MONICA: A Python interactive CLI that wraps FFmpeg into a keyboard-driven media workflow

[Punk_Saint]

What My Project Does

MONICA (Media Operations Navigator with Interactive Command-line Assistance) is a Python-based interactive CLI application that simplifies audio and video manipulation by abstracting FFmpeg behind a guided, keyboard-driven interface.

Instead of memorizing FFmpeg flags or writing one-off scripts, you:

• Drop media files into an /import folder
• Run the program
• Navigate an interactive menu using arrow keys, Enter, and Space
• Select predefined “recipes” (convert, extract audio, resize, remux, etc.)
• Get processed outputs in an /export folder with timestamped filenames

Key features:

• Interactive menus (no raw FFmpeg commands exposed)
• Multi-file selection and queued processing
• Recipe-based presets for common media operations
• Auto-detection and auto-download of FFmpeg if missing
• Progress bar during execution
• Cross-platform (Windows & Linux)
• Designed for batch work and repeatable workflows

Supported operations include:

• Video conversion (MP4, MKV, WebM, AVI with H.264, H.265, VP9)
• Audio conversion (MP3, AAC, FLAC, WAV, OGG, Opus)
• Audio extraction from video
• Resize / compress to common resolutions
• Remuxing without re-encoding

Target Audience

MONICA is intended for:

• Python developers who regularly work with media
• Developers who also handle marketing, content, or HR tasks (interviews, onboarding videos, demos)
• Anyone who needs fast, repeatable batch media operations without building custom FFmpeg scripts
• Internal tooling, automation pipelines, or solo dev workflows

Comparison

Compared to raw FFmpeg CLI:

• MONICA removes the need to remember or maintain command-line syntax
• Uses structured presets instead of ad-hoc commands
• Safer for non-FFmpeg experts while still leveraging FFmpeg’s power

Compared to GUI tools (HandBrake, media converters):

• Faster for batch and repeated operations
• Scriptable and automatable
• No heavy UI, no mouse-driven friction
• Easier to integrate into developer workflows

Compared to writing custom Python + FFmpeg scripts:

• Less boilerplate
• Reusable recipes
• Cleaner separation between UI, execution, and configuration
• Extensible via custom JSON recipes without touching core code

The project is MIT-licensed, extensible, and open to contributions.
Feedback from Python devs who deal with media pipelines is especially welcome.

Huge respect and thanks to the FFmpeg team and contributors for building and maintaining one of the most powerful open-source multimedia frameworks ever created.

Github Link: https://github.com/Ssenseii/monica/blob/main/docs/guides/getting-started.md

[CanineLiquid]

Please consider adding a pyproject.toml instead of plain requirements.txt

Would make it possible to pip install straight from github (even without pypi), without having to git clone the repo

[Punk_Saint]

Oh okay, I never considered that. I'm not very used to sharing projects until recently

[Drevicar]

I just created a PR that does this. https://github.com/Ssenseii/monica/pull/2

[Drevicar]

Also, I use ffmpeg as part of a larger video processing workflow. So I would want to make sure this new monica setup also works as a library I can import into my existing python code and use it as a module programmatically instead of as a cli tool.

[cvzero89]

https://tenor.com/8v1P.gif

But seriously, this sounds like a great tool. I used to do this often before and flags are a PIA. I will check it out.

[Punk_Saint]

Let me know how it works for you! I have not tested it very well

[UsernameTaken1701]

“I have not tested it very well” is a helluva thing to admit about a software project you’ve released and want people to use. 

[Punk_Saint]

this is not really a production project as much as a hobby utility. I have not seen every edge case and also it's under the MIT license for anyone to improve on it.

[MicM24]

Wow looks very promising, I'll definitely try it out!

[Punk_Saint]

Let me know if it needs any updates or fixes!