11 or higher

  • FFmpeg installed on your system

  • (Optional) Google Cloud credentials for GCS features

Setup

  1. Clone the repository:

git clone <repository-url> cd ffmpeg_mcp
  1. Install dependencies using uv (recommended):

uv sync

Or using pip:

pip install -e .
  1. (Optional) Set up Google Cloud credentials for GCS integration:

export GOOGLE_APPLICATION_CREDENTIALS="path/to/your/credentials.json"

Usage

Starting the Server

python main.py

The server will start on localhost:8000 by default.

Available Tools

1. create_sandbox()

Creates a new isolated sandbox environment for FFmpeg operations.

Returns: Sandbox directory path

2. run_ffmpeg_command(sandbox, command)

Executes FFmpeg commands within the specified sandbox.

Parameters:

  • sandbox (str): Sandbox directory path

  • command (str): FFmpeg command to execute

Returns: Command output or error message

3. put_file(sandbox, filename, content)

Puts a file into the sandbox environment.

Parameters:

  • sandbox (str): Sandbox directory path

  • filename (str): Name of the file to create

  • content (bytes): File content

Returns: Full path of the created file

4. get_file(sandbox, filename)

Retrieves a file from the sandbox environment.

Parameters:

  • sandbox (str): Sandbox directory path

  • filename (str): Name of the file to retrieve

Returns: File content as bytes

5. delete_file(sandbox, filename)

Deletes a file from the sandbox environment.

Parameters:

  • sandbox (str): Sandbox directory path

  • filename (str): Name of the file to delete

Returns: Confirmation message

6. download_file(sandbox, url, filename)

Downloads a file from a URL into the sandbox.

Parameters:

  • sandbox (str): Sandbox directory path

  • url (str): URL of the file to download

  • filename (str): Local filename to save as

Returns: Full path of the downloaded file

7. upload_file(sandbox, filename, upload_url)

Uploads a file from the sandbox to a specified URL.

Parameters:

  • sandbox (str): Sandbox directory path

  • filename (str): Name of the file to upload

  • upload_url (str): Destination URL

Returns: Upload response

8. download_file_from_gcs(sandbox, gcs_url, filename)

Downloads a file from Google Cloud Storage.

Parameters:

  • sandbox (str): Sandbox directory path

  • gcs_url (str): GCS URL (gs://bucket/path)

  • filename (str): Local filename to save as

Returns: Full path of the downloaded file

9. upload_file_to_gcs(sandbox, filename, gcs_url)

Uploads a file to Google Cloud Storage.

Parameters:

  • sandbox (str): Sandbox directory path

  • filename (str): Name of the file to upload

  • gcs_url (str): Destination GCS URL

Returns: Confirmation message

Example Workflow

# 1. Create a sandbox sandbox = create_sandbox() # 2. Download a video file download_file(sandbox, "https://example.com/video.mp4", "input.mp4") # 3. Process with FFmpeg run_ffmpeg_command(sandbox, "ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -vf scale=720:480 output.mp4") # 4. Retrieve the processed file processed_video = get_file(sandbox, "output.mp4")

Security Features

  • Command Restriction: Only commands starting with "ffmpeg" are allowed

  • Sandbox Isolation: All operations are contained within temporary directories

  • Path Validation: Sandbox directories are validated before operations

  • Error Handling: Comprehensive error handling for failed operations

Configuration

The server runs on localhost:8000 by default. You can modify the host and port in the main.py file:

if __name__ == "__main__": mcp.run(transport="httpx", host="your-host", port=your-port)

Dependencies

  • httpx: HTTP client for file downloads and uploads

  • mcp[cli]: Model Context Protocol server framework

  • google-cloud-storage: Google Cloud Storage integration (optional)

-
security - not tested
A
license - permissive license
-
quality - not tested

local-only server

The server can only run on the client's local machine because it depends on local resources.

Enables secure video and audio processing using FFmpeg commands in an isolated sandbox environment. Supports file management, Google Cloud Storage integration, and URL-based file transfers for AI-powered multimedia operations.

  1. Features
    1. Installation
      1. Prerequisites
      2. Setup
    2. Usage
      1. Starting the Server
      2. Available Tools
    3. Example Workflow
      1. Security Features
        1. Configuration
          1. Dependencies

            MCP directory API

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