diff --git a/recording/docs/encoders.md b/recording/docs/encoders.md
index 7748aa400ec3..1fa72635f82e 100644
--- a/recording/docs/encoders.md
+++ b/recording/docs/encoders.md
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ Each run of the benchmark tool records a single video (or audio) file with the g
 ```
 #!/usr/bin/bash
 
-# Define the video arguments and the filename suffix to use for each test.
+# Define the output video options for ffmpeg and the filename suffix to use for each test.
 TESTS=(
     "-c:v libvpx -deadline:v realtime -b:v 0,rt-b0"
     "-c:v libvpx -deadline:v realtime -b:v 0 -cpu-used:v 0,rt-b0-cpu0"
@@ -49,8 +49,8 @@ TESTS=(
 for TEST in "${TESTS[@]}"
 do
     # Split the input tuple on ","
-    IFS="," read VIDEO_ARGS FILENAME_SUFFIX <<< "${TEST}"
+    IFS="," read FFMPEG_OUTPUT_VIDEO FILENAME_SUFFIX <<< "${TEST}"
     # Run the test
-    python3 -m nextcloud.talk.recording.Benchmark --length 300 --video-args "${VIDEO_ARGS}" /tmp/recording/files/example.mkv /tmp/recording/files/test-"${FILENAME_SUFFIX}".webm
+    python3 -m nextcloud.talk.recording.Benchmark --length 300 --ffmpeg-output-video "${FFMPEG_OUTPUT_VIDEO}" /tmp/recording/files/example.mkv /tmp/recording/files/test-"${FILENAME_SUFFIX}".webm
 done
 ```
diff --git a/recording/server.conf.in b/recording/server.conf.in
index 10a61315f80a..995155288768 100644
--- a/recording/server.conf.in
+++ b/recording/server.conf.in
@@ -96,11 +96,15 @@
 #internalsecret = the-shared-secret-for-internal-clients
 
 [ffmpeg]
-# The options given to FFmpeg to encode the audio output. The options given here
+# The ffmpeg executable (name or full path) and the global options given to
+# ffmpeg. The options given here fully override the default global options.
+#common = ffmpeg -loglevel level+warning -n
+
+# The options given to ffmpeg to encode the audio output. The options given here
 # fully override the default options for the audio output.
 #outputaudio = -c:a libopus
 
-# The options given to FFmpeg to encode the video output. The options given here
+# The options given to ffmpeg to encode the video output. The options given here
 # fully override the default options for the video output.
 #outputvideo = -c:v libvpx -deadline:v realtime -crf 10 -b:v 1M
 
diff --git a/recording/src/nextcloud/talk/recording/Benchmark.py b/recording/src/nextcloud/talk/recording/Benchmark.py
index b55f38169dc6..cafac515f86e 100644
--- a/recording/src/nextcloud/talk/recording/Benchmark.py
+++ b/recording/src/nextcloud/talk/recording/Benchmark.py
@@ -164,8 +164,9 @@ def run(self, args):
             status = RECORDING_STATUS_AUDIO_ONLY if args.audio_only else RECORDING_STATUS_AUDIO_AND_VIDEO
 
             recorderArgumentsBuilder = RecorderArgumentsBuilder()
-            recorderArgumentsBuilder.setFfmpegOutputAudio(args.audio_args.split())
-            recorderArgumentsBuilder.setFfmpegOutputVideo(args.video_args.split())
+            recorderArgumentsBuilder.setFfmpegCommon(args.ffmpeg_common.split())
+            recorderArgumentsBuilder.setFfmpegOutputAudio(args.ffmpeg_output_audio.split())
+            recorderArgumentsBuilder.setFfmpegOutputVideo(args.ffmpeg_output_video.split())
             recorderArgumentsBuilder.setExtension(f".{extension}")
             self._recorderArguments = recorderArgumentsBuilder.getRecorderArguments(status, self._display.new_display_var, audioSourceIndex, args.width, args.height, extensionlessFileName)
 
