Timecode calculator add, subtract and convert to frames.
To add or subtract timecode, convert both values to frames at the same frame rate, do the math, then turn the result back into HH:MM:SS:FF. This calculator does it from 23.976 to 60 fps, with 29.97 and 59.94 drop frame (;), converts frames, seconds and milliseconds, changes frame rates and handles a list at once.
Free, no sign-upTakes HH:MM:SS:FF with : ; or . between the numbers, short forms like MM:SS:FF, and a plain number, read as frames. At 29.97 and 59.94, a ; before the frames means drop frame.
Add or subtract
- Result
- Frames
- Real seconds
Convert
Same moment at another frame rate
Batch convert
Paste one value per line, straight from a spreadsheet or a marker list. We use the frame rate and drop frame setting at the top.
Want timecodes without typing them? We transcribe your video with a timestamp for every word. Try it free
How to calculate timecode
- 01
Pick the frame rate
Match your sequence. At 29.97 and 59.94, tick drop frame if your timeline uses it.
- 02
Type or paste your values
Add a duration to an in point, subtract the in from the out, convert a single value or paste a whole list.
- 03
Copy the result
You get timecode, frames, seconds and milliseconds. A list comes back as a table to copy or download as CSV.
How to add or subtract timecode
Timecode isn't regular clock time: after 59 seconds comes the next minute, but after the last frame comes the next second. At 25 fps, frames run from 00 to 24. The reliable way to do the math is to turn everything into frames, add or subtract, and convert back to HH:MM:SS:FF.
To get the duration of a shot, subtract the in point from the out point. If the answer is negative, it shows with a minus sign. Sums past 24 hours keep counting (25:00:00:00), which helps with long recordings and timelines that start at a high hour.
| Math at 25 fps | Result |
|---|---|
| 01:00:00:00 + 00:00:30:12 | 01:00:30:12 |
| 00:12:40:10 − 00:10:05:20 | 00:02:34:15 |
| 00:00:01:00 − 00:00:02:00 | -00:00:01:00 |
| 23:59:59:24 + 00:00:00:01 | 24:00:00:00 |
How to convert timecode to frames
Multiply the hours, minutes and seconds by the frames per second and add the frames. At 25 fps, 00:01:00:00 is 1,500 frames. At 23.976 fps, timecode counts 24 frames per second, so the same 00:01:00:00 is 1,440 frames, which last 60.06 real seconds.
The gap between what timecode says and real time shows up at fractional rates (23.976, 29.97 and 59.94). The calculator shows both, frames and real seconds, so you don't mix up a video's timecode with its running time on the clock.
| Timecode | fps | Frames | Real seconds |
|---|---|---|---|
| 00:01:00:00 | 25 | 1,500 | 60.000 |
| 00:01:00:00 | 23.976 | 1,440 | 60.060 |
| 01:00:00:00 | 29.97 non-drop | 108,000 | 3,603.600 |
| 01:00:00;00 | 29.97 drop frame | 107,892 | 3,599.996 |
What is drop-frame timecode?
At 29.97 fps, timecode counts 30 frames per second, but the video actually plays a little slower. Left alone, timecode falls 3.6 seconds behind the clock every hour. Drop frame fixes this by skipping numbers: at the start of every minute, frames ;00 and ;01 don't exist, except on minutes divisible by 10.
No picture is thrown away, only frame numbers. So one hour of drop frame reads 01:00:00;00 and holds 107,892 frames. At 59.94 fps the logic is the same, but 4 numbers are skipped each minute. The semicolon before the frames is the usual way to show drop frame.
00:00:59;28
00:00:59;29
00:01:00;02 (;00 and ;01 don't exist)
...
00:09:59;29
00:10:00;00 (minute 10: nothing skipped)How to convert frame rates and a list of timecodes
When the same footage exists at two frame rates, the timecode changes even though the moment is the same. In "same moment at another frame rate", pick the source and target rates (DF options are drop frame) and we convert through real time, rounding to the nearest frame. Example: 00:01:00:00 at 25 fps becomes 00:00:59;28 at 29.97 DF, because one real minute holds 1,798 frames at that rate.
For many values, use batch mode: paste a column of timecodes, frames, seconds or milliseconds, one per line, straight from a spreadsheet or a marker list. Every line comes back converted, bad lines are flagged without stopping the rest, and you copy the table or download a CSV.
| Input (29.97 DF) | Frames | Milliseconds | At 25 fps |
|---|---|---|---|
| 00:01:00;02 | 1,800 | 60,060 | 00:01:00:02 |
| 00:10:00;00 | 17,982 | 599,999 | 00:10:00:00 |
| 01:00:00;00 | 107,892 | 3,599,996 | 01:00:00:00 |
More than a timecode calculator. Timecodes that come ready.
See also
Frequently asked questions
How do I add or subtract timecode?
Pick the frame rate, type both timecodes and hit add or subtract. Under the hood we turn everything into frames, do the math and convert back to HH:MM:SS:FF. You also get the result in frames and real seconds.
How do I convert timecode to frames?
Multiply hours, minutes and seconds by the frames per second and add the frames. At 25 fps, 00:01:00:00 is 1,500 frames. The calculator does it at any frame rate, and the other way around too, from frames to timecode.
What is drop-frame timecode?
It's a way of numbering timecode at 29.97 and 59.94 fps so it keeps up with the clock. Some frame numbers are skipped at the start of each minute, except every tenth minute. No picture is dropped, only numbers.
How do I calculate the duration between two timecodes?
Subtract the in timecode from the out timecode at the same frame rate. At 25 fps, from 00:10:05:20 to 00:12:40:10 is 00:02:34:15, or 3,865 frames. If the in comes after the out, the result is negative.
Does it handle 25 fps and PAL projects?
Yes. Pick 25 fps (or 50 fps) and every calculation uses 25 frames per second, with frames from 00 to 24. Drop frame only exists at 29.97 and 59.94, so it's ignored at other rates.
Does it work past 24 hours?
Yes. Hours keep counting past 23, so at 25 fps 23:59:59:24 plus one frame is 24:00:00:00. Handy for very long recordings and timelines that start at a high hour.
Can I convert a list of timecodes at once?
Yes. In batch convert, paste one value per line and say whether they're timecodes, frames, seconds or milliseconds. We convert them all at the frame rate you picked, flag any bad lines, and you copy the table or download a CSV for your spreadsheet.
Transcribe your video with a timecode for every word. Then send the lines to your editor.
Upload a video or paste a YouTube link. We transcribe it word by word, each word timed, and on Studio and Agency you export the timeline to Premiere, DaVinci or Final Cut.
See the result on your own recording before adding a card.