How To Replace Audio Track of Video using ffmpeg

A very common use case is that you don't want to waste time using a video editor that requires you to open it up and manually import the video clip and audio clip, then manually delete the old audio track and import the video and new audio. That's too much work and time since we don't want to go through the hassle.

ffmpeg is our solution, all we have to do is specify 3 variables and we're done!

-i Windows2019-Server-Noaudio.mp4 is our input / source file

-i Windows2019-Server-NoAudio.wav is our new audio file that we want to replace.

Windows2019-Server-NoAudio-audio-fix.mp4 is our final output file that will have our updated audio file

ffmpeg -i Windows2019-Server-NoAudio.mp4 -i Windows2019-Server-NoAudio.wav -c:v copy -map 0:v:0 -map 1:a:0 Windows2019-Server-NoAudio-audio-fix.mp4

ffmpeg version 2.8.17-0ubuntu0.1 Copyright (c) 2000-2020 the FFmpeg developers built with gcc 5.4.0 (Ubuntu 5.4.0-6ubuntu1~16.04.12) 20160609 configuration: --prefix=/usr --extra-version=0ubuntu0.1 --build-suffix=-ffmpeg --toolchain=hardened --libdir=/usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu --incdir=/usr/include/x86_64-linux-gnu --cc=cc --cxx=g++ --enable-gpl --enable-shared --disable-stripping --disable-decoder=libopenjpeg --disable-decoder=libschroedinger --enable-avresample --enable-avisynth --enable-gnutls --enable-ladspa --enable-libass --enable-libbluray --enable-libbs2b --enable-libcaca --enable-libcdio --enable-libflite --enable-libfontconfig --enable-libfreetype --enable-libfribidi --enable-libgme --enable-libgsm --enable-libmodplug --enable-libmp3lame --enable-libopenjpeg --enable-libopus --enable-libpulse --enable-librtmp --enable-libschroedinger --enable-libshine --enable-libsnappy --enable-libsoxr --enable-libspeex --enable-libssh --enable-libtheora --enable-libtwolame --enable-libvorbis --enable-libvpx --enable-libwavpack --enable-libwebp --enable-libx265 --enable-libxvid --enable-libzvbi --enable-openal --enable-opengl --enable-x11grab --enable-libdc1394 --enable-libiec61883 --enable-libzmq --enable-frei0r --enable-libx264 --enable-libopencv WARNING: library configuration mismatch avcodec configuration: --prefix=/usr --extra-version=0ubuntu0.1 --build-suffix=-ffmpeg --toolchain=hardened --libdir=/usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu --incdir=/usr/include/x86_64-linux-gnu --cc=cc --cxx=g++ --enable-gpl --enable-shared --disable-stripping --disable-decoder=libopenjpeg --disable-decoder=libschroedinger --enable-avresample --enable-avisynth --enable-gnutls --enable-ladspa --enable-libass --enable-libbluray --enable-libbs2b --enable-libcaca --enable-libcdio --enable-libflite --enable-libfontconfig --enable-libfreetype --enable-libfribidi --enable-libgme --enable-libgsm --enable-libmodplug --enable-libmp3lame --enable-libopenjpeg --enable-libopus --enable-libpulse --enable-librtmp --enable-libschroedinger --enable-libshine --enable-libsnappy --enable-libsoxr --enable-libspeex --enable-libssh --enable-libtheora --enable-libtwolame --enable-libvorbis --enable-libvpx --enable-libwavpack --enable-libwebp --enable-libx265 --enable-libxvid --enable-libzvbi --enable-openal --enable-opengl --enable-x11grab --enable-libdc1394 --enable-libiec61883 --enable-libzmq --enable-frei0r --enable-libx264 --enable-libopencv --enable-version3 --disable-doc --disable-programs --disable-avdevice --disable-avfilter --disable-avformat --disable-avresample --disable-postproc --disable-swscale --enable-libopencore_amrnb --enable-libopencore_amrwb --enable-libvo_aacenc --enable-libvo_amrwbenc libavutil 54. 31.100 / 54. 31.100 libavcodec 56. 60.100 / 56. 60.100 libavformat 56. 40.101 / 56. 40.101 libavdevice 56. 4.100 / 56. 4.100 libavfilter 5. 40.101 / 5. 40.101 libavresample 2. 1. 0 / 2. 1. 0 libswscale 3. 1.101 / 3. 1.101 libswresample 1. 2.101 / 1. 2.101 libpostproc 53. 3.100 / 53. 3.100 Input #0, mov,mp4,m4a,3gp,3g2,mj2, from 'Windows2019-Server-NoAudio.mp4': Metadata: major_brand : mp42 minor_version : 0 compatible_brands: mp42mp41isomiso2 creation_time : 2020-10-05 16:14:56 encoder : x264 Duration: 00:02:28.60, start: 0.000000, bitrate: 258 kb/s Stream #0:0(eng): Video: h264 (High 4:4:4 Predictive) (avc1 / 0x31637661), yuv444p, 1282x958 [SAR 1:1 DAR 641:479], 127 kb/s, 15 fps, 15 tbr, 1500 tbn, 30 tbc (default) Metadata: creation_time : 2020-10-05 16:14:56 handler_name : VideoHandler Stream #0:1(eng): Audio: mp3 (mp4a / 0x6134706D), 44100 Hz, mono, s16p, 127 kb/s (default) Metadata: creation_time : 2020-10-05 16:14:56 handler_name : SoundHandler Guessed Channel Layout for Input Stream #1.0 : mono Input #1, wav, from 'Windows2019-Server-NoAudio.wav': Duration: 00:02:28.56, bitrate: 705 kb/s Stream #1:0: Audio: pcm_s16le ([1][0][0][0] / 0x0001), 44100 Hz, 1 channels, s16, 705 kb/s [mp4 @ 0x1702ca0] Codec for stream 0 does not use global headers but container format requires global headers Output #0, mp4, to 'Windows2019-Server-NoAudio-audio-fix.mp4': Metadata: major_brand : mp42 minor_version : 0 compatible_brands: mp42mp41isomiso2 encoder : Lavf56.40.101 Stream #0:0(eng): Video: h264 ([33][0][0][0] / 0x0021), yuv444p, 1282x958 [SAR 1:1 DAR 641:479], q=2-31, 127 kb/s, 15 fps, 15 tbr, 12k tbn, 1500 tbc (default) Metadata: creation_time : 2020-10-05 16:14:56 handler_name : VideoHandler Stream #0:1: Audio: aac (libvo_aacenc) ([64][0][0][0] / 0x0040), 44100 Hz, mono, s16, 128 kb/s Metadata: encoder : Lavc56.60.100 libvo_aacenc Stream mapping: Stream #0:0 -> #0:0 (copy) Stream #1:0 -> #0:1 (pcm_s16le (native) -> aac (libvo_aacenc)) Press [q] to stop, [?] for help frame= 2229 fps=1183 q=-1.0 Lsize= 4701kB time=00:02:28.57 bitrate= 259.2kbits/s video:2320kB audio:2322kB subtitle:0kB other streams:0kB global headers:0kB muxing overhead: 1.275361%