Free tool

Timecode Calculator

Add, subtract and convert timecode at any frame rate, from 23.976 to 60 fps with drop-frame. Timecode to frames and back. Type numbers the way an NLE takes them, no colons needed.

Looked after by Tick, a stopwatch.

Type numbers without colons: 123 becomes 00:00:01:23, filling right to left like Premiere or Avid. Use “.” for 00.

Add or subtract

Running total

Current total

00:00:00:00

Duration, from one timecode to another

00:00:00:00
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Timecode to frames

Frame rate converter

Frames or seconds to timecode

Count in

Frame rates at a glance

24 fps

Cinema and film

Worldwide

25 fps

Broadcast TV

PAL (Europe, AU)

29.97 fps

Broadcast TV

NTSC (US, Japan)

30 fps

Web and digital

Worldwide

How it works

  1. 1Pick a modeNLE style fills right to left; Standard takes colons.
  2. 2Set the frame rateMatch your sequence: 23.976 to 60 fps.
  3. 3Type two timecodesAdd, subtract, or get the duration between them.
  4. 4Copy the resultStraight back into your edit.

Questions

What is a timecode?
A timecode is a sequence of numeric codes generated at regular intervals by a timing system. In video production, timecodes are used to identify specific frames in a video sequence, typically in the format HH:MM:SS:FF (hours:minutes:seconds:frames).
How do I enter timecodes quickly?
Just type the numbers without colons! The calculator fills from right-to-left like professional NLEs. For example: "123" becomes 00:00:01:23 (1 second, 23 frames), "10000" becomes 00:01:00:00 (1 minute). You can also use "." to represent "00" - so "1.." becomes 00:01:00:00.
How do I add or subtract timecodes?
Enter your first timecode, select add or subtract, enter the second timecode, select your frame rate, and click calculate. The tool handles frame overflow automatically. You can also use the Running Total mode to add multiple timecodes together.
What is drop-frame timecode?
Drop-frame drops frame numbers, not frames. At 29.97 fps the labels :00 and :01 are skipped at the start of every minute except every tenth (at 59.94 fps, :00 to :03), so an hour of timecode matches an hour on the clock. It is written with a semicolon, like 01:00:00;00. Without it, 29.97 timecode runs about 3.6 seconds an hour behind the clock. This calculator does both: turn on Drop-frame at 29.97 or 59.94.
Does 23.976 have drop-frame timecode?
No. Only 29.97 and 59.94 have a drop-frame form. 23.976 is always counted in 24 frame numbers a second, so a timecode hour at 23.976 takes 3,603.6 real seconds, about 3.6 seconds longer than a clock hour. Pick 23.976 here and the frame counts and real-time seconds are worked out from the true rate.
How many frames are in a minute at 29.97?
In non-drop timecode a timecode minute is 1,800 frames. A real minute of 29.97 video is about 1,798 frames. In drop-frame, nine minutes out of ten are labelled with 1,798 frames and every tenth with 1,800, so ten minutes is exactly 17,982 frames.
How do I convert timecode to frames, and frames to timecode?
Timecode to frames: type the timecode and pick the frame rate, and you get the total frames, seconds and milliseconds. Frames to timecode: type a frame count, or a number of seconds, in the Frames or seconds to timecode box and pick the rate (with drop-frame at 29.97 and 59.94). The sum is hours x 3600 + minutes x 60 + seconds, times the frame rate, plus the frames.
What frame rate should I use?
24 fps is standard for cinema, 25 fps for PAL regions (Europe, Australia), 29.97 fps for NTSC broadcast (North America, Japan), and 30/60 fps for web content. Choose the frame rate that matches your project settings.
What is a timecode calculator?

Every video frame has an address like 01:23:45:12: 1 hour, 23 minutes, 45 seconds and 12 frames. Editors use a timecode calculator to:

Calculate total runtime

Five clips, one total duration: add all the timecodes together.

Find edit points

The client wants 30 seconds cut from 00:02:15:00. Subtract to find where it ends.

Calculate a duration

How long is 00:05:30:00 to 00:08:45:12? The duration calculator answers it.

Convert frame rates

Shot at 24 fps, delivering at 29.97 fps: the frame rate converter gives the new timecode.

Turn a frame count into timecode

An EDL or a counter says frame 17,982 at 29.97 drop-frame: that is 00:10:00;00.

Related research and guides

This tool is looked after by Tick.Punctual to the frame, and a little anxious about it.

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