diff --git a/libavcodec/aac_ac3_parser.c b/libavcodec/aac_ac3_parser.c
index d3da9b7696..806a826ea0 100644
--- a/libavcodec/aac_ac3_parser.c
+++ b/libavcodec/aac_ac3_parser.c
@@ -84,14 +84,6 @@ get_next:
         avctx->sample_rate = s->sample_rate;
 
         /* (E-)AC-3: allow downmixing to stereo or mono */
-#if FF_API_REQUEST_CHANNELS
-FF_DISABLE_DEPRECATION_WARNINGS
-        if (avctx->request_channels == 1)
-            avctx->request_channel_layout = AV_CH_LAYOUT_MONO;
-        else if (avctx->request_channels == 2)
-            avctx->request_channel_layout = AV_CH_LAYOUT_STEREO;
-FF_ENABLE_DEPRECATION_WARNINGS
-#endif
         if (s->channels > 1 &&
             avctx->request_channel_layout == AV_CH_LAYOUT_MONO) {
             avctx->channels       = 1;
diff --git a/libavcodec/ac3dec.c b/libavcodec/ac3dec.c
index ca5e441ba6..97ce2878a8 100644
--- a/libavcodec/ac3dec.c
+++ b/libavcodec/ac3dec.c
@@ -190,14 +190,6 @@ static av_cold int ac3_decode_init(AVCodecContext *avctx)
     avctx->sample_fmt = AV_SAMPLE_FMT_FLTP;
 
     /* allow downmixing to stereo or mono */
-#if FF_API_REQUEST_CHANNELS
-FF_DISABLE_DEPRECATION_WARNINGS
-    if (avctx->request_channels == 1)
-        avctx->request_channel_layout = AV_CH_LAYOUT_MONO;
-    else if (avctx->request_channels == 2)
-        avctx->request_channel_layout = AV_CH_LAYOUT_STEREO;
-FF_ENABLE_DEPRECATION_WARNINGS
-#endif
     if (avctx->channels > 1 &&
         avctx->request_channel_layout == AV_CH_LAYOUT_MONO)
         avctx->channels = 1;
diff --git a/libavcodec/avcodec.h b/libavcodec/avcodec.h
index 5bf9833f1c..e9aba6aaf9 100644
--- a/libavcodec/avcodec.h
+++ b/libavcodec/avcodec.h
@@ -2063,16 +2063,6 @@ typedef struct AVCodecContext {
      */
     int cutoff;
 
-#if FF_API_REQUEST_CHANNELS
-    /**
-     * Decoder should decode to this many channels if it can (0 for default)
-     * - encoding: unused
-     * - decoding: Set by user.
-     * @deprecated Deprecated in favor of request_channel_layout.
-     */
-    attribute_deprecated int request_channels;
-#endif
-
     /**
      * Audio channel layout.
      * - encoding: set by user.
diff --git a/libavcodec/dcadec.c b/libavcodec/dcadec.c
index 8fdd03cf7a..abf762d906 100644
--- a/libavcodec/dcadec.c
+++ b/libavcodec/dcadec.c
@@ -1307,15 +1307,7 @@ static int dca_decode_frame(AVCodecContext *avctx, void *data,
             s->xch_disable = 1;
         }
 
-#if FF_API_REQUEST_CHANNELS
-FF_DISABLE_DEPRECATION_WARNINGS
-        if (s->xch_present && !s->xch_disable &&
-            (!avctx->request_channels ||
-             avctx->request_channels > num_core_channels + !!s->lfe)) {
-FF_ENABLE_DEPRECATION_WARNINGS
-#else
         if (s->xch_present && !s->xch_disable) {
-#endif
             avctx->channel_layout |= AV_CH_BACK_CENTER;
             if (s->lfe) {
                 avctx->channel_layout |= AV_CH_LOW_FREQUENCY;
@@ -1523,12 +1515,6 @@ static av_cold int dca_decode_init(AVCodecContext *avctx)
     avctx->sample_fmt = AV_SAMPLE_FMT_FLTP;
 
     /* allow downmixing to stereo */
-#if FF_API_REQUEST_CHANNELS
-FF_DISABLE_DEPRECATION_WARNINGS
-    if (avctx->request_channels == 2)
-        avctx->request_channel_layout = AV_CH_LAYOUT_STEREO;
-FF_ENABLE_DEPRECATION_WARNINGS
-#endif
     if (avctx->channels > 2 &&
         avctx->request_channel_layout == AV_CH_LAYOUT_STEREO)
         avctx->channels = 2;
diff --git a/libavcodec/mlp_parser.c b/libavcodec/mlp_parser.c
index 0c7d4a2c7a..e8fb4f5f4d 100644
--- a/libavcodec/mlp_parser.c
+++ b/libavcodec/mlp_parser.c
@@ -345,15 +345,6 @@ static int mlp_parse(AVCodecParserContext *s,
 
