Reddit Video Downloader Scraper

Download video and separate audio files from supplied, anonymously reachable public Reddit video posts. This reddit video downloader stores authorized Reddit-hosted MP4 and M4A files in Apify storage and exports post ID, title, author, subreddit, permalink, source media URL, format, resolution, duration, byte sizes, and retrieval status.

No Reddit login, cookies, browser, or user API key is required. Private, deleted, quarantined, age-gated, external-hosted, DRM, and login-required media are outside scope.

What can the Reddit Video Downloader do?

• Process exact reddit.com post URLs and redd.it short links.
• Download Reddit-hosted MP4 video into the run key-value store.
• Assemble Reddit's separate public HLS audio rendition into an M4A file.
• Save video only, audio only, both files, or metadata only.
• Export typed metadata and a clear status for every processed URL.
• Deduplicate repeated post IDs within one run.
• Apply a per-file byte limit while streaming downloads.
• Continue after one bad URL and fail clearly if every URL fails.
• Process up to 100 supplied posts per run.

This is a supplied-URL archiver. It does not search Reddit, crawl a subreddit, download comments, or retrieve private content.

Who is this Actor for?

Creators and rights holders can preserve their own public Reddit uploads with source context.

Editorial and social teams can attach post identity and community context to authorized campaign assets.

Researchers and journalists can create reproducible inventories of public videos they are permitted to retain.

Developers and data engineers can turn approved Reddit links into JSON plus downloadable media records for a pipeline.

Compliance teams can schedule bounded archives of a reviewed URL list and record retrieval outcomes.

Why use this Reddit video downloader?

A manual browser download usually provides only one file. Reddit often delivers video and audio separately. The Actor resolves the exact post, stores the source MP4, assembles the public AAC audio rendition when available, and connects both files to a structured dataset record.

The implementation uses lightweight public structured endpoints and Reddit's v.redd.it CDN. It does not launch a browser or automatically enable paid proxy traffic. Use metadata-only mode when you need an inventory rather than copied bytes.

Supported Reddit URLs and media

Supported:

https://www.reddit.com/r/<subreddit>/comments/<post-id>/<slug>/
https://old.reddit.com/r/<subreddit>/comments/<post-id>/<slug>/
https://redd.it/<post-id>

The post must identify an anonymously reachable video hosted by v.redd.it. The Actor does not treat YouTube, Streamable, TikTok, image galleries, animated images, text posts, or arbitrary direct CDN URLs as Reddit-hosted videos.

Extracted Reddit video data

Field	Meaning
postId	Stable Reddit post ID
title	Public post title
author	Public Reddit author name
subreddit	Community containing the post
permalink	Canonical public Reddit post URL
sourceMediaUrl	Direct Reddit CDN MP4 URL resolved during the run
format	Video container format
width, height	Source video resolution in pixels
durationSeconds	Video duration
hasAudio	Whether Reddit advertises an audio rendition
videoFileKey, videoFileUrl, videoSizeBytes	Stored MP4 details
audioFileKey, audioFileUrl, audioSizeBytes	Stored M4A details
retrievalStatus	downloaded, metadata_only, or failed
error	Per-URL failure reason, otherwise null
scrapedAt	ISO 8601 retrieval time

Missing upstream fields are returned as null, not guessed.

How to download a public Reddit video

1. Confirm the video post opens while logged out and that you may archive it.
2. Copy the full post URL or redd.it short link.
3. Open this Actor in Apify Console.
4. Add the URL under Public Reddit post URLs.
5. Keep video and audio storage enabled, or disable either file type.
6. Choose a safe per-file size limit.
7. Click Start.
8. Open Reddit video archives for metadata.
9. Open Downloaded media files for stored MP4 and M4A records.

The prefilled URL is a real public input suitable for a first run, but Reddit content can later be removed.

