Video Subtitles Downloader

Video Subtitles Downloader is a video subtitles downloader that turns source-provided subtitle tracks into combined text, ordered timestamp segments, video metadata, and stored SRT files. It is built for developers, editors, researchers, and localization teams that need existing subtitles from one public video URL.

• One public video URL is processed per run.
• 55 language choices cover 54 named patterns plus all.
• 22 Dataset fields describe the video, subtitle track, and processing provenance.
• One-time Subtitles billing starts only after the first track reaches the Dataset.

Run a subtitle test · View API

The smallest useful test requests the available track from the prefilled public LinkedIn video; a qualifying run starts at $0.022 plus metered Actor Usage.

What does Video Subtitles Downloader do?

Video Subtitles Downloader retrieves subtitle files already exposed by a public video source, converts supported tracks to SRT, parses caption cues, removes identical content variants, and delivers one Dataset row per unique track. Each row keeps a combined readable text value and an ordered segment array containing cue start, end, and text.

The Actor does not download the video, transcribe audio, translate absent languages, edit captions, or certify accuracy. “Automatic” means a caption track generated and exposed by the source platform; it does not mean the Actor runs a speech-recognition model.

Source availability remains part of the contract. A URL can be public while exposing no captions, requiring a login, being restricted by region, or changing behavior later. The Actor fails clearly when it cannot deliver any matching subtitle row instead of publishing an empty success.

How do I run Video Subtitles Downloader?

Run the Actor by providing one public video URL and choosing the caption languages you want.

1. Open the input page.
2. Keep the prefilled LinkedIn post or paste another public video URL.
3. Select all for every exposed track, or choose one or more named languages.
4. Start the run and read the default Dataset after completion.

{
  "video_url": "https://www.linkedin.com/posts/adam-r-kett-b09757396_my-first-video-is-out-it-feels-good-to-finally-activity-7396562269847072768-vlSN",
  "languages": ["all"]
}

This smallest example returns one English subtitle row when the source remains public. A broad all-language request against another source can return many rows and take longer, but it does not repeat the one-time Subtitles event within the same run.

What data does Video Subtitles Downloader return?

The Actor returns one 22-field Dataset item for every unique subtitle track that is downloaded, converted, parsed, and delivered.

Group	Fields	What they answer
Identity	source_id, source_url, platform, title	Which video produced this track?
Description	description, author, author_id, author_url	Who published it and how was it described?
Measurements	duration, view_count, like_count, comment_count	What source measurements were available?
Classification	categories, tags, published_at, thumbnail	How can the video be organized or previewed?
Subtitle	language_code, language, subtitle, srt_url	What track was delivered and where is its file?
Provenance	processor, processed_at	Which Actor and processing time produced the row?

The following JSON is abbreviated. A real subtitle.segments array includes every retained cue.

{
  "source_id": "7396562269847072768",
  "source_url": "https://www.linkedin.com/posts/adam-r-kett-b09757396_my-first-video-is-out-it-feels-good-to-finally-activity-7396562269847072768-vlSN",
  "platform": "LinkedIn",
  "title": "My first video is out",
  "author": "Adam R. Kett",
  "language_code": "en",
  "language": "ENGLISH",
  "subtitle": {
    "text": "My first video is out. It feels good to finally introduce myself properly.",
    "segments": [
      {"start": "00:00:00,000", "end": "00:00:03,500", "text": "My first video is out."}
    ]
  },
  "srt_url": "https://api.apify.com/v2/key-value-stores/STORE_ID/records/video-en.srt",
  "processor": "https://apify.com/truefetch/video-subtitles-downloader",
  "processed_at": "2026-08-13T06:00:00+00:00"
}

Unavailable source metadata remains null rather than being guessed. JSON and JSONL preserve the nested subtitle structure most faithfully; Apify also supports CSV, Excel, XML, and RSS Dataset exports.

What inputs can I configure?

