The FFmpeg project, one of the pillars of open-source software for encoding, decoding, and manipulating multimedia content, announced on August 22 the release of FFmpeg 8.0, nicknamed “Huffman”. This version arrives more than ten months after 7.1 and stands as one of the most ambitious in recent history, incorporating support for next-generation codecs, GPU acceleration via Vulkan, and improvements to the development infrastructure.
Key technical highlights
The changelog of FFmpeg 8.0 is extensive, but several major additions stand out:
- AV1 encoding via Vulkan: a leap toward more efficient GPU use through compute shaders, enabling real-time compression of one of the most in-demand codecs in the streaming era.
- VVC decoding via VA-API: the Versatile Video Coding codec, successor to HEVC/H.265, can now be played back with hardware acceleration on VA-API-compatible systems, improving efficiency and performance.
- ProRes RAW and VP9 via Vulkan: additional accelerated decoding options, particularly useful for professional editing and post-production workflows.
- APV encoding via libopenapv: reinforces compatibility with emerging formats.
- Animated JPEG XL encoding with libjxl: further consolidates this modern format as an alternative to legacy JPEG.
- FLV v2 support with multitrack audio/video and modern codec support.
- New native decoders: APV, ProRes RAW, RealVideo 6.0, ADPCM IMA Xbox, Sanyo LD-ADPCM, and G.728.
In addition, FFmpeg 8.0 brings new filters, including Whisper (for audio transcription workflows), colordetect, pad_cuda, and vf_scale_d3d11, opening new possibilities in media analysis and editing pipelines.
Farewell to obsolete technologies
As part of modernization, FFmpeg 8.0 also drops outdated components:
- End of support for OpenSSL 1.1.0 and older.
- Removal of Yasm in favor of Nasm, following industry trends.
- Deprecation of OpenMAX encoders, which have lost relevance compared to modern alternatives.
- GCC autovectorization enabled by default for x86, ARM, and ARM64 architectures, promising performance gains in standard builds.
Vulkan: more than graphics
One of the boldest moves in this release is the adoption of Vulkan for compute-based codecs. Until now, FFmpeg relied heavily on vendor-specific APIs like CUDA, VA-API, or NVENC. Vulkan opens the door to accelerating codecs on any implementation compatible with Vulkan 1.3, without proprietary dependencies.
This is particularly relevant for:
- Non-linear video editing: faster encoding and decoding on workstations.
- Lossless recording and streaming: acceleration of codecs such as FFv1, useful for archival and preservation.
- Cross-platform compatibility: Vulkan works on Windows, Linux, and Android, greatly expanding the reach of these improvements.
Infrastructure modernization
Beyond technical advances, the project has also revamped its infrastructure:
- New mailing list servers.
- Migration to a new forge (Forgejo at code.ffmpeg.org), enabling more efficient contribution handling.
This aims to make development more open and accessible to new contributors, ensuring the vitality of a project that remains a cornerstone of the multimedia ecosystem.
Updated components
FFmpeg 8.0 ships with updated core libraries:
- libavutil 60.8.100
- libavcodec 62.11.100
- libavformat 62.3.100
- libavdevice 62.1.100
- libavfilter 11.4.100
- libswscale 9.1.100
- libswresample 6.1.100
These updates ensure greater stability and compatibility with Linux distributions and professional environments.
Download and availability
FFmpeg 8.0 “Huffman” is already available for download from the official project website: ffmpeg.org/download. The team recommends that users, distributors, and system integrators upgrade as soon as possible unless they are already working with the git master branch.
Conclusion
With FFmpeg 8.0, the project takes a decisive step toward the future of multimedia encoding. The adoption of Vulkan, the addition of next-gen codecs like AV1 and VVC, and support for modern formats such as JPEG XL firmly position FFmpeg as the go-to tool for developers, editors, and streaming providers.
The open-source community once again proves it can drive innovation in an industry dominated by large corporations.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What is Vulkan and why does it matter in FFmpeg 8.0?
Vulkan is an open API that provides access to GPU hardware for compute tasks. Its integration into FFmpeg means video codecs can now be accelerated on any Vulkan-compatible device, without relying on vendor-specific solutions.
Which new codecs are supported in FFmpeg 8.0?
New decoders include APV, ProRes RAW, RealVideo 6.0, G.728, and Sanyo LD-ADPCM. There are also improvements to VVC (IBC, ACT, Palette Mode) and animated JPEG XL encoding.
What does AV1 Vulkan support mean?
It allows AV1 video encoding using GPU compute shaders, which accelerates compression and improves efficiency compared to CPU-only encoding.
Where can I download FFmpeg 8.0?
The release is available on the official project site: https://ffmpeg.org/download.html.
