How do I name an audio track with ffmpeg

Question

When a file has more audio tracks, VLC can show their names - or titles, I am not sure about the terminology - in menu under Audio>Audio Track.

When I recode the file with

ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -map 0:0 -map 0:1 -map 0:2  -c:v libx264 -preset slow -profile:v high -crf 17  -c:a copy output.mp4

The names get lost and only generic "Track 1" and "Track 2" appear. How do I keep it? Or how do I set a custom name.

The output of the command is like this:

ffmpeg -ss 0 -i Shades_of_winter_24FPS_x264_5.1_AC3+R128.mp4 -map 0:0 -map 0:1 -map 0:2  -vf "ass=p.ass"  -c:v libx264 -preset slow -profile:v high -crf 17  -c:a copy -metadata:s:a:0:0 -language="ble" -metadata:s:a:1 language="bli" -metadata:s:a:0:2 title="bla"  -t 6 a.mp4
ffmpeg version 2.3.git-1ace957 Copyright (c) 2000-2014 the FFmpeg developers
  built on Jul 26 2014 20:25:06 with gcc 4.8 (Ubuntu 4.8.2-19ubuntu1)
  configuration: --extra-libs=-ldl --prefix=/opt/ffmpeg --enable-avresample --disable-debug --enable-nonfree --enable-gpl --enable-version3 --enable-x11grab --enable-libpulse --enable-libopencore-amrnb --enable-libopencore-amrwb --disable-decoder=amrnb --disable-decoder=amrwb --enable-libx264 --enable-libx265 --enable-libfdk-aac --enable-libvorbis --enable-libmp3lame --enable-libopus --enable-libvpx --enable-libspeex --enable-libass --enable-avisynth --enable-libsoxr
  libavutil      52. 92.101 / 52. 92.101
  libavcodec     55. 69.100 / 55. 69.100
  libavformat    55. 49.100 / 55. 49.100
  libavdevice    55. 13.102 / 55. 13.102
  libavfilter     4. 11.102 /  4. 11.102
  libavresample   1.  3.  0 /  1.  3.  0
  libswscale      2.  6.100 /  2.  6.100
  libswresample   0. 19.100 /  0. 19.100
  libpostproc    52.  3.100 / 52.  3.100
Input #0, mov,mp4,m4a,3gp,3g2,mj2, from 'Shades_of_winter_24FPS_x264_5.1_AC3+R128.mp4':
  Metadata:
    major_brand     : mp42
    minor_version   : 0
    compatible_brands: mp42isomavc1
    creation_time   : 2014-10-04 00:16:47
    encoder         : HandBrake 0.9.9 2013051800
  Duration: 00:51:22.63, start: 0.000000, bitrate: 19802 kb/s
    Stream #0:0(und): Video: h264 (High) (avc1 / 0x31637661), yuv420p(tv, bt709), 1920x1080 [SAR 1:1 DAR 16:9], 18780 kb/s, 24 fps, 24 tbr, 90k tbn, 180k tbc (default)
    Metadata:
      creation_time   : 2014-10-04 00:16:47
      encoder         : JVT/AVC Coding
    Stream #0:1(und): Audio: ac3 (ac-3 / 0x332D6361), 48000 Hz, 5.1(side), fltp, 640 kb/s (default)
    Metadata:
      creation_time   : 2014-10-04 00:16:47
    Stream #0:2(und): Audio: aac (mp4a / 0x6134706D), 44100 Hz, stereo, fltp, 197 kb/s
    Metadata:
      creation_time   : 2014-10-12 23:08:29
File 'a.mp4' already exists. Overwrite ? [y/N] y
[Parsed_ass_0 @ 0x1a682a0] Added subtitle file: 'p.ass' (7 styles, 9 events)
[libx264 @ 0x1a87be0] using SAR=1/1
[libx264 @ 0x1a87be0] using cpu capabilities: MMX2 SSE2Fast SSSE3 SSE4.2 AVX
[libx264 @ 0x1a87be0] profile High, level 5.0