You can configure the public video URL and the source subtitle languages to request.

Input	Type	Required	Behavior
video_url	string	Yes	One non-empty public video URL. Live compatibility depends on the source.
languages	array of enum strings	No	One or more of 54 named language patterns, or all; English is used when omitted.

Named choices map to source language-code patterns. English can match variants such as en and en-orig; identical caption content is delivered once, while genuinely different tracks remain separate. all requests every track the source exposes, not every human language and not a promise that every translation URL will remain accessible.

The public input has no cookie, account, proxy, concurrency, transcription, translation, or output-format field. Those omissions are deliberate boundaries, not hidden settings.

What platforms and markets does Video Subtitles Downloader cover?

Video Subtitles Downloader follows the installed extractor's live support and therefore does not claim a permanent platform count. Representative image tests retrieved subtitle tracks from YouTube, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Reddit, while other public videos exposed metadata but no caption tracks.

A source that resolves today is not a guarantee for tomorrow. Listed extractor is not a guarantee that a site currently works. Login requirements, removed content, age restrictions, geographic rules, rate limits, and source changes can affect one URL independently of another.

Language and market coverage are likewise source-dependent. The schema offers 54 named language patterns plus all, but a video returns only tracks made available for that video and network route.

Why use Video Subtitles Downloader?

The Actor turns a source file workflow into a reviewable Dataset and file-delivery workflow.

Capability	Benefit
Combined text plus ordered segments	Search the full caption while preserving cue-level timestamps.
Source metadata in every row	Join subtitle content to its video, creator, publication, and engagement context.
Content-based deduplication	Avoid identical en and en-orig payloads when the source exposes both.
One track per Dataset write	A rejected write costs that track alone, never the ones beside it.
One-time subtitle event	Multiple tracks in one run do not multiply the primary event price.

The trade-off is that source subtitle retrieval cannot fill gaps where no track exists. Choose transcription when new text must be generated from authorized audio.

Who is Video Subtitles Downloader for?

Video Subtitles Downloader is for teams that need existing subtitle evidence rather than a newly generated transcript.

• Developers can place the 22-field rows into search, ETL, review, or content-management pipelines.
• Editors can locate phrases with subtitle.text and return to exact cues through subtitle.segments.
• Localization teams can collect available source-language SRT files before separate translation and native-speaker review.
• Researchers can analyze caption text with source URL, title, author, publication, and engagement context.
• Accessibility teams can use the output as a review starting point while retaining responsibility for timing, speaker labels, sound cues, and accuracy.

It is not the right product for private account content, video-file download, audio transcription, automatic translation, caption editing, or a compliance certificate.

How can I use Video Subtitles Downloader through the API or MCP?

Use Actor ID FiN3qhAHDYW2nV3Wx or name form truefetch/video-subtitles-downloader through REST, Apify clients, schedules, webhooks, integrations, or MCP.

curl -X POST "https://api.apify.com/v2/acts/FiN3qhAHDYW2nV3Wx/runs?token=YOUR_APIFY_TOKEN&waitForFinish=300" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"video_url":"https://www.linkedin.com/posts/adam-r-kett-b09757396_my-first-video-is-out-it-feels-good-to-finally-activity-7396562269847072768-vlSN","languages":["all"]}'

Read defaultDatasetId from the finished run, then request its items. Store API tokens in a secret manager and retain the run ID for troubleshooting.

For MCP, configure the official Apify MCP server, choose truefetch/video-subtitles-downloader, and submit the same video_url and languages input. The live API page provides generated client and OpenAPI details.

How much does Video Subtitles Downloader cost?

The FREE schedule charges $0.012 once for Subtitles after the first row reaches the Dataset, $0.01 for Actor Start, and $0.00001 per metered Actor Usage unit; the smallest qualifying run starts at $0.022 plus usage. Paid plans pay less for Subtitles: $0.0108 on Bronze, $0.0096 on Silver, $0.009 on Gold and above.

