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media-processing skill

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This skill processes video, audio, and images with FFmpeg, ImageMagick, and RMBG to encode, convert formats, generate thumbnails, and batch optimize media.

npx playbooks add skill jjuidev/jss --skill media-processing

Review the files below or copy the command above to add this skill to your agents.

Files (23)

SKILL.md

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---
name: media-processing
description: Process media with FFmpeg (video/audio), ImageMagick (images), RMBG (AI background removal). Use for encoding, format conversion, filters, thumbnails, batch processing, HLS/DASH streaming.
license: MIT
---

# Media Processing Skill

Process video, audio, and images using FFmpeg, ImageMagick, and RMBG CLI tools.

## Tool Selection

| Task | Tool | Reason |
|------|------|--------|
| Video encoding/conversion | FFmpeg | Native codec support, streaming |
| Audio extraction/conversion | FFmpeg | Direct stream manipulation |
| Image resize/effects | ImageMagick | Optimized for still images |
| Background removal | RMBG | AI-powered, local processing |
| Batch images | ImageMagick | mogrify for in-place edits |
| Video thumbnails | FFmpeg | Frame extraction built-in |
| GIF creation | FFmpeg/ImageMagick | FFmpeg for video, ImageMagick for images |

## Installation

```bash
# macOS
brew install ffmpeg imagemagick
npm install -g rmbg-cli

# Ubuntu/Debian
sudo apt-get install ffmpeg imagemagick
npm install -g rmbg-cli

# Verify
ffmpeg -version && magick -version && rmbg --version
```

## Essential Commands

```bash
# Video: Convert/re-encode
ffmpeg -i input.mkv -c copy output.mp4
ffmpeg -i input.avi -c:v libx264 -crf 22 -c:a aac output.mp4

# Video: Extract audio
ffmpeg -i video.mp4 -vn -c:a copy audio.m4a

# Image: Convert/resize
magick input.png output.jpg
magick input.jpg -resize 800x600 output.jpg

# Image: Batch resize
mogrify -resize 800x -quality 85 *.jpg

# Background removal
rmbg input.jpg                          # Basic (modnet)
rmbg input.jpg -m briaai -o output.png  # High quality
rmbg input.jpg -m u2netp -o output.png  # Fast
```

## Key Parameters

**FFmpeg:**
- `-c:v libx264` - H.264 codec
- `-crf 22` - Quality (0-51, lower=better)
- `-preset slow` - Speed/compression balance
- `-c:a aac` - Audio codec

**ImageMagick:**
- `800x600` - Fit within (maintains aspect)
- `800x600^` - Fill (may crop)
- `-quality 85` - JPEG quality
- `-strip` - Remove metadata

**RMBG:**
- `-m briaai` - High quality model
- `-m u2netp` - Fast model
- `-r 4096` - Max resolution

## References

Detailed guides in `references/`:
- `ffmpeg-encoding.md` - Codecs, quality, hardware acceleration
- `ffmpeg-streaming.md` - HLS/DASH, live streaming
- `ffmpeg-filters.md` - Filters, complex filtergraphs
- `imagemagick-editing.md` - Effects, transformations
- `imagemagick-batch.md` - Batch processing, parallel ops
- `rmbg-background-removal.md` - AI models, CLI usage
- `common-workflows.md` - Video optimization, responsive images, GIF creation
- `troubleshooting.md` - Error fixes, performance tips
- `format-compatibility.md` - Format support, codec recommendations

Overview

This skill provides a compact, practical toolkit for processing video, audio, and images using FFmpeg, ImageMagick, and RMBG CLI tools. It focuses on encoding, format conversion, filters, thumbnails, batch edits, background removal, and HLS/DASH streaming workflows. Use it to automate media pipelines and generate optimized outputs for web and broadcast.

How this skill works

The skill wraps common CLI workflows: FFmpeg for video/audio encoding, extraction, streaming and filterchains; ImageMagick for single-image edits and bulk operations via mogrify; and RMBG for AI-powered background removal. It exposes recommended command patterns, codec/quality parameters, and model choices so you can run reproducible conversions and batch jobs from scripts or CI. Examples include re-encoding with presets, extracting frames for thumbnails, resizing image batches, and removing backgrounds with selectable models.

When to use it

Re-encode or convert video containers and codecs for compatibility.
Extract audio tracks or produce podcast-ready files from video sources.
Generate thumbnails, GIFs, or sprite sheets from video frames.
Batch-resize or compress large image sets for responsive web delivery.
Remove image backgrounds locally for product photos or design assets.
Prepare HLS/DASH outputs for adaptive streaming and live/delayed playback.

Best practices

Prefer stream copy (-c copy) when only changing container to avoid re-encoding overhead.
Choose CRF + preset for predictable video quality/size tradeoffs (e.g., -crf 22 -preset slow).
Process images in batches with mogrify but keep originals in a separate folder to avoid data loss.
Strip metadata (-strip) and set JPEG quality (-quality 85) to reduce file size for web images.
Use RMBG model flags (-m briaai for quality, -m u2netp for speed) and cap resolution (-r) to manage memory and performance.
Test a few representative files before running large-scale batch jobs and automate retries for transient CLI failures.

Example use cases

Convert a camera .mov archive to H.264 MP4s with consistent audio codec for CDN upload.
Extract a clean audio track from lecture recordings for transcription or podcasting.
Bulk resize and compress product images for responsive sites while keeping originals in S3 or an archive.
Produce 10 thumbnails per video at fixed intervals for gallery previews or video players.
Remove backgrounds from user-submitted photos for marketplace listings, choosing quality vs speed per workload.
Create HLS segments and master playlists for adaptive streaming of recorded events.

FAQ

Which tool should I pick for video vs images?

Use FFmpeg for all video/audio tasks including frame extraction. Use ImageMagick for high-quality still-image effects and fast bulk edits. Use RMBG specifically for AI background removal on images.

How do I balance quality vs speed when encoding?

Use CRF for quality targeting with a preset for speed: lower CRF = higher quality; faster presets reduce encoding time but increase file size. Test several combinations on representative clips.