Extract / Rip subtitles from mp4 files

[Member andfree]

Hi, everybody. Is there any way to extract / rip the subtitles from mp4 files with embodied subtitles? I want to read the subs, but I don’t want to watch the video. Thanks.

[Member Xecure]

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A web search of extract subtitles mp4 linux found this answer:

https://superuser.com/questions/393762/how-to-extract-subtitles-from-mp4-and-mkv-movies/1185673#1185673

Here is a solution for virtually any file format that is supported by ffmpeg (even remote files are supported):

ffmpeg -i video.mp4 subtitle.srt

Here video.mp4 is source local or remote video file name, and subtitle.srt is output subtitle file name. It is important to specify file extension for output, since ffmpeg detects what exactly you want to extract by it. That is, you can specify .mp3 file extension in order to extract mp3 audio from video file, or just set another video container in order to convert between formats.

antiX Live system enthusiast.
General Live Boot Parameters for antiX.

[Forum Admin SamK]

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andfree wrote:

I want to read the subs, but I don’t want to watch the video.

There are numerous examples and sources of information on the web.
A cursory search turned up the following (amongst many others):

FFmpeg Wiki
https://trac.ffmpeg.org/wiki/ExtractSubtitles

superuser accepted example
https://superuser.com/questions/1459573/unable-to-extract-subtitles-into-txt-file-with-ffmpeg

Note
Xecure replied while I was posting. Pretty much the same idea but these give greater detail and more background info to help you troubleshoot.

[Member andfree]

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Thanks for your reply.

