PHP-FFMpeg on Ubuntu (PHP 8.x): AV1 & WebM Encoding Setup, Usage, and Gotchas (2025)

This guide explains how to install and use the latest major version of PHP-FFMpeg (v1.x) on an Ubuntu server, with WebM (VP9) and AV1 encoding enabled.

It is written for backend services, queues, and SaaS media processing, not desktop usage.

Important context: PHP-FFMpeg is a PHP wrapper around the system ffmpeg and ffprobe binaries. Codec support depends entirely on how FFmpeg is built on your server.

Official project repository:
PHP-FFMpeg on GitHub

What This Article Covers

Ubuntu server installation
FFmpeg version and encoder verification
Enabling WebM (VP9) and AV1 encoding
PHP-FFMpeg installation (latest major version)
Practical PHP examples
Common production gotchas
Performance optimization tips

1) Install System Dependencies on Ubuntu

Update your system and install PHP and FFmpeg:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install -y \
  php-cli php-mbstring php-xml php-zip unzip git \
  ffmpeg

Verify FFmpeg and FFprobe:

ffmpeg -version
ffprobe -version

Both binaries must be available for PHP-FFMpeg to function correctly.

2) Verify Codec Support (Critical Step)

Before writing any PHP code, confirm that your FFmpeg build supports the required encoders.

ffmpeg -hide_banner -encoders | egrep "libvpx-vp9|libopus|libaom-av1|libsvtav1|librav1e"

You should see:

libvpx-vp9 → WebM VP9 video
libopus → WebM audio
libaom-av1 and/or libsvtav1 → AV1 video

If AV1 encoders are missing, FFmpeg must be compiled manually.

3) Compile FFmpeg for AV1 Support (Recommended for Services)

Ubuntu’s packaged FFmpeg may not include AV1 encoders depending on version and repository policy.

Use the official FFmpeg build reference for Ubuntu:
FFmpeg Compilation Guide for Ubuntu

When compiling, ensure support for:

libvpx (VP9)
libopus (Opus)
libaom (AV1)
SVT-AV1 (recommended for faster encoding)
dav1d (optional, AV1 decoding)

After compiling, verify again:

ffmpeg -hide_banner -encoders | egrep "libvpx-vp9|libopus|libaom-av1|libsvtav1"

4) Install PHP-FFMpeg (Latest Major Version)

PHP-FFMpeg v1.x supports PHP 8.0+.

Install via Composer:

composer require php-ffmpeg/php-ffmpeg:^1.3

Package details and versions:
PHP-FFMpeg on Packagist

5) Create the FFmpeg Instance (Production Setup)

In production, always specify binary paths and increase timeouts.

<?php

require __DIR__ . '/vendor/autoload.php';

use FFMpeg\FFMpeg;

$ffmpeg = FFMpeg::create([
    'ffmpeg.binaries'  => '/usr/bin/ffmpeg',
    'ffprobe.binaries' => '/usr/bin/ffprobe',

    // AV1 encoding can be slow
    'timeout' => 3600,

    // Control CPU usage
    'ffmpeg.threads' => 8,

    // Dedicated temp directory
    'temporary_directory' => '/var/ffmpeg-tmp',
]);

6) Encode WebM (VP9 + Opus)

WebM supports:

Video: VP8, VP9, AV1
Audio: Opus or Vorbis

VP9 + Opus is widely supported and efficient for the web.

VP9 WebM Example

<?php

use FFMpeg\Format\Video\WebM;

$video = $ffmpeg->open('/path/to/input.mp4');

$format = new WebM();
$format->setAdditionalParameters([
    '-c:v', 'libvpx-vp9',
    '-crf', '32',
    '-b:v', '0',
    '-row-mt', '1',
    '-c:a', 'libopus',
    '-b:a', '96k',
]);

$video->save($format, '/path/to/output_vp9.webm');

7) Encode AV1 in WebM

AV1 offers significantly better compression but is CPU-intensive.

Official FFmpeg AV1 documentation:
FFmpeg AV1 Encoding Guide

Option A: AV1 via libaom-av1 (Highest Quality)

<?php

use FFMpeg\Format\Video\WebM;

$video = $ffmpeg->open('/path/to/input.mp4');

$format = new WebM();
$format->setAdditionalParameters([
    '-c:v', 'libaom-av1',
    '-crf', '34',
    '-b:v', '0',
    '-cpu-used', '6',
    '-threads', '8',
    '-c:a', 'libopus',
    '-b:a', '96k',
]);

$video->save($format, '/path/to/output_av1_aom.webm');

Option B: AV1 via SVT-AV1 (Much Faster)

<?php

use FFMpeg\Format\Video\WebM;

$video = $ffmpeg->open('/path/to/input.mp4');

$format = new WebM();
$format->setAdditionalParameters([
    '-c:v', 'libsvtav1',
    '-crf', '35',
    '-preset', '8',
    '-c:a', 'libopus',
    '-b:a', '96k',
]);

$video->save($format, '/path/to/output_av1_svt.webm');

8) Common Production Gotchas

FFmpeg Installed but Encoder Missing

If FFmpeg reports Unknown encoder, your build lacks codec support. Recompile FFmpeg with the required libraries.

WebM Muxing Errors

WebM only supports VP8, VP9, or AV1 video with Opus or Vorbis audio. H.264 + AAC will fail.

AV1 Timeouts

AV1 encoding is slow. Always increase PHP-FFMpeg timeouts for services.

PATH Differences in PHP-FPM

FFmpeg may work in CLI but fail under PHP-FPM or systemd. Always specify absolute binary paths.

Disk Space Pressure

Transcoding creates large temporary files. Plan disk space accordingly.

9) Performance Optimization Tips

Prefer SVT-AV1 for high-throughput services
Use CRF-based encoding instead of fixed bitrates
Limit FFmpeg threads to protect server resources
Run encodes in background workers or queues
Monitor CPU, memory, and disk I/O

10) Optional: Progress Reporting

$format->on('progress', function ($video, $format, $percentage) {
    error_log("Transcode progress: {$percentage}%");
});