Timecode is a frame count in disguise
A timecode such as 01:00:00:00 is hours, minutes, seconds and frames. It labels every frame so that an editor, a colorist and a sound mixer can refer to the same one.
Timecode calculator
Convert between seconds, frames and timecode, with drop-frame for 29.97 and 59.94 fps.
- Free, no account
- Runs in your browser, nothing uploaded
Runs in your browser. Nothing is uploaded.
Result
Change any number and the answer updates.
Marking cuts by timecode?
Studio finds the retakes and long pauses itself and shows a reason for each cut.
00:20How it works
How to convert between timecode, frames and seconds
- Choose the directionA length of time into timecode, a timecode into time and frames, or a frame count into timecode.
- Choose the frame rate23.976, 24, 25, 29.97, 30, 50, 59.94 or 60.
- Choose drop-frame or non-drop, at 29.97 and 59.94The answer shows both, so you can see the difference.
00:30The details
What goes in and what comes out
- Privacy
- The sums run inside your browser. Nothing you type is sent anywhere.
- Cost
- Free. No account, no watermark, no trial that runs out.
00:35Worth knowing
Getting a good result
Why drop-frame exists
Video at 29.97 frames a second shows slightly fewer than 30 frames each second, but timecode counts 30. Over an hour the label falls 3.6 seconds behind the clock. Drop-frame timecode skips two frame numbers at the start of every minute, except every tenth minute, which keeps the label and the clock together. No pictures are dropped, only numbers. It is written with a semicolon before the frames: 01:00:00;00.
When it matters
A broadcaster asks for a program of exactly 28 minutes and 30 seconds. With non-drop timecode a 29.97 program that reads 00:28:30:00 really runs about 1.7 seconds over. With drop-frame the reading is the real length.
00:40Questions
Timecode calculator: common questions
How many frames are in one hour at 29.97 fps?
107,892. Non-drop timecode labels that frame 00:59:56:12; drop-frame labels it 01:00:00;00.
Is there drop-frame for 23.976?
No. It is defined for 29.97 and 59.94 only. At 23.976, timecode runs slow against the clock by the same 3.6 seconds an hour, and editors live with it.
Why does 00:01:00;00 give an error?
In drop-frame, frame numbers 00 and 01 do not exist at the start of a minute, except minutes 0, 10, 20 and so on. The first frame of minute one is 00:01:00;02.
Is anything I type sent anywhere?
No. The sum is done by your browser.
What people do next
All planning toolsVideo frame rate converter
Change a video to 24, 25, 30, 50 or 60 frames per second without changing its length.
Video metadata viewer
See what is inside a media file: codecs, resolution, frame rate, bitrate, and the tags it carries.
Subtitle frame rate converter
Fix captions that drift further out of sync as a video plays, after a frame rate change.
Video file size calculator
Work out how big a video file will be from its length and bitrate, with YouTube's recommended bitrates built in.
Skip the planning and send the recording.
Upload the raw recording. Studio cuts the ums, retakes and long pauses, adds captions and makes short clips. 30 free minutes, no card.