[libx264 @ 0x1a87be0] 264 - core 142 r2389 956c8d8 - H.264/MPEG-4 AVC codec - Copyleft 2003-2014 - http://www.videolan.org/x264.html - options: cabac=1 ref=5 deblock=1:0:0 analyse=0x3:0x113 me=umh subme=8 psy=1 psy_rd=1.00:0.00 mixed_ref=1 me_range=16 chroma_me=1 trellis=1 8x8dct=1 cqm=0 deadzone=21,11 fast_pskip=1 chroma_qp_offset=-2 threads=12 lookahead_threads=2 sliced_threads=0 nr=0 decimate=1 interlaced=0 bluray_compat=0 constrained_intra=0 bframes=3 b_pyramid=2 b_adapt=2 b_bias=0 direct=3 weightb=1 open_gop=0 weightp=2 keyint=250 keyint_min=24 scenecut=40 intra_refresh=0 rc_lookahead=50 rc=crf mbtree=1 crf=17.0 qcomp=0.60 qpmin=0 qpmax=69 qpstep=4 ip_ratio=1.40 aq=1:1.00
[mp4 @ 0x1a86a20] track 1: codec frame size is not set
Output #0, mp4, to 'a.mp4':
  Metadata:
    major_brand     : mp42
    minor_version   : 0
    compatible_brands: mp42isomavc1
    encoder         : Lavf55.49.100
    Stream #0:0(und): Video: h264 (libx264) ([33][0][0][0] / 0x0021), yuv420p, 1920x1080 [SAR 1:1 DAR 16:9], q=-1--1, 24 fps, 12288 tbn, 24 tbc (default)
    Metadata:
      creation_time   : 2014-10-04 00:16:47
      encoder         : Lavc55.69.100 libx264
    Stream #0:1(und): Audio: ac3 ([165][0][0][0] / 0x00A5), 48000 Hz, 5.1(side), 640 kb/s (default)
    Metadata:
      creation_time   : 2014-10-04 00:16:47
      -language       : ble
      title           : bla
    Stream #0:2(bli): Audio: aac ([64][0][0][0] / 0x0040), 44100 Hz, stereo, 197 kb/s
    Metadata:
      creation_time   : 2014-10-12 23:08:29
Stream mapping:
  Stream #0:0 -> #0:0 (h264 (native) -> h264 (libx264))
  Stream #0:1 -> #0:1 (copy)
  Stream #0:2 -> #0:2 (copy)
Press [q] to stop, [?] for help
[Parsed_ass_0 @ 0x1a682a0] Neither PlayResX nor PlayResY defined. Assuming 384x288
frame=  144 fps= 79 q=-1.0 Lsize=     651kB time=00:00:06.01 bitrate= 886.3kbits/s    
video:122kB audio:522kB subtitle:0kB other streams:0kB global headers:0kB muxing overhead: 1.122499%
[libx264 @ 0x1a87be0] frame I:1     Avg QP: 2.17  size:  7785
[libx264 @ 0x1a87be0] frame P:48    Avg QP:11.31  size:  2128
[libx264 @ 0x1a87be0] frame B:95    Avg QP:11.73  size:   151
[libx264 @ 0x1a87be0] consecutive B-frames: 11.1%  1.4%  4.2% 83.3%
[libx264 @ 0x1a87be0] mb I  I16..4: 99.1%  0.0%  0.9%
[libx264 @ 0x1a87be0] mb P  I16..4:  0.1%  0.1%  0.2%  P16..4:  1.1%  0.2%  0.1%  0.0%  0.0%    skip:98.1%
[libx264 @ 0x1a87be0] mb B  I16..4:  0.0%  0.0%  0.0%  B16..8:  0.4%  0.0%  0.0%  direct: 0.0%  skip:99.5%  L0:51.3% L1:43.9% BI: 4.8%
[libx264 @ 0x1a87be0] 8x8 transform intra:4.3% inter:28.6%
[libx264 @ 0x1a87be0] direct mvs  spatial:92.6% temporal:7.4%
[libx264 @ 0x1a87be0] coded y,uvDC,uvAC intra: 5.4% 2.2% 2.2% inter: 0.2% 0.0% 0.0%
[libx264 @ 0x1a87be0] i16 v,h,dc,p: 97%  1%  2%  0%
[libx264 @ 0x1a87be0] i8 v,h,dc,ddl,ddr,vr,hd,vl,hu:  2%  3% 94%  0%  0%  0%  0%  0%  0%
[libx264 @ 0x1a87be0] i4 v,h,dc,ddl,ddr,vr,hd,vl,hu: 36% 15% 19%  4%  6%  5%  5%  4%  5%
[libx264 @ 0x1a87be0] i8c dc,h,v,p: 98%  0%  1%  0%
[libx264 @ 0x1a87be0] Weighted P-Frames: Y:39.6% UV:0.0%
[libx264 @ 0x1a87be0] ref P L0: 72.3%  8.1% 14.8%  2.8%  1.6%  0.3%  0.1%
[libx264 @ 0x1a87be0] ref B L0: 58.4% 29.7%  8.5%  3.5%
[libx264 @ 0x1a87be0] ref B L1: 95.3%  4.7%
[libx264 @ 0x1a87be0] kb/s:165.74

