python automating a video split by time code

https://fosspost.org/tutorials/clip-split-large-videos-python


Requirements
First, make sure you have Python 3 installed on your Windows or Linux distribution, and also make sure that pip is installed. Then, run the following pip command to install the needed Python module to do the work, which is moviepy:

pip3 install moviepy --user
Then, create 2 files in your current working directory:

split.py: Which will contain the Python code later.
times.txt: Which should contain the start and end times you want for the clips, we’ll fill it later.
Let’s say that your original video that you are trying to clip is 20 minutes long, and you want to create 3 smaller videos, the first one is from the start and till 1 minute (from 0 to 60 seconds), the second one is between 1:00 and 1:20, and the 3rd one is between 1:40 and 2:00). Then, your times.txt file contents should be the following:

0-60
60-80
100-120
Notice how we needed to convert the format from 1:00 to 60 (always in seconds).

You can add whatever number of lines you like into that file. E.g if you want to create 100 smaller clip, then you can do it. Just make sure that you follow the exact same format: start_time-end_time (With no spaces in between, and each one in its own separate line).




The Python Script
Now, coming to the important part, here’s the code that you need to put in your split.py Python file:



#!/usr/bin/env python
from moviepy.video.io.ffmpeg_tools import ffmpeg_extract_subclip

# Replace the filename below.
required_video_file = "filename.mp4"
with open("times.txt") as f:
  times = f.readlines()
times = [x.strip() for x in times]
for time in times:
  starttime = int(time.split("-")[0])
  endtime = int(time.split("-")[1])
  ffmpeg_extract_subclip(required_video_file, starttime, endtime, targetname=str(times.index(time)+1)+".mp4")



Replace the name of the file filename.mp4 with the name of the video file you have (It must be in the same current working directory). If you were trying to clip other formats such as .webm and .avi, then simply replace all the occurrences of .mp4 in the Python script with the format you desire. (There are just two of them; In the name of the file you entered and in the last line of the code).

Now, run the Python code with:

python3 split.py
python split.py # If the previous one didn't work.
And see the 3 video files are created and working!