Developer Tool

Xora

Cloud FFmpeg API for media jobs

Last verified October 2026 4 min read

What is Xora?

Xora product thumbnail

Xora is a cloud FFmpeg API for developers and AI agents that need media processing without running their own encode infrastructure. Send raw FFmpeg arguments, a recipe, or a saved preset with an input URL, then poll the job or receive a webhook when the output is ready. Jobs run on isolated workers, support HTTPS inputs including S3 and R2 presigned URLs, and can return signed downloads or write results to Cloudflare R2.

Why Xora works

FFmpeg becomes awkward when it leaves a developer laptop because serverless limits, sandbox constraints, and long running encodes turn one command into a queue, worker, storage, and retry problem. Xora keeps the FFmpeg command but moves the compute behind one job API with explicit state, parallel workers, idempotency keys, and structured errors. It runs the media job on managed workers instead of making the developer operate a media pipeline.

Xora features

  • Raw FFmpeg commands. Send FFmpeg arguments as a JSON array, including filter graphs, codec parameters, and multi input jobs, without translating them into a narrower media API.
  • Recipes and presets. Use recipes for tasks such as compression, trimming, thumbnail generation, audio extraction, and concatenation, or save a configuration and rerun it by preset ID.
  • Job state and webhooks. Jobs expose states and progress that code can inspect, with polling or webhooks available for completion handling. Idempotency keys support safe retries.
  • Flexible input and output storage. Read media from HTTPS URLs, including presigned S3 and R2 URLs, upload local files through presigned uploads, use managed storage with signed URLs, or send outputs directly to Cloudflare R2.
  • Agent friendly access. The same service is available through REST, OpenAPI, llms.txt, and a remote MCP server with tools for creating and inspecting jobs.
  • Credit based plans. The free plan includes 25 monthly credits, a 250 MB input limit, and two concurrent jobs. Build costs $15 per month with 400 credits and a 2 GB limit, while Scale costs $49 per month with 1,500 credits and a 6 GB limit.

Who Xora is for

  • Developers adding video or audio processing to an app who do not want to maintain FFmpeg workers, queues, and autoscaling.
  • AI agent builders who need media operations exposed through structured JSON, MCP tools, and deterministic job states.
  • Developers moving FFmpeg workloads off serverless functions because package, disk, CPU, or execution limits interfere with longer jobs.
  • Teams already using FFmpeg commands locally who want to run the same arguments on remote compute without adopting a new media abstraction.

Similar micro SaaS ideas you can build

  • Background document conversion API. An API for developers who need heavy file conversions that regularly outgrow serverless limits. It accepts a conversion job, runs the required binary on isolated workers, and reports structured state back to the calling app.
  • Agent callable batch processing service. A small infrastructure product that gives AI agents safe access to long running command line workloads through typed arguments, explicit job states, retries, and webhooks instead of direct shell execution.
  • Podcast production job runner. A processing API for podcast apps that accepts uploaded recordings and runs repeatable audio tasks such as extraction, conversion, and preset based preparation without requiring the app team to maintain media workers.
Frequently asked

Xora FAQ

How does Xora run an FFmpeg job?−
Send a POST request with raw FFmpeg arguments, a recipe, or a preset plus the input. Xora returns a job ID, runs the work remotely, and exposes progress until the job completes or fails.
Can I use my existing FFmpeg arguments?−
Yes. Xora accepts ordinary FFmpeg arguments, including filter graphs, codec parameters, and multi input commands.
What does Xora cost?−
The Free plan is $0 with 25 credits per month. Build is $15 per month with 400 credits, and Scale is $49 per month with 1,500 credits. A credit represents one minute of machine work, while output files cost 10 credits per GB.
What happens when a job fails?−
Failed and rejected jobs do not consume credits. Rejected jobs return structured errors, and failed jobs are not charged.
Where do processed files live?−
Outputs can go directly to a Cloudflare R2 bucket or use Xora managed storage with signed URLs and a Files API. Inputs are read from supplied URLs or uploaded through presigned uploads.
Can AI agents call Xora directly?−
Yes. Xora provides REST and OpenAPI access, llms.txt documentation, and a remote MCP server that exposes media jobs as tool calls.