Have you seen any other kind? e.g. "surround track"? Or are you referring to the language option? — Rajib
– Rajib, Commented Oct 31, 2014 at 12:47
It appears that ffmpeg doesn't write the metadata/disposition in the format that VLC looks for: ffmpeg.org/pipermail/ffmpeg-user/2019-July/044936.html From Moritz Barsnick: "In ffmpeg's libavformat/mpegts.c (demuxer), both the ISO 639 language descriptor and the supplementary audio descriptor are evaluated to obtain the disposition information. In the ffmpeg muxer, only the ISO 639 language descriptor is written though. VLC on the other hand only checks the supplementary audio descriptor. Nice mismatch. ;-)" — Lindsay-Needs-Sleep
– Lindsay-Needs-Sleep, Commented Jun 10, 2022 at 21:30

llogan · Accepted Answer · 2020-11-02 19:26:17Z

53

You can apply metadata to particular streams. This example will add title and language metadata to audio streams/tracks 1 & 2 (note ffmpeg starts counting from 0).

ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -map 0 -c copy -metadata:s:a:0 title="One" -metadata:s:a:1 title="Two" -metadata:s:a:0 language=eng -metadata:s:a:1 language=spa output.mp4

-map 0 selects all streams from input.mp4, otherwise default stream selection behavior chooses only 1 stream per stream type.
-c copy enables stream copy mode to avoid re-encoding.
-metadata:s:a:0 title="One" sets title One to audio 0.
-metadata:s:a:1 title="Two" sets title Two to audio 1.
-metadata:s:a:0 language=eng sets English language for audio 0.
-metadata:s:a:1 language=spa sets Spanish language for audio 1.

For more info look for -metadata and -map_metadata in the documentation.

edited Nov 2, 2020 at 19:26

answered Nov 2, 2014 at 20:30

llogan

63.8k17 gold badges139 silver badges157 bronze badges

1

Thanks, but this command does not produce anything that vlc recognizes (it plays it, but does not display the titles under Audio>Audio Track ). But your answer helped me to understand ffmpeg syntax better:-).

sup
– sup

2014-11-03 01:01:10 +00:00
Commented Nov 3, 2014 at 1:01
3

MPC-HC seems to ignore title but does display handler_name as though it were a title. Worth a shot to see if it works for VLC, too. (note that the ffmpeg command line should set handler, not handler_name).

Stephen Cleary
– Stephen Cleary

2017-01-23 03:28:28 +00:00
Commented Jan 23, 2017 at 3:28
2

Thanks, worked like a charm except that I had to use "language" instead of "lang" to set the language metadata.

Zoltan
– Zoltan

2018-02-10 21:09:32 +00:00
Commented Feb 10, 2018 at 21:09
3

What does s do in metadata:s:a:0? I know a means audio, and 0 means first stream. But I don't know about s.

Shayan
– Shayan

2021-03-17 05:18:22 +00:00
Commented Mar 17, 2021 at 5:18
4

@Shayan It means "stream" for steam level metadata. Others are global (container), chapter, and program. See -metadata and -map_metadata options in the ffmpeg documentation.

llogan
– llogan

2021-03-17 15:58:42 +00:00
Commented Mar 17, 2021 at 15:58

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