openshot-render

openshot-render <input_project_file> <output_file> [options]

<input_project_file>
    The path to the OpenShot project file (.osp) to be rendered.

<output_file>
    The desired path and filename for the rendered video output. The file extension will typically determine the container format if not specified otherwise.

--export-profile <profile_name>
    Specifies a pre-defined export profile (e.g., 'Web', 'DVD', 'HDV'). This often sets a combination of format, codec, and resolution.

--video-format <format>
    Sets the video container format (e.g., 'mp4', 'webm', 'mkv', 'mov').

--video-codec <codec>
    Specifies the video codec (e.g., 'libx264', 'libvpx', 'prores', 'h265').

--audio-format <format>
    Sets the audio container format (e.g., 'aac', 'opus', 'ac3'). Note: This is often tied to the video container.

--audio-codec <codec>
    Specifies the audio codec (e.g., 'aac', 'libopus', 'ac3').

--resolution <WxH>
    Sets the output video resolution (e.g., '1920x1080', '1280x720', '640x480').

--fps <rate>
    Defines the frames per second for the output video (e.g., '24', '25', '30', '60').

--quality <0-100>
    Sets the output video quality, where 0 is lowest and 100 is highest. This often impacts bitrate and file size.

--bitrate <kbps>
    Specifies the target video bitrate in kilobits per second (e.g., '5000k' for 5 Mbps). Applies to video codec.

--overwrite
    If the output file already exists, overwrite it without prompting.

--start <seconds>
    Starts rendering the video from the specified time in seconds.

--end <seconds>
    Ends rendering the video at the specified time in seconds.

--verbose
    Enables verbose output, providing more detailed progress and debugging information during rendering.

--help
    Displays a help message with available command-line options.

The openshot-render command-line utility allows users to render OpenShot Video Editor projects (.osp files) without needing to open the full graphical user interface. This is particularly useful for scripting, automation of video exports, batch processing of multiple projects, or running renders on headless servers. It provides various options to control the output format, codec, resolution, quality, and specific segments of the video, offering flexibility for integration into automated workflows or custom build systems. It leverages the rendering engine of OpenShot to process the project file and output a finished video according to the specified parameters.

openshot-render requires a full OpenShot Video Editor installation to function, as it relies on OpenShot's underlying libraries and rendering engine. It might be resource-intensive, especially for long projects or high-resolution outputs. Error messages can sometimes be cryptic, and extensive debugging might require inspecting OpenShot's logs or running the GUI to diagnose project issues.

openshot-render is an integral part of the OpenShot Video Editor project, first released in 2008 by Jonathan Thomas. As OpenShot evolved into a robust open-source video editor, the need for command-line rendering capabilities became apparent to support automation and server-side operations, leading to the development and inclusion of this utility. It leverages the FFmpeg library for much of its encoding and decoding work, consistent with OpenShot's own backend.

openshot-cli(1), ffmpeg(1), melt(1), handbrakecli(1), kdenlive_render(1)