moviepy
Video editing with Python
Decision gist · record as of 2026-08-14
Yes, if you need to automate video editing workflows in Python and can accept slower performance than raw ffmpeg. The low install friction, permissive license, and stable API make it a solid choice for scripted video tasks. The aging maintenance status (450 days since last release) is a minor concern but not a blocker given the Production/Stable classifier and active maintainers. Be aware of v2 breaking changes if upgrading from v1.AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page — verify before relying
Before you install
- Requires Python 3.9+ and ffmpeg installed on the system (imageio_ffmpeg handles this on most platforms, but custom ffmpeg setups may need manual configuration).
- Low install friction with a pure-Python wheel distribution.
- Maintenance status is aging—last release was 450 days ago—though the project remains in Production/Stable status with active maintainers listed.
License · maintenance · safety
MIT License (permissive) — MIT License (permissive) means you can use, modify, and distribute MoviePy freely in commercial and private projects with minimal restrictions, provided you include the license notice.
last release 2025-05-21 (450 days)
0 known vulnerabilities (OSV.dev, 2026-08-14) · 8,186,009 downloads/mo, #1,654 on PyPI
Alternatives
Verify before relying
pip install moviepy
from moviepy import VideoFileClip, TextClip, CompositeVideoClip
clip = VideoFileClip("video.mp4").subclipped(10, 20)
txt_clip = TextClip(text="Hello", font_size=70, color='white').with_duration(10)
final = CompositeVideoClip([clip, txt_clip])
final.write_videofile("output.mp4")- Whether v2's breaking changes affect common workflows or only edge cases.
- Performance characteristics for large video files or real-time processing.
- Current state of issue backlog and typical response time for bug reports.
What it is and what it does
MoviePy converts video and audio files into Python objects (numpy arrays) so you can access individual frames and apply effects programmatically. It handles reading multiple formats (mp4, webm, gif), compositing clips together, adding text overlays, adjusting volume, and writing the result back to disk. The library trades raw speed for flexibility—operations are slower than calling ffmpeg directly because of the overhead of importing and exporting media as arrays, but this makes it approachable for developers who want to script video workflows in pure Python.
The package depends on imageio for media I/O, imageio_ffmpeg to provide ffmpeg binaries, numpy for array operations, and several utility libraries (decorator, proglog, python-dotenv, pillow). It runs on Windows, Mac, and Linux with Python 3.9+. Version 2.2.1 is a recent stable release, though the project entered v2 with significant breaking changes from v1, so upgrading existing code may require work.
Use it for
- Batch-process video files: cut, concatenate, or resize multiple videos programmatically.
- Add dynamic overlays: insert text, images, or watermarks at specific times or positions.
- Generate animated GIFs from video clips or sequences of images.
- Build video pipelines: chain effects, transitions, and compositing operations in code.
- Extract and manipulate audio: adjust volume, mix tracks, or sync with video frames.
Worth the install?
AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page. Verify before relying on it.
Yes, if you need to automate video editing workflows in Python and can accept slower performance than raw ffmpeg.
The low install friction, permissive license, and stable API make it a solid choice for scripted video tasks. The aging maintenance status (450 days since last release) is a minor concern but not a blocker given the Production/Stable classifier and active maintainers. Be aware of v2 breaking changes if upgrading from v1.
Install
moviepy on PyPI
Before you install
Low install friction with a pure-Python wheel distribution. Maintenance status is aging—last release was 450 days ago—though the project remains in Production/Stable status with active maintainers listed. The v2 upgrade introduced breaking changes, so existing codebases may require migration effort.
Requires Python 3.9+ and ffmpeg installed on the system (imageio_ffmpeg handles this on most platforms, but custom ffmpeg setups may need manual configuration).
License in practice
MIT License (permissive) means you can use, modify, and distribute MoviePy freely in commercial and private projects with minimal restrictions, provided you include the license notice.
Quickstart
pip install moviepy
from moviepy import VideoFileClip, TextClip, CompositeVideoClip
clip = VideoFileClip("video.mp4").subclipped(10, 20)
txt_clip = TextClip(text="Hello", font_size=70, color='white').with_duration(10)
final = CompositeVideoClip([clip, txt_clip])
final.write_videofile("output.mp4")Verify before relying
- Whether v2's breaking changes affect common workflows or only edge cases.
- Performance characteristics for large video files or real-time processing.
- Current state of issue backlog and typical response time for bug reports.
Package facts
| License | MIT License permissive |
| Python support | Not specified |
| Install friction | Low. Pure-Python wheel |
| Runtime dependencies | 7 packagesdecoratorimageioimageio_ffmpegnumpyproglogpython-dotenvpillow |
| Maintenance | Aging 450 days since the last release |
| First released | |
| Downloads | 8,186,009 / month, #1,654 on PyPI 30-day window, as of 2026-08-14 |
| Known vulnerabilities | None known OSV.dev, checked 2026-08-14 |
| Classifiers | Development Status :: 5 - Production/StableIntended Audience :: DevelopersLicense :: OSI Approved :: MIT LicenseNatural Language :: EnglishProgramming Language :: PythonProgramming Language :: Python :: 3.10Programming Language :: Python :: 3.11Programming Language :: Python :: 3.9Topic :: MultimediaTopic :: Multimedia :: Sound/AudioTopic :: Multimedia :: Sound/Audio :: AnalysisTopic :: Multimedia :: VideoTopic :: Multimedia :: Video :: CaptureTopic :: Multimedia :: Video :: Conversion |
Evidence: moviepy-2.2.1-py3-none-any.whl
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See also typed-ffmpeg · ffmpeg · mediapy · sk-video · imageio-ffmpeg · pyaaf2 · pymp4 · scikit-video · scenedetect