diff --git a/consts/consts.go b/consts/consts.go
index bf32006d6..edd8f2b54 100644
--- a/consts/consts.go
+++ b/consts/consts.go
@@ -153,25 +153,25 @@ var (
 			Name:           "mp3 audio",
 			TargetFormat:   "mp3",
 			DefaultBitRate: 192,
-			Command:        "ffmpeg -i %s -ss %t -map 0:a:0 -b:a %bk -v 0 -f mp3 -",
+			Command:        "ffmpeg -ss %t -i %s -map 0:a:0 -b:a %bk -v 0 -f mp3 -",
 		},
 		{
 			Name:           "opus audio",
 			TargetFormat:   "opus",
 			DefaultBitRate: 128,
-			Command:        "ffmpeg -i %s -ss %t -map 0:a:0 -b:a %bk -v 0 -c:a libopus -f opus -",
+			Command:        "ffmpeg -ss %t -i %s -map 0:a:0 -b:a %bk -v 0 -c:a libopus -f opus -",
 		},
 		{
 			Name:           "aac audio",
 			TargetFormat:   "aac",
 			DefaultBitRate: 256,
-			Command:        "ffmpeg -i %s -ss %t -map 0:a:0 -b:a %bk -v 0 -c:a aac -f adts -",
+			Command:        "ffmpeg -ss %t -i %s -map 0:a:0 -b:a %bk -v 0 -c:a aac -f adts -",
 		},
 		{
 			Name:           "flac audio",
 			TargetFormat:   "flac",
 			DefaultBitRate: 0,
-			Command:        "ffmpeg -i %s -ss %t -map 0:a:0 -v 0 -c:a flac -f flac -",
+			Command:        "ffmpeg -ss %t -i %s -map 0:a:0 -v 0 -c:a flac -f flac -",
 		},
 	}
 )
diff --git a/core/ffmpeg/ffmpeg.go b/core/ffmpeg/ffmpeg.go
index 80790c8d6..3225ff150 100644
--- a/core/ffmpeg/ffmpeg.go
+++ b/core/ffmpeg/ffmpeg.go
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ import (
 	"os"
 	"os/exec"
 	"path/filepath"
+	"slices"
 	"strconv"
 	"strings"
 	"sync"
@@ -394,12 +395,13 @@ func isDefaultCommand(format, command string) bool {
 // including all transcoding parameters (bitrate, sample rate, channels).
 func buildDynamicArgs(opts TranscodeOptions) []string {
 	cmdPath, _ := ffmpegCmd()
-	args := []string{cmdPath, "-i", opts.FilePath}
+	args := []string{cmdPath}
 
 	if opts.Offset > 0 {
 		args = append(args, "-ss", strconv.Itoa(opts.Offset))
 	}
 
+	args = append(args, "-i", opts.FilePath)
 	args = append(args, "-map", "0:a:0")
 
 	if codec, ok := formatCodecMap[opts.Format]; ok {
@@ -491,11 +493,20 @@ func createFFmpegCommand(cmd, path string, maxBitRate, offset int) []string {
 	var args []string
 	for _, s := range fixCmd(cmd) {
 		if strings.Contains(s, "%s") {
+			if offset > 0 && !strings.Contains(cmd, "%t") {
+				// Pre-input seeking: ffmpeg seeks at the demuxer level (fast)
+				// instead of decoding all frames up to the offset (slow).
+				insertAt := len(args)
+				for i := len(args) - 1; i >= 0; i-- {
+					if args[i] == "-i" {
+						insertAt = i
+						break
+					}
+				}
+				args = slices.Insert(args, insertAt, "-ss", strconv.Itoa(offset))
+			}
 			s = strings.ReplaceAll(s, "%s", path)
 			args = append(args, s)
-			if offset > 0 && !strings.Contains(cmd, "%t") {
-				args = append(args, "-ss", strconv.Itoa(offset))
-			}
 		} else {
 			s = strings.ReplaceAll(s, "%t", strconv.Itoa(offset))
 			s = strings.ReplaceAll(s, "%b", strconv.Itoa(maxBitRate))
diff --git a/core/ffmpeg/ffmpeg_test.go b/core/ffmpeg/ffmpeg_test.go
index 1649015d9..562fd9100 100644
--- a/core/ffmpeg/ffmpeg_test.go
+++ b/core/ffmpeg/ffmpeg_test.go
@@ -47,15 +47,15 @@ var _ = Describe("ffmpeg", func() {
 		})
 		Context("when command has time offset param", func() {
 			It("creates a valid command line with offset", func() {
-				args := createFFmpegCommand("ffmpeg -i %s -b:a %bk -ss %t mp3 -", "/music library/file.mp3", 123, 456)
-				Expect(args).To(Equal([]string{"ffmpeg", "-i", "/music library/file.mp3", "-b:a", "123k", "-ss", "456", "mp3", "-"}))
+				args := createFFmpegCommand("ffmpeg -ss %t -i %s -b:a %bk mp3 -", "/music library/file.mp3", 123, 456)
+				Expect(args).To(Equal([]string{"ffmpeg", "-ss", "456", "-i", "/music library/file.mp3", "-b:a", "123k", "mp3", "-"}))
 			})
 
