Downmix 5.1 audio to 2.1 using FFMPEG

downmix_5.1_audio_to_2.1_using_ffmpeg.md

Problem

5.1 surround sound does not play properly in 2.1 stereo setups.

Solution

Downmix surround sound audio tracks in media container files (e.g. MKV) to AAC 160 Kbps stereo sound and add that track to the "top" default position. Uses ffmpeg for transcoding.

Sample command in bash (won't work in zsh)

ffmpeg -i "source_video.mkv" {OPTIONS_FROM_BELOW} downmixed_video.mkv

Option 1 - Track 1 - Uses the first audio track as source for downmix

-map 0:0 -c:v copy -map 0:a:0? -c:a:0 aac -b:a:0 160k -filter:a:0 "pan=stereo|FL=1.414*FC+0.707*FL+0.5*FLC+0.5*BL+0.5*SL+0.5*LFE|FR=1.414*FC+0.707*FR+0.5*FRC+0.5*BR+0.5*SR+0.5*LFE,acompressor=ratio=4" -metadata:s:a:0 title="Custom DRC" -metadata:s:a:0 language=eng -disposition:a:0 default -map 0:a:0? -c:a:1 copy -disposition:a:1 none -map 0:a:1? -c:a:2 copy -disposition:a:2 none -map 0:a:2? -c:a:3 copy -disposition:a:3 none -map 0:a:3? -c:a:4 copy -disposition:a:4 none -map 0:a:4? -c:a:5 copy -disposition:a:5 none -map 0:a:5? -c:a:6 copy -disposition:a:6 none -map 0:a:6? -c:a:7 copy -disposition:a:7 none -map 0:a:7? -c:a:8 copy -disposition:a:8 none -map 0:a:8? -c:a:9 copy -disposition:a:9 none -map 0:s:0? -c:s:0 copy -map 0:s:1? -c:s:1 copy -map 0:s:2? -c:s:2 copy -map 0:s:3? -c:s:3 copy -map 0:s:4? -c:s:4 copy -map 0:s:5? -c:s:5 copy -map 0:s:6? -c:s:6 copy -map 0:s:7? -c:s:7 copy -map 0:s:8? -c:s:8 copy -map 0:s:9? -c:s:9 copy

Option 2 - Track 2 - Uses the second audio track as source for downmix

-map 0:0 -c:v copy -map 0:a:1? -c:a:0 aac -b:a:0 160k -filter:a:0 "pan=stereo|FL=1.414*FC+0.707*FL+0.5*FLC+0.5*BL+0.5*SL+0.5*LFE|FR=1.414*FC+0.707*FR+0.5*FRC+0.5*BR+0.5*SR+0.5*LFE,acompressor=ratio=4" -metadata:s:a:0 title="Custom DRC" -metadata:s:a:0 language=eng -disposition:a:0 default -map 0:a:0? -c:a:1 copy -disposition:a:1 none -map 0:a:1? -c:a:2 copy -disposition:a:2 none -map 0:a:2? -c:a:3 copy -disposition:a:3 none -map 0:a:3? -c:a:4 copy -disposition:a:4 none -map 0:a:4? -c:a:5 copy -disposition:a:5 none -map 0:a:5? -c:a:6 copy -disposition:a:6 none -map 0:a:6? -c:a:7 copy -disposition:a:7 none -map 0:a:7? -c:a:8 copy -disposition:a:8 none -map 0:a:8? -c:a:9 copy -disposition:a:9 none -map 0:s:0? -c:s:0 copy -map 0:s:1? -c:s:1 copy -map 0:s:2? -c:s:2 copy -map 0:s:3? -c:s:3 copy -map 0:s:4? -c:s:4 copy -map 0:s:5? -c:s:5 copy -map 0:s:6? -c:s:6 copy -map 0:s:7? -c:s:7 copy -map 0:s:8? -c:s:8 copy -map 0:s:9? -c:s:9 copy

Option 3 - Track 3 - Uses the third audio track as source for downmix

-map 0:0 -c:v copy -map 0:a:2? -c:a:0 aac -b:a:0 160k -filter:a:0 "pan=stereo|FL=1.414*FC+0.707*FL+0.5*FLC+0.5*BL+0.5*SL+0.5*LFE|FR=1.414*FC+0.707*FR+0.5*FRC+0.5*BR+0.5*SR+0.5*LFE,acompressor=ratio=4" -metadata:s:a:0 title="Custom DRC" -metadata:s:a:0 language=eng -disposition:a:0 default -map 0:a:0? -c:a:1 copy -disposition:a:1 none -map 0:a:1? -c:a:2 copy -disposition:a:2 none -map 0:a:2? -c:a:3 copy -disposition:a:3 none -map 0:a:3? -c:a:4 copy -disposition:a:4 none -map 0:a:4? -c:a:5 copy -disposition:a:5 none -map 0:a:5? -c:a:6 copy -disposition:a:6 none -map 0:a:6? -c:a:7 copy -disposition:a:7 none -map 0:a:7? -c:a:8 copy -disposition:a:8 none -map 0:a:8? -c:a:9 copy -disposition:a:9 none -map 0:s:0? -c:s:0 copy -map 0:s:1? -c:s:1 copy -map 0:s:2? -c:s:2 copy -map 0:s:3? -c:s:3 copy -map 0:s:4? -c:s:4 copy -map 0:s:5? -c:s:5 copy -map 0:s:6? -c:s:6 copy -map 0:s:7? -c:s:7 copy -map 0:s:8? -c:s:8 copy -map 0:s:9? -c:s:9 copy

Sources

• https://forums.plex.tv/t/how-to-downmix-surround-sound-to-aac-stereo-properly-using-ffmpeg-batch-converter/575073

I created an online tool to correctly downmix 5.1 and 7.1 audio streams to Mono and Stereo with or without the bass channel (LFE Low Frequency Effects). You can see the FFMpeg command in the browsers console Basic Audio Downmixer.