Zackriya-Solutions/meetily · error

FFmpeg conversion failed with exit code: {}. The file may be

Error message

FFmpeg conversion failed with exit code: {}. The file may be corrupted or in an unsupported format.

What it means

ffmpeg ran and exited with a non-zero status; the code logs its stderr at error level immediately before returning this message, which deliberately hides the raw ffmpeg output from the user. Root causes live in the media itself: corrupted or truncated files, DRM-protected streams (e.g. protected AAC from stores), codecs newer than the bundled ffmpeg build, or a file that isn't actually audio. The exit code and the logged stderr line identify which.

Source

Thrown at frontend/src-tauri/src/audio/decoder.rs:362

    #[allow(clippy::zombie_processes)]
    let child = command
        .spawn()
        .map_err(|e| anyhow!("Failed to spawn ffmpeg process: {}", e))?;

    let output = child
        .wait_with_output()
        .map_err(|e| anyhow!("Failed to wait for ffmpeg process: {}", e))?;

    let stderr_text = String::from_utf8_lossy(&output.stderr);
    debug!("FFmpeg stderr: {}", stderr_text);

    if !output.status.success() {
        error!(
            "FFmpeg conversion failed (exit code: {}): {}",
            output.status, stderr_text
        );
        return Err(anyhow!(
            "FFmpeg conversion failed with exit code: {}. \
             The file may be corrupted or in an unsupported format.",
            output.status
        ));
    }

    // Verify output file exists and has content
    let output_meta = std::fs::metadata(&temp_path)
        .map_err(|e| anyhow!("FFmpeg output file not found: {}", e))?;

    if output_meta.len() == 0 {
        return Err(anyhow!(
            "FFmpeg produced an empty output file. The input may contain no audio."
        ));
    }

    if let Some(cb) = progress_callback {
        cb(100, "FFmpeg conversion complete");

View on GitHub (pinned to 0281737d87)

Solutions

1. Run the equivalent command manually to see the real ffmpeg error: `ffmpeg -i <input> -vn -acodec pcm_s16le out.wav`.
2. If the file is DRM-protected (purchased AAC, etc.), it cannot be decoded — obtain a DRM-free copy.
3. If truncated/corrupt, re-download or re-export the source file.
4. Update the bundled/installed ffmpeg so newer codecs decode.

Example fix

// before
return Err(anyhow!(
    "FFmpeg conversion failed with exit code: {}. \
     The file may be corrupted or in an unsupported format.",
    output.status
));

// after — include the actual ffmpeg stderr tail so users can self-diagnose
let stderr_tail = stderr_text.lines().rev().take(5).collect::<Vec<_>>().join("\n");
return Err(anyhow!(
    "FFmpeg conversion failed (exit {}): {}",
    output.status, stderr_tail
));

Err(e) if e.to_string().contains("FFmpeg conversion failed") => {
    // tell the user the file itself is the problem; suggest running:
    // ffmpeg -i <file> -vn -acodec pcm_s16le out.wav
}

When it happens

Trigger: Importing a partially downloaded podcast/episode, DRM-protected purchases, a file with a mismatched container/codec, or media using a codec added after the bundled ffmpeg was built.

Common situations: Interrupted downloads, iTunes/store purchases, exotic codecs (recent Opus/AAC variants), or mislabeled files.

Related errors

• FFmpeg not found. FFmpeg is required to decode .{} files. It
• Failed to create temporary WAV file: {}
• Invalid input path (non-UTF8)
• Failed to spawn ffmpeg process: {}
• Failed to wait for ffmpeg process: {}

AI-assisted analysis of Zackriya-Solutions/meetily@0281737d87 (2026-08-16). Data as JSON: /api/errors/a5175917862296e8. Report an issue: GitHub.