 		})
 		Context("when command does not have time offset param", func() {
-			It("adds time offset after the input file name", func() {
+			It("adds time offset before the input file name", func() {
 				args := createFFmpegCommand("ffmpeg -i %s -b:a %bk mp3 -", "/music library/file.mp3", 123, 456)
-				Expect(args).To(Equal([]string{"ffmpeg", "-i", "/music library/file.mp3", "-ss", "456", "-b:a", "123k", "mp3", "-"}))
+				Expect(args).To(Equal([]string{"ffmpeg", "-ss", "456", "-i", "/music library/file.mp3", "-b:a", "123k", "mp3", "-"}))
 			})
 		})
 	})
@@ -82,16 +82,16 @@ var _ = Describe("ffmpeg", func() {
 
 	Describe("isDefaultCommand", func() {
 		It("returns true for known default mp3 command", func() {
-			Expect(isDefaultCommand("mp3", "ffmpeg -i %s -ss %t -map 0:a:0 -b:a %bk -v 0 -f mp3 -")).To(BeTrue())
+			Expect(isDefaultCommand("mp3", "ffmpeg -ss %t -i %s -map 0:a:0 -b:a %bk -v 0 -f mp3 -")).To(BeTrue())
 		})
 		It("returns true for known default opus command", func() {
-			Expect(isDefaultCommand("opus", "ffmpeg -i %s -ss %t -map 0:a:0 -b:a %bk -v 0 -c:a libopus -f opus -")).To(BeTrue())
+			Expect(isDefaultCommand("opus", "ffmpeg -ss %t -i %s -map 0:a:0 -b:a %bk -v 0 -c:a libopus -f opus -")).To(BeTrue())
 		})
 		It("returns true for known default aac command", func() {
-			Expect(isDefaultCommand("aac", "ffmpeg -i %s -ss %t -map 0:a:0 -b:a %bk -v 0 -c:a aac -f adts -")).To(BeTrue())
+			Expect(isDefaultCommand("aac", "ffmpeg -ss %t -i %s -map 0:a:0 -b:a %bk -v 0 -c:a aac -f adts -")).To(BeTrue())
 		})
 		It("returns true for known default flac command", func() {
-			Expect(isDefaultCommand("flac", "ffmpeg -i %s -ss %t -map 0:a:0 -v 0 -c:a flac -f flac -")).To(BeTrue())
+			Expect(isDefaultCommand("flac", "ffmpeg -ss %t -i %s -map 0:a:0 -v 0 -c:a flac -f flac -")).To(BeTrue())
 		})
 		It("returns false for a custom command", func() {
 			Expect(isDefaultCommand("mp3", "ffmpeg -i %s -b:a %bk -custom-flag -f mp3 -")).To(BeFalse())
@@ -165,8 +165,9 @@ var _ = Describe("ffmpeg", func() {
 				Offset:   30,
 			})
 			Expect(args).To(Equal([]string{
-				"ffmpeg", "-i", "/music/file.mp3",
+				"ffmpeg",
 				"-ss", "30",
+				"-i", "/music/file.mp3",
 				"-map", "0:a:0",
 				"-c:a", "libmp3lame",
 				"-b:a", "192k",
diff --git a/db/migrations/20260513173954_move_ss_before_input.go b/db/migrations/20260513173954_move_ss_before_input.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..c16583aa0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/db/migrations/20260513173954_move_ss_before_input.go
@@ -0,0 +1,55 @@
+package migrations
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"database/sql"
+
+	"github.com/pressly/goose/v3"
+)
+
+func init() {