Input parameters

Input	Type	Default	Description
startUrls	array	required	One to 100 exact public Reddit post URLs
maxItems	integer	URL count	Maximum unique supplied posts processed, 1–100
downloadVideo	boolean	true	Store the Reddit MP4
downloadAudio	boolean	true	Store separate M4A audio when available
maxMediaSizeMb	integer	100	Maximum size of each individual file, 1–500 MB
maxRequestRetries	integer	2	Transient request retries, 0–5

Example:

{
  "startUrls": [{"url": "https://www.reddit.com/r/videos/comments/REAL_POST_ID/example/"}],
  "maxItems": 1,
  "downloadVideo": true,
  "downloadAudio": true,
  "maxMediaSizeMb": 100
}

Use the real prefilled URL in Console instead of the anonymized documentation ID.

Output example

{
  "postId": "abc123",
  "title": "An example public video",
  "author": "exampleuser",
  "subreddit": "videos",
  "permalink": "https://www.reddit.com/r/videos/comments/abc123/example/",
  "sourceMediaUrl": "https://v.redd.it/example/CMAF_720.mp4",
  "format": "mp4",
  "width": 720,
  "height": 1280,
  "durationSeconds": 10,
  "hasAudio": true,
  "videoFileKey": "video-abc123.mp4",
  "videoFileUrl": "https://api.apify.com/v2/key-value-stores/example/records/video-abc123.mp4",
  "videoSizeBytes": 1448462,
  "audioFileKey": "audio-abc123.m4a",
  "audioFileUrl": "https://api.apify.com/v2/key-value-stores/example/records/audio-abc123.m4a",
  "audioSizeBytes": 659120,
  "retrievalStatus": "downloaded",
  "error": null,
  "scrapedAt": "2025-01-15T12:00:00.000Z"
}

Default run storage is private. Authenticate when opening API file URLs, or copy files to your own storage.

Where are video and audio files stored?

The default key-value store uses:

video-<post-id>.mp4
audio-<post-id>.m4a

The audio file contains the AAC rendition Reddit publishes separately from its MP4 video. The Actor does not re-encode, normalize, watermark, or combine the tracks. Set both download switches to false for metadata-only output.

How much does it cost to download Reddit videos?

The Actor uses pay-per-event pricing: one $0.015 start event and one item event for each successfully resolved public Reddit video. Failed and duplicate URLs have no item charge. Video and audio files do not create separate events.

The current per-item tiers are:

Tier	Successful video record
FREE	$0.015488
BRONZE	$0.013468
SILVER	$0.010505
GOLD	$0.0080808
PLATINUM	$0.0053872
DIAMOND	$0.003771

At BRONZE, one successful video is about $0.028468, 10 are about $0.14968, and 100 are about $1.3618 before ordinary Apify storage and transfer usage. Final cost is the start event plus successful records at your tier. Large files increase normal platform transfer and storage usage.

Metadata-only and transfer-saving workflows

Set downloadVideo: false and downloadAudio: false to export a post and media inventory without copying bytes. The item event is unchanged because the Actor still resolves and emits the complete typed video record.

For video-only processing, disable audio. For audio-only processing, disable video; the M4A is produced only when Reddit advertises an audio rendition.

Batch and scheduled archives

Supply a bounded list of approved public post URLs and schedule the task when recurring snapshots are required. Deduplicate across runs in your destination using postId. Export files before your Apify storage retention expires. A later failed status can mean removal, access changes, or a temporary source failure; the Actor does not infer the cause.

The Actor does not discover new posts or compare historical runs automatically.

Integrations and export workflows

Send dataset rows and stored files to:

• Amazon S3, Google Cloud Storage, or Azure Blob Storage;
• Airtable, Notion, or Google Sheets for an archive index;
• a webhook for transcription, moderation, or classification;
• a database keyed by postId;
• an approved media asset management system.

Copy the bytes or pass authenticated storage access when the destination cannot read private Apify run storage.