$ ffmpeg -i video.mp4 subtitle.srt
ffmpeg version 4.1.6-1~deb10u1 Copyright (c) 2000-2020 the FFmpeg developers
  built with gcc 8 (Debian 8.3.0-6)
  configuration: --prefix=/usr --extra-version='1~deb10u1' --toolchain=hardened --libdir=/usr/lib/i386-linux-gnu --incdir=/usr/include/i386-linux-gnu --arch=i386 --enable-gpl --disable-stripping --enable-avresample --disable-filter=resample --enable-avisynth --enable-gnutls --enable-ladspa --enable-libaom --enable-libass --enable-libbluray --enable-libbs2b --enable-libcaca --enable-libcdio --enable-libcodec2 --enable-libflite --enable-libfontconfig --enable-libfreetype --enable-libfribidi --enable-libgme --enable-libgsm --enable-libjack --enable-libmp3lame --enable-libmysofa --enable-libopenjpeg --enable-libopenmpt --enable-libopus --enable-libpulse --enable-librsvg --enable-librubberband --enable-libshine --enable-libsnappy --enable-libsoxr --enable-libspeex --enable-libssh --enable-libtheora --enable-libtwolame --enable-libvidstab --enable-libvorbis --enable-libvpx --enable-libwavpack --enable-libwebp --enable-libx265 --enable-libxml2 --enable-libxvid --enable-libzmq --enable-libzvbi --enable-lv2 --enable-omx --enable-openal --enable-opengl --enable-sdl2 --enable-libdc1394 --enable-libdrm --enable-libiec61883 --enable-chromaprint --enable-frei0r --enable-libx264 --ignore-tests='hapenc-hap-none,hapenc-hapa-none,hapenc-hapq-none' --enable-shared
  WARNING: library configuration mismatch
  avcodec     configuration: --prefix=/usr --extra-version='1~deb10u1' --toolchain=hardened --libdir=/usr/lib/i386-linux-gnu --incdir=/usr/include/i386-linux-gnu --arch=i386 --enable-gpl --disable-stripping --enable-avresample --disable-filter=resample --enable-avisynth --enable-gnutls --enable-ladspa --enable-libaom --enable-libass --enable-libbluray --enable-libbs2b --enable-libcaca --enable-libcdio --enable-libcodec2 --enable-libflite --enable-libfontconfig --enable-libfreetype --enable-libfribidi --enable-libgme --enable-libgsm --enable-libjack --enable-libmp3lame --enable-libmysofa --enable-libopenjpeg --enable-libopenmpt --enable-libopus --enable-libpulse --enable-librsvg --enable-librubberband --enable-libshine --enable-libsnappy --enable-libsoxr --enable-libspeex --enable-libssh --enable-libtheora --enable-libtwolame --enable-libvidstab --enable-libvorbis --enable-libvpx --enable-libwavpack --enable-libwebp --enable-libx265 --enable-libxml2 --enable-libxvid --enable-libzmq --enable-libzvbi --enable-lv2 --enable-omx --enable-openal --enable-opengl --enable-sdl2 --enable-libdc1394 --enable-libdrm --enable-libiec61883 --enable-chromaprint --enable-frei0r --enable-libx264 --ignore-tests='hapenc-hap-none,hapenc-hapa-none,hapenc-hapq-none' --enable-shared --enable-version3 --disable-doc --disable-programs --enable-liblensfun --enable-libopencore_amrnb --enable-libopencore_amrwb --enable-libtesseract --enable-libvo_amrwbenc
  libavutil      56. 22.100 / 56. 22.100
  libavcodec     58. 35.100 / 58. 35.100
  libavformat    58. 20.100 / 58. 20.100
  libavdevice    58.  5.100 / 58.  5.100
  libavfilter     7. 40.101 /  7. 40.101
  libavresample   4.  0.  0 /  4.  0.  0
  libswscale      5.  3.100 /  5.  3.100
  libswresample   3.  3.100 /  3.  3.100
  libpostproc    55.  3.100 / 55.  3.100
Input #0, mov,mp4,m4a,3gp,3g2,mj2, from 'video.mp4':
  Metadata:
    major_brand     : mp42
    minor_version   : 0
    compatible_brands: isommp42
    creation_time   : 2020-11-19T17:17:43.000000Z
  Duration: 00:22:29.68, start: 0.000000, bitrate: 353 kb/s
    Stream #0:0(und): Video: h264 (Main) (avc1 / 0x31637661), yuv420p(tv, bt709), 640x360 [SAR 1:1 DAR 16:9], 254 kb/s, 29.97 fps, 29.97 tbr, 30k tbn, 59.94 tbc (default)
    Metadata:
      creation_time   : 2020-11-19T17:17:43.000000Z
      handler_name    : ISO Media file produced by Google Inc. Created on: 11/19/2020.
    Stream #0:1(und): Audio: aac (LC) (mp4a / 0x6134706D), 44100 Hz, stereo, fltp, 95 kb/s (default)
    Metadata:
      creation_time   : 2020-11-19T17:17:43.000000Z
      handler_name    : ISO Media file produced by Google Inc. Created on: 11/19/2020.
Output #0, srt, to 'subtitle.srt':
Output file #0 does not contain any stream

• This reply was modified 2 years, 5 months ago by andfree.

[Member andfree]

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SamK wrote:

Xecure replied while I was posting.

And SamK replied while I was posting! Thanks for your reply, too.

Xecure wrote:

A web search of extract subtitles mp4 linux found this answer (…)

SamK wrote:

There are numerous examples and sources of information on the web.
A cursory search turned up the following (amongst many others):
(…)

Unfortunately, this surplus of information was the reason I posted my question, hoping that someone might knew something reliable.

[Forum Admin SamK]

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andfree wrote:

…hoping that someone might knew something reliable.

FFmpeg is an excellent, reliable tool. Like all software it can only do what it is directed to do.

As you point out there is plenty of information available detailing how to do what you ask. That alone indicates it is probable there is no universal answer i.e. one that works for every different case. You have more work to do to construct the command line for your particular case. Unless of course someone knows differently…

[Member andfree]

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OK, I’ll try harder with FFmpeg.

For the moment, I tried to replace “video.mp4” with “/home/dragon/video.mp4”:
$ ffmpeg -i /home/dragon/video.mp4
(…)
At least one output file must be specified
(Edit: Of course, I forgot the last part of the command. Using “/home/dragon/video.mp4” instead of “video.mp4” doesn’t seem to make any difference.)

• This reply was modified 2 years, 5 months ago by andfree.
• This reply was modified 2 years, 5 months ago by andfree.
• This reply was modified 2 years, 5 months ago by andfree.

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