openEncoder
free native batch video transcoder for macOS — built for AV, lighting and video professionals. Queue up show content and convert it fast.
NotchLC output (for Notch, disguise and other media servers) uses openEncoder’s own independent NotchLC encoder. NotchLC export needs a licence key from openEncoder; reading NotchLC files needs nothing.
batch, not one at a time
Queue a folder of show content and let it run. Built for the point in the day when you have forty files and a load-in in the morning.
the codecs media servers want
HAP, ProRes, DXV3 and NotchLC output, so content plays cleanly off a timeline instead of stuttering on the night.
native, notarised, free
A real Mac app — Apple Silicon and Intel, notarised by Apple so it opens normally. No account, no subscription.
release notes
- An export can no longer fill your disk completely. macOS keeps swap on the boot volume; when a multi-gigabyte export (a 4K NotchLC clip is around 5 GB) took the last free space, the system started killing processes — including openEncoder and the video decoder it relies on — with no crash report. That was the “crash while encoding to NotchLC”. Encoding now refuses to start, and stops itself mid-run, when the output disk drops under a 1 GB safety margin, with a banner saying how much is free and what to do. Interrupted jobs are marked failed and their partial files removed; the rest of the queue stays ready for a retry.
- From beta 4: NotchLC keeps 10- and 12-bit source precision, and a full disk is reported as such instead of “could not append frame”.
- NotchLC keeps 10- and 12-bit precision. NotchLC is a 12-bit format, but sources were decoded to 8-bit first. ProRes 4444, ProRes 422 and 10-bit HEVC masters now decode at 16 bits and feed the encoder directly — automatically, nothing to switch on. Resize and filters run in a 16-bit working space for those sources.
- Running out of disk space mid-encode now says so. A NotchLC export of a 4K ProRes 4444 clip is around 5 GB; when the disk filled the job failed with an unhelpful “could not append frame” and left the unfinished file behind. The error now reads “the output disk is full”, and a failed encode removes its unplayable partial file.
- From beta 3: Add Folder… (⇧⌘O, with Include subfolders), folders can be dropped onto the queue, Clear Queue (⌥⇧⌘K), and a watch-folder file-descriptor leak fix.
- Add whole folders. File › Add Folder… (⇧⌘O) and a new Add Folder… button queue every supported media file in one or more folders, in Finder name order. Tick Include subfolders to scan the whole tree (the choice is remembered). Folders can also be dropped straight onto the queue — previously a dropped folder was silently ignored.
- Clear Queue. Encode › Clear Queue (⌥⇧⌘K) or the trash button in the Queue header removes every job. If any file hasn’t been encoded yet you’re asked first; files on disk are never touched.
- Fixed: the watch-folder monitor leaked a file descriptor each time the watched folder was changed or stopped.
- From earlier 1.5.2 betas: NotchLC export is 3–5× faster, and the live preview follows one encode at a time when several run in parallel.
- Naming tidy-ups. The Easy preset is now "NotchLC (for Notch, disguise)", and the Settings tab that holds keys is now called Licence.
- Everything from 1.5.0: NotchLC output, NotchLC and DXV3 HQ input, native DNxHD, WebM alpha, stitch from any source, and the two audio-related hang fixes.
"DXV" and "Resolume" are trademarks of Resolume B.V.; "NotchLC" is a trademark of 10bit FX Limited. openEncoder's support for these formats is an independent implementation; openEncoder is not affiliated with, sponsored by, or endorsed by either company.
- NotchLC output, alpha included. openEncoder's own encoder writes NotchLC files that Notch, Resolume, disguise and Adobe Media Encoder read back correctly — verified across HD, 4K and non-standard resolutions. Works from any source, stills and the command line included; a NotchLC preset joins the Easy list. NotchLC export needs a licence key (Settings ▸ NotchLC); decoding NotchLC sources needs nothing.
- NotchLC and Resolume-made DXV3 High Quality files decode as sources. DXV3 HQ without alpha writes true YCG6 again (smaller files).
- MXF DNxHD / DNxHR decodes natively — DNxHR LB through HQX and the classic 1080p profiles (progressive 4:2:2).
- WebM transparency is preserved when converting to ProRes 4444.
- Stitch works with every source, and the CLI converts audio-only files.
- Smaller download, licence-gated presets clearly marked, a refreshed in-app manual, and licence notices in the About window.
- Fixed: two hangs converting MKV/WebM/FLV/Ogg/MXF clips that carry audio; 5.1/7.1 loudness now uses the BS.1770 channel weights.
"DXV" and "Resolume" are trademarks of Resolume B.V.; "NotchLC" is a trademark of 10bit FX Limited. openEncoder's support for these formats is an independent implementation; openEncoder is not affiliated with, sponsored by, or endorsed by either company.
- Easy and Advanced modes. A switcher in the header toggles between a curated "What are you making?" preset list (now the default) and the full codec panel.
- All decoding is now openEncoder's own. MKV, WebM, MXF, FLV and Ogg decode through openEncoder's own container parsers and its own VP8, Theora and Vorbis decoders where macOS has none — each verified frame-for-frame against the reference implementations. No LGPL components ship with the app any more.
