MELT(1)

💖 NAME 💖

okay so bestie, melt is the tool that lets you author, play, and encode multitrack audio/video compositions. yes, ALL of that. audio tracks, video tracks, filters, transitions, the whole buffet. it's giving main character energy and honestly we're obsessed. 🎀✨

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🌸 SYNOPSIS 🌸

melt [options] [producer [name=value]* ]+

that's the shape of it: some options, then one or more producers, and every producer can carry its own little trail of name=value properties behind it. lowkey elegant. 💅

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✨ OPTIONS ✨

okay this is the big one, so grab a snack 🍓. every single flag, right here, no skips:

• -attach filter[:arg] [name=value]* — sticks a filter onto the output. like, the very end of the chain. 💖
• -attach-cut filter[:arg] [name=value]* — sticks a filter onto a cut. ✂️
• -attach-track filter[:arg] [name=value]* — sticks a filter onto a track.
• -attach-clip filter[:arg] [name=value]* — sticks a filter onto a producer (yes, the clip itself, not the track).
• -audio-track | -hide-video — adds an audio-only track. no video invited. 🎧
• -blank frames — adds blank silence to a track. quiet era. 🤫
• -chain id[:arg] [name=value]* — adds a producer as a chain.
• -consumer id[:arg] [name=value]* — sets the consumer (aka the sink, where it all goes at the end).
• -debug — cranks the logging level all the way to debug.
• -filter filter[:arg] [name=value]* — adds a filter to the current track.
• -getc — grabs keyboard input using getc.
• -group [name=value]* — applies properties repeatedly. it's a group thing, you wouldn't get it 🫶
• -help — shows you this message. hi bestie 👋
• -jack — enables JACK transport synchronization.
• -join clips — joins multiple clips into one cut. friendship bracelet behaviour. 🎀
• -link id[:arg] [name=value]* — adds a link to a chain.
• -loglevel level — sets the logging level, listed least to most: quiet panic, fatal, error, warning, info, verbose, debug, timings. pick your vibe. 📶
• -mix length — adds a mix between the last two cuts.
• -mixer transition — adds a transition to the mix.
• -null-track | -hide-track — adds a hidden track. sneaky. 🙈
• -profile name — sets the processing settings.
• -progress — displays progress along with position.
• -progress2 — displays progress along with position, but on a new line. glow-up edition ✨
• -query — lists all of the registered services. all of them. every single one.
• -query "consumers" | -query "consumer"=id — lists consumers, or shows info about one specific one.
• -query "filters" | -query "filter"=id — lists filters, or shows info about one.
• -query "links" | -query "link"=id — lists links, or shows info about one.
• -query "producers" | -query "producer"=id — lists producers, or shows info about one.
• -query "transitions" | -query "transition"=id — lists transitions, or shows info about one.
• -query "profiles" | -query "profile"=id — lists profiles, or shows info about one.
• -query "presets" | -query "preset"=id — lists presets, or shows info about one.
• -query "formats" — lists audio/video formats.
• -query "audio_codecs" — lists audio codecs.
• -query "video_codecs" — lists video codecs.
• -quiet — sets the logging level to quiet.
• -remove — removes the most recent cut. undo but make it dramatic 💀
• -repeat times — repeats the last cut.
• -repository path — sets the directory of the MLT modules.
• -serialise [filename] — writes the commands to a text file.
• -setlocale — makes numeric strings locale-sensitive. (legacy support, so it's giving vintage 🧚)
• -silent — does not display position/transport.
• -split relative-frame — splits the last cut into two cuts.
• -swap — rearranges the last two cuts. they're switching places, no questions. 🔄
• -track — adds a track.
• -transition id[:arg] [name=value]* — adds a transition.
• -verbose — sets the logging level to verbose.
• -timings — sets the logging level to timings.
• -version — shows the version and copyright. 👑
• -video-track | -hide-audio — adds a video-only track. no audio invited either. 🎬

for more help: https://www.mltframework.org/ — go say hi, they're lovely 💜

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📜 COPYRIGHT 📜

Copyright © 2002-2026 Meltytech, LLC <https://www.mltframework.org/>

This is free software; see the source for copying conditions. There is NO warranty; not even for MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. (fr fr, no warranty, she said what she said 💅)

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and that's the whole page bestie!! this one's from melt 7.40.0, dated June 2026, living its best life in section 1 of the manual. slay, go make something gorgeous with it 🦋🌈💖