diff --git a/cmd/duration/main.go b/cmd/duration/main.go
index 878d5e5..580ba08 100644
--- a/cmd/duration/main.go
+++ b/cmd/duration/main.go
@@ -3,18 +3,35 @@ package main
 import (
 	"fmt"
 	"os"
+	"path/filepath"
 
 	"github.com/peolic/videohashes/internal"
 )
 
 func main() {
 	videoPath := ""
+	ffmpegInstallDir := "./"
+
+	path, err := os.Executable()
+	if (err == nil) {
+		ffmpegInstallDir = filepath.Dir(path)
+	}
+	path, err = filepath.Abs(ffmpegInstallDir)
+	if (err == nil) {
+		ffmpegInstallDir = path
+	}
 
 	args := os.Args[1:]
 	if len(args) >= 1 {
 		videoPath = args[0]
 	}
 
+	ffmpegPath, ffprobePath := internal.GetFFPaths(ffmpegInstallDir)
+	if ffmpegPath == "" || ffprobePath == "" {
+		fmt.Println("acceptable ffmpeg/ffprobe executables not found on path, and could not be installed")
+		return
+	}
+
 	if videoPath == "" {
 		fmt.Println("missing video path")
 		return
@@ -25,12 +42,6 @@ func main() {
 		return
 	}
 
-	_, ffprobePath := internal.GetFFPaths()
-	if ffprobePath == "" {
-		fmt.Println("ffprobe executable not found")
-		return
-	}
-
 	duration := internal.GetDuration(ffprobePath, videoPath)
 
 	out := fmt.Sprintf("Duration: %s (%d)\n", internal.FormatDuration(duration), duration)
diff --git a/cmd/videohashes/main.go b/cmd/videohashes/main.go
index 9948dc2..773eb80 100644
--- a/cmd/videohashes/main.go
+++ b/cmd/videohashes/main.go
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import (
 	"flag"
 	"fmt"
 	"os"
+	"path/filepath"
 
 	"github.com/peolic/videohashes/internal"
 )
@@ -17,13 +18,30 @@ func main() {
 	videoPath := ""
 	calcMD5 := false
 	jsonOut := false
+	ffmpegInstallDir := "./"
+
+	path, err := os.Executable()
+	if (err == nil) {
+		ffmpegInstallDir = filepath.Dir(path)
+	}
+	path, err = filepath.Abs(ffmpegInstallDir)
+	if (err == nil) {
+		ffmpegInstallDir = path
+	}
 
 	flag.StringVar(&videoPath, "video", "", "path to video file")
 	flag.BoolVar(&calcMD5, "md5", false, "calculate md5 checksum as well")
 	flag.BoolVar(&jsonOut, "json", false, "output in json format")
+	flag.StringVar(&ffmpegInstallDir, "ffmpeg", ffmpegInstallDir, "where to install ffmpeg if needed")
 	flag.Usage = myUsage
 	flag.Parse()
 
+	ffmpegPath, ffprobePath := internal.GetFFPaths(ffmpegInstallDir)
+	if ffmpegPath == "" || ffprobePath == "" {
+		fmt.Println("acceptable ffmpeg/ffprobe executables not found on path, and could not be installed")
+		return
+	}
+
 	if videoPath == "" {
 		videoPath = flag.Arg(0)
 	}
@@ -39,12 +57,6 @@ func main() {
 		return
 	}
 
-	ffmpegPath, ffprobePath := internal.GetFFPaths()
-	if ffmpegPath == "" || ffprobePath == "" {
-		fmt.Println("ffmpeg/ffprobe executables not found")
-		return
-	}
-
 	result := Result{videoPath: videoPath}
 
 	if err := result.GeneratePHash(ffmpegPath, ffprobePath); err != nil {
diff --git a/internal/common.go b/internal/common.go
index d11fec6..68c6a10 100644
--- a/internal/common.go
+++ b/internal/common.go
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 package internal
 
 import (
+	"context"
 	"fmt"
 	"os"
 
@@ -18,17 +19,40 @@ func ValidFile(filePath string) error {
 	return nil
 }
 
-func GetFFPaths() (string, string) {
-	var paths []string
+func GetFFPaths(targetDir string) (string, string) {
+	var paths = []string{targetDir}
 
 	cwd, err := os.Getwd()
 	if err == nil {
 		paths = append(paths, cwd)
 	}
+    return GetFFMPEG(targetDir, paths)
+}
+
+func GetFFMPEG(targetDir string, paths []string) (string, string) {
+	if (targetDir != "") {
+		var ctx = context.Background()
+		fullpaths := append([]string{targetDir}, paths...)
+
+		ffmpegPath, ffprobePath := ffmpeg.GetPaths(fullpaths)
 
-	return ffmpeg.GetPaths(paths)
+		if ffmpegPath == "" || ffprobePath == "" {
+			if err := ffmpeg.Download(ctx, targetDir); err != nil {
+				msg := `Unable to locate / automatically download FFMPEG
+Check the readme for download links.
+The FFMPEG and FFProbe binaries should be placed in %s
+The error was: %s
+`
+				fmt.Printf(msg, targetDir, err)
+				return "", ""
+			}
+		}
+		return ffmpeg.GetPaths(fullpaths)
+	}
+	return "",""
 }
 
+
 func GetDuration(ffprobePath string, videoPath string) int {
 	FFProbe := ffmpeg.FFProbe(ffprobePath)