This is the whole integration. One HTTP request offloads the command and returns right away, so your function stays tiny and runs on Node or Edge.
// app/api/transcode/route.tsimport { createClient } from "@rendobar/sdk";
export const runtime = "nodejs"; // or "edge", it's a plain fetch
const rb = createClient({ apiKey: process.env.RENDOBAR_API_KEY! });
export async function POST(req: Request) { const { videoUrl } = await req.json();
// Offload the command, return right away. const job = await rb.jobs.create({ type: "raw.ffmpeg", params: { command: `ffmpeg -i ${videoUrl} -c:v libx264 out.mp4` }, });
return Response.json({ jobId: job.id });}You can't run a standard FFmpeg binary inside a Vercel Function. The binary plus codecs is large enough to push the unzipped bundle toward the 250 MB Lambda cap, and the Edge runtime has no child_process to spawn it with.
This is what people try first. It only deploys on Node, carries around 80 MB of static binary, and holds the function open for the whole transcode. The offload version is the snippet at the top of this page.
// app/api/transcode/route.tsimport ffmpegPath from "ffmpeg-static";import { spawn } from "node:child_process";
// Adds around 80 MB of binary, pushing toward the 250 MB cap.// And on the Edge runtime this file won't even deploy:// there is no child_process to spawn a binary with.export const runtime = "nodejs"; // Edge is off the table
export async function POST(req: Request) { const { videoUrl } = await req.json();
return new Promise((resolve) => { const proc = spawn(ffmpegPath!, [ "-i", videoUrl, "-c:v", "libx264", "-crf", "23", "/tmp/out.mp4", ]); // The function holds open for the whole transcode and can hit // the 300s wall (800s on Pro with maxDuration) on long jobs. proc.on("close", () => resolve(Response.json({ ok: true }))); });}Your Vercel function calls rb.jobs.create with type "raw.ffmpeg" and your command string. The call is a single HTTPS request, so it returns in milliseconds and your function stays small.
Rendobar runs the exact FFmpeg command in an isolated container built for media work. Full codecs, full CPU, no 250 MB bundle, no Lambda layer to attach.
When the command finishes, the output is stored and the job result carries its URL. Read it from the webhook in the next step, or poll GET /jobs/{id}.
Rendobar POSTs the finished job to the endpoint you registered. Your function never had to wait, so it never hit the 300s timeout (or the 800s Pro ceiling).
| Approach | Works on Vercel? | Why |
|---|---|---|
| ffmpeg-static in the bundle | No | Blows the 250 MB cap, Node runtime only |
| ffmpeg.wasm in the function | No | Runs, but slow and memory / time limited |
| Custom Lambda layer | No | You don't control Vercel's Lambda |
| Rendobar API (offload) | Yes | One fetch, any runtime, nothing to bundle |
Vercel Functions deploy to AWS Lambda with a 250 MB unzipped bundle cap, and a static FFmpeg build plus codecs pushes most projects over it. The Edge runtime has no child_process to spawn a binary at all. Offloading the command keeps your function small.
Yes. The call is a plain HTTPS fetch, so it runs on both Node and Edge. Rendobar runs the FFmpeg command in a sandboxed container and returns the output URL on a webhook.
Don't keep the function open. Register a webhook endpoint once (rb.webhooks.create) and Rendobar POSTs each finished job to it. You can also poll GET /jobs/{id} or await rb.jobs.wait(id) for short jobs.
It raises the ceiling to 800s on Pro (Hobby stays at 300s), but a long transcode can still blow past it, and you pay for every second the function stays open. Offloading returns in milliseconds no matter how long the video runs.
Any single FFmpeg command. You pass it as params.command on a raw.ffmpeg job, exactly the string you'd type in a terminal. Inputs are fetched by URL, up to 100 MB on the Free plan and 2 GB on Pro.
Jobs are billed by compute time. Every account begins with $5 in free credits and no credit card, so you can run a real transcode before paying anything.
The call is a plain HTTPS request, so the same offload runs from every serverless host. Pick your runtime and follow the guide.
$5 free on signup. No credit card. No bundle to blow.