Run with the Apify API

cURL

curl -X POST \
  "https://api.apify.com/v2/acts/automation-lab~reddit-public-video-downloader/runs?token=YOUR_APIFY_TOKEN" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"startUrls":[{"url":"https://www.reddit.com/r/videos/comments/REAL_ID/example/"}],"maxItems":1,"downloadVideo":true,"downloadAudio":true}'

JavaScript

import { ApifyClient } from 'apify-client';
const client = new ApifyClient({ token: process.env.APIFY_TOKEN });
const run = await client.actor('automation-lab/reddit-public-video-downloader').call({
  startUrls: [{ url: 'https://www.reddit.com/r/videos/comments/REAL_ID/example/' }],
  maxItems: 1,
  downloadVideo: true,
  downloadAudio: true,
});
const { items } = await client.dataset(run.defaultDatasetId).listItems();
console.log(items);

Python

from apify_client import ApifyClient
client = ApifyClient("YOUR_APIFY_TOKEN")
run = client.actor("automation-lab/reddit-public-video-downloader").call(run_input={
    "startUrls": [{"url": "https://www.reddit.com/r/videos/comments/REAL_ID/example/"}],
    "maxItems": 1,
    "downloadVideo": True,
    "downloadAudio": True,
})
print(client.dataset(run["defaultDatasetId"]).list_items().items)

Keep API tokens in environment variables or a secret manager.

Use with Apify MCP

Add the Actor to Claude Code:

claude mcp add --transport http apify \
  "https://mcp.apify.com?tools=automation-lab/reddit-public-video-downloader"

Claude Desktop setup

Add this configuration to Claude Desktop:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "apify": {
      "url": "https://mcp.apify.com?tools=automation-lab/reddit-public-video-downloader"
    }
  }
}

Cursor setup

Add the same MCP server URL in Cursor Settings → MCP.

VS Code setup

Add the same MCP server URL through your VS Code MCP extension or workspace MCP configuration.

Example prompts:

• "Download this authorized public Reddit video and return its MP4, separate audio, and post metadata."
• "Resolve these approved Reddit video URLs in metadata-only mode for a CSV archive index."
• "Archive this bounded list of public Reddit videos with a 50 MB per-file limit."

Reliability, limits, and failure behavior

The Actor retries bounded transient request, rate-limit, and server failures. It validates Reddit post IDs, requires v.redd.it media, enforces the per-file byte limit, and does not enable a residential proxy fallback.

A failed URL produces an uncharged failed status record and a log message. Successful URLs are preserved when another URL fails. The run fails with a non-zero status when no URL succeeds.

Source media URLs can expire. Enable storage when you need a run-owned copy.

Troubleshooting

Why was my Reddit post rejected?

Open it in a logged-out browser and confirm it is one specific Reddit-hosted video. External embeds, GIFs, galleries, text posts, private posts, removed posts, and restricted media are unsupported.

Why is the audio file null?

The post may have no public audio rendition, or downloadAudio was disabled. Some Reddit videos are intentionally silent.

Why is the stored-file URL unauthorized?

Run storage is private by default. Open it while authenticated in Console or make an authorized API request with your token.

Why did an oversized file fail?

It exceeded maxMediaSizeMb. Raise the limit only when you have budgeted the additional transfer and storage.

Responsible and legal use

Use this Actor only for public media you are legally allowed to access, download, retain, and process. Respect copyright, privacy, publicity rights, contractual restrictions, Reddit's terms, and applicable law. Do not use the Actor to bypass access controls, collect private content, or redistribute media without permission.

Minimize retained personal data, restrict file access, choose an appropriate retention period, and honor valid deletion requests. This tool does not grant rights to third-party content.

Related automation-lab Actors

• Reddit Posts Search Scraper — discover and export normalized public post records when your job starts from a subreddit, keyword, author, or URL.
• Reddit Scraper — collect broader public Reddit listing data.
• Video to Text Transcriber — transcribe an authorized saved video in a separate workflow.

These products do not replace this Actor's supplied-URL video-and-audio storage workflow.

FAQ

Does it require a Reddit account?

No. It supports only anonymously reachable public Reddit-hosted video posts.

Can it search a subreddit or keyword?

No. Supply exact post URLs. Use a related Reddit discovery Actor first when appropriate.

Does it merge audio into the MP4?

No. It preserves Reddit's separate source renditions as MP4 video and M4A audio without re-encoding.

Are failed or duplicate URLs charged as items?

No. Only successfully resolved public Reddit video records create the item event. The start event still applies once per run.

Can I keep files permanently?

Apify retention depends on your plan. Copy files to durable storage when you need longer retention.