ffmpeg-builds is a build system that produces static Windows and Linux binaries of FFmpeg from source.
The project automates compilation of FFmpeg and its dependencies into self-contained executables for Windows 7 and newer (with UCRT) and Linux systems running glibc 2.28 or later. It uses Docker-based build environments to ensure reproducibility across different host systems. The approach allows users to select licensing variants (GPL, LGPL, or nonfree), choose between static or shared library outputs, and optionally include additional features like debug symbols or link-time optimization. A daily automated build process generates releases for Windows and Linux ARM64 targets, with a retention policy that keeps the last 14 daily builds plus the final build of each month for two years.
The tool suits developers who need pre-compiled FFmpeg binaries without managing their own build infrastructure, particularly those targeting older Windows versions or specific Linux distributions. Users can also build custom variants locally by running the provided shell scripts with Docker. The project explicitly documents which dependencies have architecture limitations on ARM64 targets, such as davs2, xavs2, libmfx, and libva, helping users understand what features may be unavailable on certain platforms. The README does not compare this project to alternative build sources.
The project maintains a structured dependency system where each package in the scripts.d directory corresponds to a separate build component, making it straightforward to understand what libraries are included in each variant. Auto-builds execute on a fixed daily schedule and automatically release successful builds, providing consistent access to current FFmpeg versions. The build system supports multiple release branches in addition to the master branch, allowing users to target specific FFmpeg versions through addins.