+	goose.AddMigrationContext(upMoveSsBeforeInput, downMoveSsBeforeInput)
+}
+
+// ssSeekPairs maps old commands (output seeking) to new commands (input seeking).
+// Index 0 = old (after -i), index 1 = new (before -i).
+var ssSeekPairs = [][2]string{
+	{
+		"ffmpeg -i %s -ss %t -map 0:a:0 -b:a %bk -v 0 -f mp3 -",
+		"ffmpeg -ss %t -i %s -map 0:a:0 -b:a %bk -v 0 -f mp3 -",
+	},
+	{
+		"ffmpeg -i %s -ss %t -map 0:a:0 -b:a %bk -v 0 -c:a libopus -f opus -",
+		"ffmpeg -ss %t -i %s -map 0:a:0 -b:a %bk -v 0 -c:a libopus -f opus -",
+	},
+	{
+		"ffmpeg -i %s -ss %t -map 0:a:0 -b:a %bk -v 0 -c:a aac -f adts -",
+		"ffmpeg -ss %t -i %s -map 0:a:0 -b:a %bk -v 0 -c:a aac -f adts -",
+	},
+	{
+		"ffmpeg -i %s -ss %t -map 0:a:0 -b:a %bk -v 0 -c:a aac -f ipod -movflags frag_keyframe+empty_moov -",
+		"ffmpeg -ss %t -i %s -map 0:a:0 -b:a %bk -v 0 -c:a aac -f ipod -movflags frag_keyframe+empty_moov -",
+	},
+	{
+		"ffmpeg -i %s -ss %t -map 0:a:0 -v 0 -c:a flac -f flac -",
+		"ffmpeg -ss %t -i %s -map 0:a:0 -v 0 -c:a flac -f flac -",
+	},
+}
+
+func upMoveSsBeforeInput(_ context.Context, tx *sql.Tx) error {
+	for _, p := range ssSeekPairs {
+		if _, err := tx.Exec(`UPDATE transcoding SET command = ? WHERE command = ?`, p[1], p[0]); err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
+func downMoveSsBeforeInput(_ context.Context, tx *sql.Tx) error {
+	for _, p := range ssSeekPairs {
+		if _, err := tx.Exec(`UPDATE transcoding SET command = ? WHERE command = ?`, p[0], p[1]); err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+	}
+	return nil
+}
diff --git a/tests/mock_transcoding_repo.go b/tests/mock_transcoding_repo.go
index 796e84111..641daca8a 100644
--- a/tests/mock_transcoding_repo.go
+++ b/tests/mock_transcoding_repo.go
@@ -19,9 +19,9 @@ func (m *MockTranscodingRepo) FindByFormat(format string) (*model.Transcoding, e
 	case "opus":
 		return &model.Transcoding{ID: "opus1", TargetFormat: "opus", DefaultBitRate: 96}, nil
 	case "flac":
-		return &model.Transcoding{ID: "flac1", TargetFormat: "flac", DefaultBitRate: 0, Command: "ffmpeg -i %s -ss %t -map 0:a:0 -v 0 -c:a flac -f flac -"}, nil
+		return &model.Transcoding{ID: "flac1", TargetFormat: "flac", DefaultBitRate: 0, Command: "ffmpeg -ss %t -i %s -map 0:a:0 -v 0 -c:a flac -f flac -"}, nil
 	case "aac":
-		return &model.Transcoding{ID: "aac1", TargetFormat: "aac", DefaultBitRate: 256, Command: "ffmpeg -i %s -ss %t -map 0:a:0 -b:a %bk -v 0 -c:a aac -f ipod -movflags frag_keyframe+empty_moov -"}, nil
+		return &model.Transcoding{ID: "aac1", TargetFormat: "aac", DefaultBitRate: 256, Command: "ffmpeg -ss %t -i %s -map 0:a:0 -b:a %bk -v 0 -c:a aac -f ipod -movflags frag_keyframe+empty_moov -"}, nil
 	default:
 		return nil, model.ErrNotFound
 	}