- MXF handles OP1a H.264, ProRes and MPEG-2 with PCM audio (XDCAM-style material).
- Every output from every source: those same files can go straight to Hap, DXV, animated GIF, poster frames and image sequences — audio included.
- Audio-only files convert too. .ogg, .mka and audio-only .mkv become AAC .m4a; 5.1/7.1 folds to proper stereo.
- Loudness normalization and true-peak limiting work for every source.
- Report a Bug lives in the Help menu; you see the exact text before anything is sent — file names only, never full paths.
- Fixed: the command-line
--encodemode; 24-bit and multichannel FLAC. - Removed: WMV/ASF input (its codecs needed the removed decoder helper). Tell us via Report a Bug if this affects you.
licence
openEncoder is free for personal and commercial use. It is provided "as is", without warranty of any kind. © 2026 James Goodliffe.
read the full end-user licence agreement
Last updated: 29 August 2026
This End User License Agreement ("Agreement") is between you and James Goodliffe
("the Author") and governs your use of the openEncoder application ("the Software").
By downloading, installing, or using the Software you agree to this Agreement. If you
do not agree, do not install or use the Software.
1. License grant
The Author grants you a personal, worldwide, royalty-free, non-exclusive,
non-transferable license to install and use the Software on devices you own or
control, for personal or commercial purposes.
### 1a. Licence keys for licensed features
Some output formats (currently NotchLC export) are unlocked by a licence key
purchased from the Author. A key is issued to a named email address and unlocks
the feature for that person on the Macs they own or control. A key is personal
and non-transferable: you may not sell, share, or publish it, and the Author may
refuse or revoke keys that are published or used in breach of this Agreement.
A key is verified on your Mac and is not a subscription; it continues to work in
the version you bought it for and in later versions the Author chooses to honour
it in. Sale terms (price, delivery, and your cancellation rights) are shown at
the point of purchase.
2. Restrictions
You may not:
- sell, rent, lease, or redistribute the Software as your own product;
- remove or alter any copyright, trademark, or attribution notices;
- use the Software in any way that violates applicable law.
3. Media content
You are solely responsible for the media you process with the Software, including
ensuring you hold the necessary rights to transcode, copy, or distribute that media.
4. Output formats and third-party trademarks
The Software encodes media into a number of established formats. "DXV" and "Resolume"
are trademarks of Resolume B.V.; "Hap" was developed by VIDVOX; "NotchLC" is a
trademark of Notch (10bit FX Limited); "Apple", "ProRes", and "QuickTime" are
trademarks of Apple Inc. The Author is not affiliated with, sponsored by, or endorsed
by any of these parties. Support for the DXV format is an independent interoperability
implementation based on publicly available format documentation, and is not certified by Resolume B.V.; verify output in your
playback software before relying on it in production.
5. Updates
The Software can check for and install updates using the Sparkle framework. Update
checks contact the Author's server and transmit standard request metadata (such as
app version and macOS version). No personal data is collected or sold. You can
disable automatic update checks in the Software's settings.
6. Intellectual property
The Software is licensed, not sold. The Author retains all rights, title, and
interest in the Software. Third-party components are used under their own licenses —
see the accompanying Third-Party Licenses document.
Parts of the Software are licensed under the GNU Lesser General Public License,
version 2.1 or later (the "LGPL Components"), and are identified in the Third-Party
Licenses document. **Nothing in this Agreement limits or overrides any right granted
to you by the LGPL in respect of those components**, including the rights to obtain
their source code, to modify them, to relink the Software with your modified versions,
and to reverse engineer the Software to the extent necessary to debug such
modifications. Where this Agreement and the LGPL conflict as to the LGPL Components,
the LGPL prevails.
7. No warranty
THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED,
INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A
PARTICULAR PURPOSE, AND NON-INFRINGEMENT. THE AUTHOR DOES NOT WARRANT THAT THE
SOFTWARE WILL BE ERROR-FREE OR UNINTERRUPTED, OR THAT ITS OUTPUT WILL BE SUITABLE
FOR ANY PARTICULAR WORKFLOW. ALWAYS TEST ENCODED OUTPUT BEFORE PRODUCTION USE.
8. Limitation of liability
TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, IN NO EVENT SHALL THE AUTHOR BE LIABLE FOR
ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR EXEMPLARY DAMAGES (INCLUDING
LOSS OF DATA, LOST PROFITS, OR SHOW/EVENT INTERRUPTION) ARISING FROM THE USE OF, OR
INABILITY TO USE, THE SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.
NOTHING IN THIS AGREEMENT EXCLUDES LIABILITY THAT CANNOT BE EXCLUDED UNDER
APPLICABLE LAW.
9. Termination
This Agreement is effective until terminated. It terminates automatically if you
breach any of its terms, at which point you must delete all copies of the Software.
10. General
If any provision of this Agreement is held unenforceable, the remaining provisions
remain in full effect. This Agreement constitutes the entire agreement regarding the
Software and supersedes any prior understanding.
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Questions about this Agreement: contact the Author via https://goodliffe.co