# Encoding guides

Canonical URL: https://encode.wiki/guides/
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These guides walk through common encoding jobs with commands you can adapt. If you are new to
encoding, read them roughly in this order:

1. [Your first FFmpeg encode](/guides/first-ffmpeg-encode/): a good H.264 encode, CRF and presets,
   choosing streams, and testing on a short clip.
2. [Choose a codec and encoder](/guides/choose-a-codec/): what to use for compatibility, efficient
   delivery, editing and archival.
3. [Quality controls](/guides/quality-controls/): CRF, bitrate modes, VBV caps and two-pass
   encoding.
4. [AV1 with SVT-AV1](/guides/av1-with-svt-av1/): presets, CRF, 10-bit output, film-grain synthesis
   and keyframes.
5. [Audio and subtitles](/guides/audio-and-subtitles/): keeping, labelling and converting tracks,
   fonts, burn-in and audio sync.
6. [Preserve color and HDR](/guides/preserve-color-and-hdr/): keeping color tags and HDR metadata
   intact.
7. [Compare encoding quality](/guides/compare-encoding-quality/): comparing encodes with your eyes
   and with metrics.

## Recipes on other pages

| Task                                  | Page                                                                             |
| ------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Chunked AV1 encoding                  | [Av1an](/tools/utilities/av1an/)                                                 |
| VP9 encoding                          | [libvpx / vpxenc](/tools/software-encoders/vpxenc/)                              |
| Opus audio                            | [Opus](/codecs/audio/opus/)                                                      |
| AVIF images                           | [AVIF](/codecs/images/avif/)                                                     |
| WebP images                           | [WebP](/codecs/images/webp/)                                                     |
| JPEG XL images and JPEG recompression | [JPEG XL](/codecs/images/jxl/)                                                   |
| Remuxing and editing Matroska files   | [Matroska](/containers/matroska/) and [MKVToolNix](/tools/utilities/mkvtoolnix/) |
| Web video files                       | [WebM](/containers/webm/)                                                        |