@@ -277,8 +278,9 @@ def main():
     parser.add_argument("-l", "--length", help="benchmark duration (in seconds)", default=180, type=int)
     parser.add_argument("--width", help="output width", default=defaultConfig.getBackendVideoWidth(""), type=int)
     parser.add_argument("--height", help="output height", default=defaultConfig.getBackendVideoHeight(""), type=int)
-    parser.add_argument("--audio-args", help="output audio arguments for ffmpeg", default=" ".join(defaultConfig.getFfmpegOutputAudio()), type=str)
-    parser.add_argument("--video-args", help="output video arguments for ffmpeg", default=" ".join(defaultConfig.getFfmpegOutputVideo()), type=str)
+    parser.add_argument("--ffmpeg-common", help="ffmpeg executable and global options", default=" ".join(defaultConfig.getFfmpegCommon()), type=str)
+    parser.add_argument("--ffmpeg-output-audio", help="output audio options for ffmpeg", default=" ".join(defaultConfig.getFfmpegOutputAudio()), type=str)
+    parser.add_argument("--ffmpeg-output-video", help="output video options for ffmpeg", default=" ".join(defaultConfig.getFfmpegOutputVideo()), type=str)
     parser.add_argument("--audio-only", help="audio only recording", action="store_true")
     parser.add_argument("-v", "--verbose", help="verbose mode", action="store_true")
     parser.add_argument("--verbose-extra", help="extra verbose mode", action="store_true")
diff --git a/recording/src/nextcloud/talk/recording/Config.py b/recording/src/nextcloud/talk/recording/Config.py
index c1ec3ce0157b..5edea0a34bc9 100644
--- a/recording/src/nextcloud/talk/recording/Config.py
+++ b/recording/src/nextcloud/talk/recording/Config.py
@@ -205,9 +205,18 @@ def getSignalingSecret(self, signalingUrl):
 
         return self._configParser.get('signaling', 'internalsecret', fallback=None)
 
+    def getFfmpegCommon(self):
+        """
+        Returns the ffmpeg executable (name or full path) and the global options
+        given to ffmpeg.
+
+        Defaults to ['ffmpeg', '-loglevel', 'level+warning', '-n'].
+        """
+        return self._configParser.get('ffmpeg', 'common', fallback='ffmpeg -loglevel level+warning -n').split()
+
     def getFfmpegOutputAudio(self):
         """
-        Returns the options given to FFmpeg to encode the audio output.
+        Returns the options given to ffmpeg to encode the audio output.
 
         Defaults to ['-c:a', 'libopus'].
         """
@@ -215,7 +224,7 @@ def getFfmpegOutputAudio(self):
 
     def getFfmpegOutputVideo(self):
         """
-        Returns the options given to FFmpeg to encode the video output.
+        Returns the options given to ffmpeg to encode the video output.
 
         Defaults to ['-c:v', 'libvpx', '-deadline:v', 'realtime', '-crf', '10', '-b:v', '1M'].
         """
diff --git a/recording/src/nextcloud/talk/recording/RecorderArgumentsBuilder.py b/recording/src/nextcloud/talk/recording/RecorderArgumentsBuilder.py
index 6d9099c4dae3..f228fb686aab 100644
--- a/recording/src/nextcloud/talk/recording/RecorderArgumentsBuilder.py
+++ b/recording/src/nextcloud/talk/recording/RecorderArgumentsBuilder.py
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ class RecorderArgumentsBuilder:
     """
 
     def __init__(self):
+        self._ffmpegCommon = None
         self._ffmpegOutputAudio = None
         self._ffmpegOutputVideo = None
         self._extension = None
@@ -51,7 +52,7 @@ def getRecorderArguments(self, status, displayId, audioSourceIndex, width, heigh
         :returns: the file name for the recording, with extension.
         """
 
-        ffmpegCommon = ['ffmpeg', '-loglevel', 'level+warning', '-n']
+        ffmpegCommon = self.getFfmpegCommon()
         ffmpegInputAudio = ['-f', 'pulse', '-i', audioSourceIndex]
         ffmpegInputVideo = ['-f', 'x11grab', '-draw_mouse', '0', '-video_size', f'{width}x{height}', '-i', displayId]
         ffmpegOutputAudio = self.getFfmpegOutputAudio()
@@ -74,6 +75,12 @@ def getRecorderArguments(self, status, displayId, audioSourceIndex, width, heigh
 
         return ffmpegArguments + [outputFileName]
 
+    def getFfmpegCommon(self):
+        if self._ffmpegCommon != None:
+            return self._ffmpegCommon
+
+        return config.getFfmpegCommon()
+
     def getFfmpegOutputAudio(self):
         if self._ffmpegOutputAudio != None:
             return self._ffmpegOutputAudio
@@ -95,6 +102,9 @@ def getExtension(self, status):
 
         return config.getFfmpegExtensionAudio()
 
+    def setFfmpegCommon(self, ffmpegCommon):
+        self._ffmpegCommon = ffmpegCommon
+
     def setFfmpegOutputAudio(self, ffmpegOutputAudio):
         self._ffmpegOutputAudio = ffmpegOutputAudio