# Python : Media : Overview ## Image Packages Compiled on 2025-03-19. | Package | Import | Stars | Commits | Com. Date | Rel. Date | Iss / Pr | Notes | | -------------------------------------------- | :------- | :---: | ------- | ---------- | ---------- | -------- | ------------------------------------------------------ | | [imageio](https://pypi.org/project/imageio/) | `imagio` | 1571 | 1554 | 2025-02-20 | 2015-01-19 | 99 / 12 | uses pillow, supports video via imageio-ffmpeg or pyav | | [pillow](https://pypi.org/project/pillow/) | `PIL` | 12633 | 19319 | 2025-03-19 | 2025-01-02 | 67 / 51 | Python + C | | [Wand](https://pypi.org/project/Wand/) | `wand` | 1435 | 1879 | 2025-02-02 | 2023-11-03 | 22 / 4 | C-bindings for ImageMagick | ## Specifically for PNG | Package | Import | Stars | Commits | Com. Date | Rel. Date | Iss / Pr | Notes | | -------------------------------------------- | :---------- | :---: | ------- | ---------- | ---------- | -------- | --------------------------------------------- | | png-parser | `pngparser` | 98 | 40 | 2023-04-07 | n/a | 2 / 0 | **not on PyPi**, uses pillow | | [purepng](https://pypi.org/project/purepng/) | `png` | 17 | 652 | 2021-11-08 | 2016-09-30 | 7 / 3 | **stopped publishing to PyPI**, fork of pypng | | [pypng](https://pypi.org/project/pypng/) | ??? | 451* | 1340 | 2024-07-15 | 2022-07-15 | n/a | \*moved to GitLab, pure python, no deps | **Conclusion:** This entire family of packages is a clown show. Avoid. *(If you have to pick, it's obviously pypng.)* ## Video Packages (ffmpeg Wrappers) Compiled on 2025-03-19. | Package | Import | Stars | Commits | Com. Date | Rel. Date | Iss / Pr | Notes | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ---------------- | :---: | :-----: | ------------ | ------------ | :------: | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | [av](https://pypi.org/project/av/) / [pyav](https://pypi.org/project/pyav/) | `av` | 2695 | 1736 | 2025-03-11 | 2025-02-25 | 1 / 0 | C-bindings for libs; very low level | | [ffmpeg-python](https://pypi.org/project/ffmpeg-python/) | `ffmpeg` | 10369 | 458 | *2022-07-11* | *2019-07-05* | 468 / 47 | subproc, clean, good examples, have used ***(DEAD)*** | | [ffmpegio](https://pypi.org/project/ffmpegio/) | `ffmpegio` | 81 | 588 | 2025-02-12 | 2024-12-23 | 1 / 0 | subproc, new ambitious alternative to ffmpeg-python, [inferior filtergraph expression](https://github.com/kkroening/ffmpeg-python/issues/807#issuecomment-2738131158) | | [ffmpy](https://pypi.org/project/ffmpy/) | `ffmpy` | 510 | 84 | 2024-12-20 | 2024-12-19 | 5 / 1 | subproc, single 200-line module | | [imageio-ffmpeg](https://pypi.org/project/imageio-ffmpeg/) | `imageio_ffmpeg` | 249 | 113 | 2025-01-15 | 2025-01-16 | 18 / 0 | subproc, includes 80mb binary, low-level (r/w frames), author suggests PyAV | | [python-ffmpeg](https://pypi.org/project/python-ffmpeg/) | `ffmpeg` | 321 | 157 | 2024-04-15 | 2024-04-15 | 6 / 7 | subproc, sync & async UIs, [inferior filtergraph expression](https://github.com/kkroening/ffmpeg-python/issues/760#issuecomment-1646584783) | **Conclusion:** ffmpeg-python still works fine, and there's no compelling case to look elsewhere for high-level usage. ## Exif Packages TODO exif, piexif