FFmpeg & PowerShell for Suno Creators

Before You Begin

What is FFmpeg?

FFmpeg is a free, open-source tool that processes audio and video files from the command line. It can convert formats, encode audio, resize video, trim clips, merge files, and write metadata. It runs on Windows, macOS, and Linux and is the industry standard for media processing.

Why PowerShell?

This guide uses PowerShell, which is installed on every modern Windows machine. It handles long FFmpeg commands cleanly and is more capable than the older Command Prompt.

Install FFmpeg

Windows: Visit ffmpeg.org/download.html and follow the Windows download link. Download a current build, extract the ZIP file, and add the FFmpeg bin folder to your system PATH.

Mac: Install using Homebrew by running:

brew install ffmpeg

To verify FFmpeg is installed correctly, open PowerShell (Windows) or Terminal (Mac) and run:

ffmpeg -version

If you see version information, FFmpeg is installed correctly. If you receive a “ffmpeg is not recognized” or “command not found” error, verify that the FFmpeg bin folder has been added to your system PATH and restart your terminal.

Part 1: Create Social Media MP4s

Most social media platforms treat audio files as second-class content. MP4 video files get more prominent placement, better autoplay behaviour, and wider reach. By combining your cover artwork with your audio, you create a standard video that plays natively on Facebook, Instagram, X, and YouTube.

The result looks like a music video. It is a looping image with your audio attached, but platforms treat it as video.

Step 1: Set Up Your Folder

Create a working folder for each export. Place two files inside with consistent names so you can reuse these commands without editing them:

C:\Users\YourName\Desktop\mp4-export\
  audio.wav
  cover.jpg

Step 2: Open PowerShell in Your Folder

Open the folder in File Explorer, click the address bar, type powershell, and press Enter. PowerShell opens directly inside that folder.

Understanding the Pattern

Every FFmpeg command follows the same structure. Once you understand it, modifying commands is straightforward:

ffmpeg  [inputs]  [processing]  [encoding]  [output]

Facebook / Instagram (4:5)

ffmpeg -loop 1 -i cover.jpg -i audio.wav `
  -vf "scale=1080:-2:force_original_aspect_ratio=increase,crop=1080:1350" `
  -c:v libx264 -pix_fmt yuv420p -r 30 `
  -c:a aac -b:a 256k -ar 48000 `
  -shortest -movflags +faststart `
  output_fb_4x5.mp4

YouTube / X (16:9)

ffmpeg -loop 1 -i cover.jpg -i audio.wav `
  -vf "scale=1920:-2:force_original_aspect_ratio=increase,crop=1920:1080" `
  -c:v libx264 -pix_fmt yuv420p -r 30 `
  -c:a aac -b:a 256k -ar 48000 `
  -shortest -movflags +faststart `
  output_yt_16x9.mp4

Square (1:1)

ffmpeg -loop 1 -i cover.jpg -i audio.wav `
  -vf "scale=1080:-2:force_original_aspect_ratio=increase,crop=1080:1080" `
  -c:v libx264 -pix_fmt yuv420p -r 30 `
  -c:a aac -b:a 256k -ar 48000 `
  -shortest -movflags +faststart `
  output_sq_1x1.mp4

Part 2: Replace Suno Metadata

When Suno exports a WAV file, it embeds metadata including a comment identifying the file as being created with Suno, a generation timestamp, and an internal generation ID. This metadata does not affect the audio itself, but it remains attached to the file unless you replace or remove it.

While no platform publicly documents every signal used to evaluate uploaded media, embedded metadata may be one of many inputs available to automated workflows alongside the audio itself, upload context, and other technical characteristics. For that reason, many creators choose to replace generic export metadata with their own professional release information before publishing or archiving their music.

Replacing metadata does not change the audio or attempt to misrepresent your work. It simply ensures your files carry meaningful information such as your title, artist, copyright, and descriptive notes instead of generic generation metadata.

Where Metadata Actually Matters

This surprises many creators. Streaming platforms do not use embedded file metadata for display. Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, and YouTube Music all use the information you enter during the upload process, not the metadata stored inside the audio file itself.

Embedded metadata is commonly used by media players, digital asset management systems, and file indexing tools. It may also be available to automated workflows that inspect uploaded media before or during processing. Because platforms do not publicly disclose every aspect of these systems, it is best to think of metadata as one possible signal rather than the only one.

Regardless of how individual platforms use embedded metadata, replacing generic export information with your own release metadata is simply good archival practice. It keeps your music library organized, improves compatibility with media software, and ensures every file carries information that reflects your work rather than the application that generated it.

Step 1: Strip Existing Metadata

ffmpeg -i song.wav -map_metadata -1 -c copy clean.wav

-map_metadata -1 removes everything. -c copy copies the audio without re-encoding, so there is no quality loss.

Step 2: Write Your Own Tags

Add exactly what you want to the clean file. Adjust the values – the field names stay the same:

ffmpeg -i clean.wav `
  -map_metadata -1 `
  -c copy `
  -metadata title="Factory Settings" `
  -metadata artist="Airon Sinth" `
  -metadata album="Factory Settings" `
  -metadata genre="Electronic / Experimental / Pop" `
  -metadata date="2026" `
  -metadata copyright="© 2026 MagnusPrime" `
  -metadata comment="Carrier: Airon Sinth | Signal: Factory Settings | Archive Status: Signal Verified | Movement Detected" `
  factory-settings-master.wav

Field Reference

Always use: title, artist

Recommended: album, date, copyright

Optional: genre, comment

Skip: encoder (FFmpeg fills this automatically), track and disc (only needed for multi-track albums)

Part 3: View and Verify Metadata

After tagging, confirm the file contains exactly what you intended before distributing.

FFprobe

FFprobe is installed alongside FFmpeg. Run either of these:

ffprobe -hide_banner song.wav

ffprobe -v quiet -show_format song.wav

Example: Before and After

Below is the difference between an original Suno export and the same file after replacing the metadata with your own release information.

Before

Metadata:
comment:
made with suno;
created=2026-07-01T08:52:06Z;
id=60c8b6b5-4056-4736-aa6c-d2948b778d28

encoder:
Lavf60.16.100

After

Metadata:
artist:
Airon Sinth

title:
Factory Settings

genre:
Electronic / Experimental / Pop

date:
2026

copyright:
© 2026 MagnusPrime

comment:
Carrier: Airon Sinth |
Signal: Factory Settings |
Archive Status: Signal Verified |
Movement Detected

encoder:
Lavf62.3.100

MediaInfo

A free GUI application that shows every detail stored in any media file. Drag your file onto it and all metadata is displayed immediately. Available at mediaarea.net/en/MediaInfo

Windows File Properties

Right-click the file, select Properties, then click the Details tab. This shows basic fields without any additional software. Use FFprobe or MediaInfo for complete verification.

Part 4: Command Cheat Sheet

Inspect Metadata

ffprobe -hide_banner song.wav

Displays the embedded metadata, audio format, duration, bitrate, and stream information for the file.

Format Conversion

ffmpeg -i song.wav song.mp3
ffmpeg -i song.wav song.flac
ffmpeg -i song.mp3 song.wav

Extract Artwork from MP3

ffmpeg -i song.mp3 cover.jpg

Extract Audio from Video

ffmpeg -i video.mp4 audio.wav

Trim Audio

ffmpeg -i song.wav -ss 00:00:30 -t 00:03:00 trimmed.wav

-ss sets the start point. -t sets the duration.

Complete Release Workflow

The full sequence for every Suno release: