can ffmpeg video bit rate option use a multiplier from a txt file as an argument?

Solution 1:

Yes, it is. See https://www.ffmpeg.org/ffmpeg-utils.html - Expression Evaluation.

your external multiplier as multiplier.txt:

2

ffmpeg.bat:

## Read file content into a variable:
set /p multiplier=<multiplier.txt

## Then use the variable as %multiplier%
ffmpeg.exe -i INPUT -b:v %multiplier%*3000k OUTPUT