"ffpmeg not found. connot import subtitles" on Windows

Bug
1

Windows: importing subtitles says “ffmpeg not found” unless ffmpeg.exe is copied as “ffmpeg”

Shotcut version: [enter version from Help → About Shotcut]
Operating system: Windows, build 10.0.26200.8875
Installation type: Official Windows installer
Installation folder: C:\Program Files\Shotcut

Problem

Importing an SRT subtitle file displays this error:

ffmpeg not found. cannot import subtitles

However, Shotcut’s bundled FFmpeg executable exists here:

C:\Program Files\Shotcut\ffmpeg.exe

It also runs successfully from Command Prompt:

"C:\Program Files\Shotcut\ffmpeg.exe" -version

This reports FFmpeg version n8.1.2-34-g9b6c8969e0 and exits with code 0.

Steps to reproduce

  1. Install Shotcut using the official Windows installer.

  2. Start Shotcut normally.

  3. Open the Subtitles panel.

  4. Attempt to import a valid .srt file.

  5. Shotcut reports that FFmpeg was not found.

Workaround

  1. Copy:

    C:\Program Files\Shotcut\ffmpeg.exe

  2. Rename the copy to the extensionless filename:

    C:\Program Files\Shotcut\ffmpeg

  3. Restart Shotcut.

  4. Import the same SRT file.

The subtitle imports successfully after creating the extensionless copy.

Expected result

Shotcut should locate and run the bundled Windows executable ffmpeg.exe without requiring an additional extensionless copy.

Actual result

Shotcut reports that FFmpeg is missing even though ffmpeg.exe exists and runs correctly.

This behavior suggests that the subtitle importer may be checking for an executable named ffmpeg without accounting for the .exe filename used by the Windows package.

2

confirmed.

This is fixed for the next version 26.9

3

I’m having the same problem:

importing the subtitle file xxx.srt isn’t working. I get the same error message.

Unfortunately, the workaround doesn’t work for me. It doesn’t matter whether the ffmpeg file in the Shotcut folder has the .exe extension or not; neither option solves the problem.

What other options are there?

Shotcut version 26.8.1

Windows 11 Pro, version 25H2

It is said that this problem has been fixed in Shotcut version 26.9. When will this version be released?

This import function is very important to me.

4

Wow, already released; look!

5

Thanks for the heads-up.

I tried to download the update file.

But something seems to be wrong with the SourceForge server. I can’t download the file.

Is there another way to get the shotcut-win64-26.9.27.exe file?

Okay, I just found a way to get this file.

I updated my Shotcut to the latest version and tried exporting and then importing the subtitles in my video project.

What can I say?

It all worked perfectly, just as it should.

Thanks! Thank you! Thank you so much! :folded_hands:

This helps me a lot.