Can I add more than two timecodes at once?

Not directly here. Chain the result of one addition into timecode A for a second calculation to combine three or more values.

Does the result show real elapsed seconds too?

Yes. The receipt states the real elapsed time in seconds alongside the timecode result, which matters most at NTSC rates where the displayed timecode and real time are not identical.

Timecode Duration Calculator

Add or subtract two SMPTE timecodes. Both timecodes convert to an absolute frame count, the arithmetic happens there, and the result converts back at the same frame rate and drop-frame policy you selected for both.

Need a single frame count to timecode conversion instead? See Frames to Timecode Converter.

Worked example

Adding 00:00:10:00 and 00:00:20:00 at 30 fps non-drop gives 00:00:30:00 exactly, because 10 seconds of frames plus 20 seconds of frames is 30 seconds of frames with no rounding at a whole-number rate. Subtracting a longer timecode from a shorter one, such as 00:00:10:00 minus 00:00:20:00, produces a negative frame count in real terms. The calculator clamps the displayed timecode to zero in that case and states plainly that the real, unclamped difference went negative, rather than showing a nonsensical negative timecode string or silently returning zero without explanation.

Common mistakes

Mixing two different frame rates between timecode A and timecode B. Both operands must share one rate and one drop-frame policy for the arithmetic to mean anything.
Forgetting that a drop-frame timecode is not simply the non-drop count relabeled. Converting each side to an absolute frame count first, as this calculator does, avoids that entire class of mistake.

Limitations

This performs pure frame count arithmetic. It does not read timecode metadata from an actual media file and does not know which frame rate a specific camera, editing system, or delivery format actually recorded or expects. Confirm both timecodes were captured at the same real frame rate before treating their difference as meaningful.

Frequently asked questions

Can I add more than two timecodes at once?: Not directly here. Chain the result of one addition into timecode A for a second calculation to combine three or more values.
Does the result show real elapsed seconds too?: Yes. The receipt states the real elapsed time in seconds alongside the timecode result, which matters most at NTSC rates where the displayed timecode and real time are not identical.