         if (mh.stream_type == 0xbb) {
             /* MLP stream */
-#if FF_API_REQUEST_CHANNELS
-FF_DISABLE_DEPRECATION_WARNINGS
-            if (avctx->request_channels > 0 && avctx->request_channels <= 2 &&
-                mh.num_substreams > 1) {
-                avctx->channels       = 2;
-                avctx->channel_layout = AV_CH_LAYOUT_STEREO;
-            } else
-FF_ENABLE_DEPRECATION_WARNINGS
-#endif
             if (avctx->request_channel_layout &&
                 (avctx->request_channel_layout & AV_CH_LAYOUT_STEREO) ==
                 avctx->request_channel_layout &&
@@ -366,19 +357,6 @@ FF_ENABLE_DEPRECATION_WARNINGS
             }
         } else { /* mh.stream_type == 0xba */
             /* TrueHD stream */
-#if FF_API_REQUEST_CHANNELS
-FF_DISABLE_DEPRECATION_WARNINGS
-            if (avctx->request_channels > 0 && avctx->request_channels <= 2 &&
-                mh.num_substreams > 1) {
-                avctx->channels       = 2;
-                avctx->channel_layout = AV_CH_LAYOUT_STEREO;
-            } else if (avctx->request_channels > 0 &&
-                       avctx->request_channels <= mh.channels_thd_stream1) {
-                avctx->channels       = mh.channels_thd_stream1;
-                avctx->channel_layout = mh.channel_layout_thd_stream1;
-            } else
-FF_ENABLE_DEPRECATION_WARNINGS
-#endif
                 if (avctx->request_channel_layout &&
                     (avctx->request_channel_layout & AV_CH_LAYOUT_STEREO) ==
                     avctx->request_channel_layout &&
diff --git a/libavcodec/mlpdec.c b/libavcodec/mlpdec.c
index 7e4140259f..169437acef 100644
--- a/libavcodec/mlpdec.c
+++ b/libavcodec/mlpdec.c
@@ -509,19 +509,6 @@ static int read_restart_header(MLPDecodeContext *m, GetBitContext *gbp,
     s->max_channel        = max_channel;
     s->max_matrix_channel = max_matrix_channel;
 
-#if FF_API_REQUEST_CHANNELS
-FF_DISABLE_DEPRECATION_WARNINGS
-    if (m->avctx->request_channels > 0 &&
-        m->avctx->request_channels <= s->max_channel + 1 &&
-        m->max_decoded_substream > substr) {
-        av_log(m->avctx, AV_LOG_DEBUG,
-               "Extracting %d-channel downmix from substream %d. "
-               "Further substreams will be skipped.\n",
-               s->max_channel + 1, substr);
-        m->max_decoded_substream = substr;
-    } else
-FF_ENABLE_DEPRECATION_WARNINGS
-#endif
     if (m->avctx->request_channel_layout && (s->ch_layout & m->avctx->request_channel_layout) ==
         m->avctx->request_channel_layout && m->max_decoded_substream > substr) {
         av_log(m->avctx, AV_LOG_DEBUG,
diff --git a/libavcodec/options_table.h b/libavcodec/options_table.h
index 055f5e42b2..9fec8e48f4 100644
--- a/libavcodec/options_table.h
+++ b/libavcodec/options_table.h
@@ -393,9 +393,6 @@ static const AVOption avcodec_options[] = {
 {"min_prediction_order", NULL, OFFSET(min_prediction_order), AV_OPT_TYPE_INT, {.i64 = -1 }, INT_MIN, INT_MAX, A|E},
 {"max_prediction_order", NULL, OFFSET(max_prediction_order), AV_OPT_TYPE_INT, {.i64 = -1 }, INT_MIN, INT_MAX, A|E},
 {"timecode_frame_start", "GOP timecode frame start number, in non-drop-frame format", OFFSET(timecode_frame_start), AV_OPT_TYPE_INT64, {.i64 = 0 }, 0, INT64_MAX, V|E},
-#if FF_API_REQUEST_CHANNELS
-{"request_channels", "set desired number of audio channels", OFFSET(request_channels), AV_OPT_TYPE_INT, {.i64 = DEFAULT }, 0, INT_MAX, A|D},
-#endif
 {"bits_per_raw_sample", NULL, OFFSET(bits_per_raw_sample), AV_OPT_TYPE_INT, {.i64 = DEFAULT }, INT_MIN, INT_MAX},
 {"channel_layout", NULL, OFFSET(channel_layout), AV_OPT_TYPE_INT64, {.i64 = DEFAULT }, 0, INT64_MAX, A|E|D, "channel_layout"},
 {"request_channel_layout", NULL, OFFSET(request_channel_layout), AV_OPT_TYPE_INT64, {.i64 = DEFAULT }, 0, INT64_MAX, A|D, "request_channel_layout"},
diff --git a/libavcodec/version.h b/libavcodec/version.h
index 94cc77576c..0fbb836217 100644
--- a/libavcodec/version.h
+++ b/libavcodec/version.h
@@ -48,9 +48,6 @@
  * the public API and may change, break or disappear at any time.
  */
 
-#ifndef FF_API_REQUEST_CHANNELS
-#define FF_API_REQUEST_CHANNELS (LIBAVCODEC_VERSION_MAJOR < 57)
-#endif
 #ifndef FF_API_DEINTERLACE
 #define FF_API_DEINTERLACE       (LIBAVCODEC_VERSION_MAJOR < 57)
 #endif