How to Contribute to FFmpeg

Last Updated: 06/04/26

This is a written version of the How to Contribute to FFmpeg talk at Demuxed 2024. Highly recommend watching the talk first before reading this post.

I plan on contributing to FFmpeg so this will be a living document as I go through the process and (hopefully!) get my patches merged. The way this post is structured is that for each step I provide a written summary of that part of the presentation and then I add my comments from personal exprience below it.

Steps:

How to Lurk
RTFD
How to run regression tests
How to "git send patch" (aka how to send an email)
How to address feedback
It's approved. Now what?

1. How to Lurk

Lurk Level 1: Mailing List
Subscribe to the mailing list: https://ffmpeg.org/mailman/listinfo/ffmpeg-devel

Comment:
Very straightforward to do. Just create an account with your email of choice and the default options in terms of deliverability should be fine for most people

Lurk Level 2: IRC

- Server: irc.libera.chat

- Channel: #ffmpeg-devel

2. RTFD: Read The Fantastic Docs

Docs Link: https://ffmpeg.org/developer.html

3. How to run regression tests

FATE - FFmpeg Automated Testing Environment

https://ffmpeg.org/fate.html

https://fate.ffmpeg.org

4. How to "git send patch" (aka how to send an email)

git format-patch

git send-email

5. How to address feedback

- formatting & cosmetic notes
- anticipate bluntness and nit-picking
- prepare to make non-trivial changes
- OSS mailing list etiquette eg. No top posting
- be poilite

6. It's approved. Now what?

- You might need to ping to get push after approval
- Could also review other's patches
- Never stop lurking