Event	Price	Billing unit
Actor Usage	$0.00001	Metered execution unit
Actor Start	$0.01	One-time event, one per GB with a minimum of one
Subtitles	$0.012	Once after the first row reaches the Dataset, whatever the track count

Smallest test calculation: $0.01 Actor Start + $0.012 Subtitles = $0.022, plus metered Actor Usage. A run that delivers seven languages still uses one Subtitles event; separate runs each have their own start and qualifying event. Check the current pricing page, because prices can change.

How does Video Subtitles Downloader compare with alternatives?

Video Subtitles Downloader is best when source-provided subtitle files are the evidence you need. Manual transcript copying can be sufficient for a single short video, but it does not provide a repeatable Dataset, source metadata, file storage, or language-track automation.

The source platform's own caption controls are preferable when you own the video and need to create, edit, certify, or publish captions. A transcription service is appropriate when authorized audio has no usable source track. A media downloader is appropriate when the audio or video asset is the product. A caption editor is appropriate when correction and timed publication are the main tasks.

Choose something else if the URL requires personal account access, if captions must be generated from speech, or if downstream translation and human QA must be included in the same product.

What are the limits and troubleshooting steps?

The main limits come from live source access, caption availability, and temporary translation URLs.

• No Dataset rows: verify that the video is public and exposes the selected language; retry with one named language.
• Only some requested tracks: retry later or narrow the request because source translation URLs can be rate-limited.
• Several language codes: compare language_code and content; identical payloads are removed but distinct variants are retained.
• Null metadata: the source omitted that fact, so the Actor preserves null rather than inventing a value.
• Missing SRT URL: use the structured caption row and report the run if cloud storage did not return a file URL.
• Long all-language run: request only required languages for a smaller workload and lower usage cost.

For a reproducible issue, include the run ID, the exact public URL, selected languages, terminal message, Dataset count, and expected source track. Do not include API tokens, cookies, or private source material.

Frequently asked questions

The answers below cover the most common subtitle availability, delivery, scheduling, and billing decisions.

Can I download subtitles from video URL inputs?

Yes. You can download subtitles from video URL inputs when the public source exposes at least one matching track.

Does the video subtitle downloader SRT output preserve timestamps?

Yes. The video subtitle downloader SRT workflow returns a stored SRT file when cloud storage succeeds and also preserves ordered timestamps in subtitle.segments.

Can the Actor extract subtitles from video without captions?

No. It can only extract subtitles from video sources that expose a manual or automatic track; it does not transcribe audio.

Can one video return several Dataset rows?

Yes. Every unique delivered language track becomes one row, while identical content variants are deduplicated.

Are automatic subtitles verified by a person?

No. Automatic tracks come from the source platform and should be reviewed before important editorial, legal, or accessibility use.

Is there a free video subtitles downloader API?

The Actor uses pay-per-event pricing rather than an unlimited free endpoint; Apify plan credits determine the effective amount charged to an account.

Can I schedule runs to monitor subtitles over time?

Yes. Apify Schedules can repeat a public input, but the source may add, remove, or change tracks between runs.

Does a public subtitle grant reuse rights?

No. Confirm source terms, copyright, privacy, contract, consent, and permitted reuse before storage, translation, analysis, training, or republication.

Related TrueFetch Actors

These three TrueFetch Actors cover adjacent media workflows without duplicating the subtitle-only contract.

• Video To Text — create text from authorized audio when no source subtitle track exists.
• YouTube Video Downloader — retrieve an authorized YouTube media asset instead of caption-only rows.
• Best Video Downloader — use a broader media-download workflow across supported public sources.

Support

Get help from the TrueFetch community, open the Actor's Issues page, or review the Apify Actor documentation. Share the run ID and exact public input for reproducible problems, and never share a token or private source material.

Run another subtitle test · Open the API reference

Last Updated: August 13, 2026