Free tool · Editing
Timecode calculator
Convert between SMPTE timecode, frame count and seconds at any common frame rate, including drop-frame 29.97 and 59.94. Add or subtract two timecodes to get a duration.
Frame rate
Timecode → frames and seconds
Frame number
107,892
Real time
00:59:59.996
HH:MM:SS.mmm
Frames → timecode
Timecode
00:01:00;02
Real time
00:01:00.060
HH:MM:SS.mmm
Add or subtract timecodes
Result
00:08:29;15
Frames
15,269
Real time
00:08:29.476
How the timecode calculator works
Non-drop-frame timecode counts every frame: at 25 fps, 00:00:01:00 is frame 25. Frame number = ((hours × 60 + minutes) × 60 + seconds) × fps + frames.
Drop-frame timecode (29.97 and 59.94) skips frame numbers 00 and 01 (or 00–03 at 59.94) at the start of every minute except each tenth minute, so the timecode stays in step with the wall clock. No video frames are dropped; only labels are skipped.
Seconds come from the real frame rate: 29.97 fps is exactly 30000/1001, so one hour of drop-frame timecode is 107,892 frames and lasts about 3,600 seconds (3,599.996).
Frequently asked questions
When do I use drop-frame?
Use drop-frame for 29.97 or 59.94 fps material that must match clock time, such as broadcast. Use non-drop-frame for 24, 25, 30, 50 and 60 fps, and when frame counting matters more than clock time.
Why does my editor show a semicolon?
By convention, drop-frame timecode uses a semicolon or period before the frames (00:59:59;29). Non-drop-frame uses colons only.
Is 23.976 drop-frame?
No. 23.976 fps has no drop-frame standard; its timecode counts 24 frames per second and slowly drifts from clock time (about 3.6 seconds per hour).
How do I get the duration between two timecodes?
Use the add and subtract panel: enter the out point first, the in point second, and choose subtract.