How to get .srt subtitles from streaming services

1. Get the subtitles (.xml dfxp or .vtt files from Netflix, YouTube... streaming media services).
   • From Netflix
   • From YouTube
2. Convert them into .srt files.
3. Star this repo ⭐

Get the subtitles

From Netflix

Note: There is a video-tutorial covering all instructions step-by-step in Youtube on how to to download and convert subtitles from Netflix using Windows and Google Chrome.

Get subtitles from Netflix: method 1

1. You need one of the following web browsers:
   • Google Chrome
   • Firefox
   • Safari
   • Microsoft Edge
   • Opera
2. Install Tampermonkey, links below:
   • Chrome extension
   • Firefox addon
   • Safari howto
   • Microsoft Edge addon
   • Opera addon
3. Install Netflix - subtitle downloader script for Tampermonkey.
4. To download the subtitles file from Netflix, open the episode in Netflix and download them by clicking on "Download subs from this episode" (see image below).

Get subtitles from Netflix: method 2

You need Google Chrome. not tested on other web browsers

1. Open devtools. This is usually accomplished by either:
   • Pressing Cmd + Alt + i.
   • Pressing F12.
2. Go to Network tab within dev tools.
3. Load your movie/episode.
4. Select the subtitle you want.
5. In devtools sort by name and look for a file with ?o= at the beginning of the name (see image below).

Get subtitles from Netflix: method 3

The information is extracted from this post.

You need FireFox and AdblockPlus Add-On. not tested on other browsers

• Start Netflix and your movie/episode (stream is active!)
• Start AdblockPlus, open blockable items
• Search: dfxp (e.g. >> #.nflximg.com/#/#/########.dfxp?v=1&e=#########&t=######_#####&random=1234567890)
• open the dfxp in a new window
• Save as

From YouTube

Note: One must ensure subtitles in the YouTube video (captions) are enabled before running commands below.

Get subtitles from YouTube: method 1

• Install youtube-dl (available for Windows, Mac and Linux)
• Download subs from the YouTube URL you like. E.g. youtube-dl --all-subs "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VHNfvFOBC0A"
• Subtitles should be downloaded in the same folder were the command was ran. E.g. NameOfTheVideo VHNfvFOBC0A.ca.vtt, NameOfTheVideo VHNfvFOBC0A.tlh.vtt
• If you are missing a language, check that it's actually available. E.g. youtube-dl --list-subs "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VHNfvFOBC0A"

Get subtitles from YouTube: method 2

• Install youtube-dlp (available for Windows, Mac and Linux). It's a fork version of youtube-dl by Snap.
• Download subs from the YouTube URL you like. E.g. yt-dlp --skip-download --write-auto-subs --sub-lang "en" "https://youtu.be/cVsyJvxX48A"
• The above command will download YouTube subtitles in VTT format. Alternatively, one may use it's own integrated converter to get them in srt format right away. E.g. yt-dlp --skip-download --write-auto-subs --convert-subs srt --sub-lang "en" "https://youtu.be/cVsyJvxX48A
• To download the video with audio and subtitles, simply omit the --skip-download option. E.g. yt-dlp --write-auto-subs --sub-lang "en" "https://youtu.be/cVsyJvxX48A"

Convert them into .srt

• Get python (tested under python 2.7, 3.3 and newer). If you have mac or linux you may skip this step
• Clone this repository or download it as a ZIP file or download to_srt.py file
• Run the script in the terminal (type python to_srt.py or python3 to_srt.py from the terminal on the folder you have to_srt.py)
  • Copy your subtitle files in the same directory as to_srt.py
    • Or use -i INPUT_PATH and -o OUTPUT_PATH for custom file locations
  • All .xml and .vtt files in the input directory will generate a converted .srt file on the output one
• Enjoy! (And star the repo ⭐ if you liked it ;D)

Star this repo

If you like this project, please star the repository ⭐. It's free and it helps get visibility and future improvements.

• You may skip the following step if you are already logged in Github.
  • Sign in if you have an account.
  • Sign up if you don't have an account (it's free!).
• Scroll to the top of this page or open it in a new tab/window and check the for a star icon (it's near the screen laterals)
  • If the star icon is already yellow ⭐, congrats! It's already starred! You don't need to do anything else.
  • If the star icon is empty ☆, you may click on it once, and it'll become yellow ⭐!
• Thanks for your contribution!

Why this repository?

VLC player could not reproduce that kind of xml subtitles and I could not find any tool that could easily transform the xml files to a suitable format (e.g. SubRip (.srt)) in Linux or Mac, so I wrote this script and decided to share. I got a request for WebVTT (.vtt) and did the same.

TODOs

• More robust file parsing than just some quick and dirty regexes.
• Javascript/web version so this can be done entirely through a browser.
• Real tests. The way to "test" it now is by running python to_srt.py -i samples -o samples from the the project's root directory and check the .srt results (or python3 to_srt.py -i samples -o samples).
• Create a pip package for this.
• More screenshots so 'Get the subtitles' section is easier to follow.

Note:

In no way I am encouraging any kind of illegal activity. Please know your local laws and ask for written permissions from content owners (e.g. Netflix, YouTube) when necessary.

Contribution

Contributions are always welcome! Feel free to create a Pull Request and add screenshots for each step/method that works best for you. Your help will make this project even better for everyone.