EncodeForge

Professional FFmpeg GUI for Video Encoding, AI Subtitles & Media Renaming

A cross-platform desktop application built with Python & PySide6

Features • Installation • Quick Start • Configuration • Contributing

EncodeForge is a free, open-source FFmpeg GUI built with Python and PySide6. It brings professional video encoding, AI subtitle generation, and media file management into a single, clean desktop application — no command-line experience required.

v0.5.0-alpha-1 is the in-development PySide6 rewrite: modern Fluent-style UI, improved performance, and a unified settings layer for the desktop app. It is not on GitHub Releases yet. v0.4.1 remains the latest published binary (JavaFX; deprecated). Command-line and web interfaces are planned for a later release.

AI subtitles in v0.5.0 use faster-whisper (Whisper models via CTranslate2) instead of the OpenAI Whisper + PyTorch path from the JavaFX era. Expect much faster transcription, lower RAM use, and the same GPU backends (CUDA, ROCm, Apple Silicon, CPU) — a clear upgrade over v0.4.x.

• Batch Processing — Convert entire video libraries while you sleep
• Hardware Accelerated — Leverage your GPU for lightning-fast encoding via NVENC, AMF, Quick Sync, or VideoToolbox
• AI-Powered — v0.5.0: faster-whisper (CTranslate2) for local subtitles in 90+ languages — far faster than the v0.4.x Whisper stack
• Modern UI — Clean PySide6 interface with Fluent Design and dark/light theme support
• Cross-Platform — Windows, macOS, and Linux
• Self-Contained builds — Nuitka targets bundled Python dependencies; FFmpeg is still required (Whisper models download in-app)
• CLI — Not implemented in v0.5.0-alpha-1; use python main.py or python cli.py gui

• PySide6 — Qt 6 for Python
• PyQt-Fluent-Widgets — Modern Fluent Design UI components
• FFmpeg — Industry-standard multimedia processing
• faster-whisper — Fast Whisper inference (CTranslate2); used for AI subtitles in v0.5.0+
• OpenAI Whisper — Model architecture and weights (recognition quality)
• Nuitka — Python compiler for standalone distribution

• Hardware Acceleration — NVIDIA NVENC, AMD AMF, Intel Quick Sync, Apple VideoToolbox
• Smart Codec Detection — Automatic best-codec selection based on available hardware
• Batch Processing — Queue multiple files with real-time progress tracking
• Stream Preservation — Copy streams without re-encoding when possible
• Audio Normalization — Consistent volume levels across all output files

• AI-Powered (v0.5.0+) — faster-whisper with GPU acceleration; substantially faster and lighter than the OpenAI Whisper + PyTorch pipeline in v0.4.x
• 90+ Languages — Full multilingual transcription support
• 8 Download Providers — OpenSubtitles.com (API), Addic7ed, SubDL (API), Subf2m, YIFY, Podnapisi, SubDivX (Spanish), Jimaku (anime)
• Anime Providers — Jimaku for anime subtitles (English/Japanese)
• Format Support — SRT, ASS, SSA, VTT, and more

• 10+ Metadata Providers — TMDB, TVDB, OMDB, Trakt, Fanart.tv, AniDB, Kitsu, Jikan/MAL, TVmaze
• Auto-Detection — Intelligent movie, TV show, and anime recognition
• Custom Patterns — Define naming conventions with powerful template variables
• Preview Mode — Review all changes before applying
• Bulk Operations — Rename entire libraries in seconds

• PySide6 + Fluent Design — Clean, modern tabbed interface
• Dark & Light Themes — Easy on the eyes during long sessions
• Real-Time Progress — Detailed per-file and overall progress tracking
• Queue Management — Add, reorder, and remove jobs easily
• Comprehensive Logging — Exportable logs for debugging

Download the latest release from the Releases page:

Requirements: Python 3.10+, pip, Git

# Clone
git clone https://github.com/SirStig/EncodeForge.git
cd EncodeForge

# Create virtual environment
python -m venv venv
source venv/bin/activate   # Windows: venv\Scripts\activate

# Install dependencies
pip install -r requirements.txt

# Launch GUI
python main.py

pip install -r requirements.txt
python build_nuitka.py

1. Launch EncodeForge (python main.py or run the installer)
2. On first launch, the app will prompt to locate or download FFmpeg
3. Select a tab — Encoder, Subtitles, or Renamer
4. Add files via drag-and-drop or the file browser
5. Configure settings and click Start

Only the GUI launcher is supported:

python cli.py gui

Commands encode, subtitle, and rename print a notice and exit until a future release. Use the desktop app for all workflows.

EncodeForge works without API keys, but adding them unlocks additional metadata providers:

Always free, no key required: AniDB, Kitsu, Jikan/MAL, TVmaze

EncodeForge auto-detects available GPU encoders on startup:

• ✅ Complete PySide6 migration (was JavaFX)
• ✅ Modern Fluent Design UI
• ✅ Shared EncodeForgeCore backend for the GUI (CLI planned later)
• ✅ Nuitka compilation for all platforms
• ✅ GPU-accelerated faster-whisper (v0.5.0+; much faster than v0.4.x)
• ⏳ Enhanced concurrent task processing
• ⏳ Plugin system architecture
• ⏳ Jellyfin & Plex direct integration
• ⏳ Advanced subtitle synchronization
• ⏳ Metadata artwork grabber
• ⏳ Subtitle preview window

Contributions are welcome and greatly appreciated.

1. Fork the repository
2. Create a feature branch: git checkout -b feature/my-feature
3. Commit your changes: git commit -m 'Add my feature'
4. Push: git push origin feature/my-feature
5. Open a Pull Request

pip install -r requirements-dev.txt

pytest                # Run tests
black .               # Format code
flake8 .              # Lint
mypy .                # Type check
isort .               # Sort imports

Distributed under the MIT License. See LICENSE for details.

• PyQt-Fluent-Widgets — Fluent Design widget library
• FFmpeg — Multimedia processing framework
• faster-whisper — Fast Whisper inference (v0.5.0+)
• OpenAI Whisper — Model architecture and weights
• Nuitka — Python compiler
• curl-cffi — HTTP client with browser fingerprinting
• desktop-notifier — Cross-platform desktop notifications