LIveStreamer to download Twitch Streams

Usage

Watching with Livestreamer

Watching Twitch streams with livestreamer is easy. Once you have livestreamer installed, all it takes is a few simple steps.

On Windows, open the run dialog by pressing “Windows Key + R” and then type the following command:

livestreamer twitch.tv/day9tv best

Change the Twitch URL and/or parameter to the stream and quality you want.

If you have a slow internet connection, then you may need to adjust the parameters.

For example:

livestreamer twitch.tv/day9tv high
livestreamer twitch.tv/day9tv medium
livestreamer twitch.tv/day9tv low
livestreamer twitch.tv/day9tv mobile

If you have a fast connection I recommend watching at “best” quality. But if you experience lag then adjust accordingly.

Recording with VLC

Launch VLC Media Player
Click on the View Tab and select Advanced Controls
Now advanced controls should pop up at the bottom of the player
Clicking the red button will record videos

After enabling advanced controls a red button located at the bottom left should pop-up.

It’s simple, click the button and the recording will start, click it again and it will stop.

Changing Recording Directory

You may want to change the recording directory. Here is how to do it.

Go to Tools -> Preferences -> Input / Codecs
Under Files -> “Record directory or filename“
Click Browse and change directories

Downloading Twitch Streams with Livestreamer

In a previous article, I mentioned livestreamer’s multi-functional features. Streams can be watched live through VLC player, recorded or downloaded with livestreamer’s command-line and the entire process can even be automated with a script.

Let’s get started. There are three ways to download with livestreamer.

Downloading Past Broadcasts

Similar to the above instructions.

Press “Windows Key + R” to open the Run Dialog and type in the following command.

livestreamer "VOD URL" best -o "C:\filename.mp4"

Replace VOD link “VOD URL” with your own link.
Change filename and/or directory

Downloading/Recording Livestreams

Same exact instructions as above, except you don’t need a direct link to a VOD.

Press “Windows Key + R” to open the Run Dialog and type in the following command.

livestreamer "Twitch URL" best -o "C:\filename.mp4"

Replace VOD link “Twitch URL” with your own link.
Change filename and/or directory

Automate Process with Batch Script

Using a simple script you can automate the process, instead of typing in the commands every time.

To Watch:

@echo
cd C:\Program Files (x86)\Livestreamer
livestreamer.exe twitch.tv/day9tv best
@echo off

@echo

cd C:\Program Files (x86)\Livestreamer

livestreamer.exe twitch.tv/day9tv best

@echo off

To Download:

@echo
cd C:\Program Files (x86)\Livestreamer
livestreamer twitch.tv/day9tv best -o "C:\filename.mp4"
@echo off

@echo

cd C:\Program Files (x86)\Livestreamer

livestreamer twitch.tv/day9tv best -o "C:\filename.mp4"

@echo off

Create a New Text Document
Paste the Script
Save as Batch

Double Click the file and livestreamer will activate.

Downloading/Recording Automatically with a Script

For full automation, you need something more complex than a batch script. Using a Python script, you can monitor when a Twitch stream comes online and then record automatically 24/7.

This is by far my favorite method, since it requires little work. All you have to do is activate the script once and leave it running for as long as you want.

The script can be made to check streams every five minutes to down to every few seconds.

#This script checks if a user on twitch is currently streaming and then records the stream via livestreamer

from urllib.request import urlopen
from urllib.error import URLError
from threading import Timer
import os
import time
import json
import sys
import subprocess
import datetime

def check_user(user):
    """ returns 0: online, 1: offline, 2: not found, 3: error """
    global info
    url = 'https://api.twitch.tv/kraken/streams/' + user
    try:
        info = json.loads(urlopen(url, timeout = 15).read().decode('utf-8'))
        if info['stream'] == None:
            status = 1
        else:
            status = 0
    except URLError as e:
        if e.reason == 'Not Found' or e.reason == 'Unprocessable Entity':
            status = 2
        else:
            status = 3
    return status

def format_filename(fname):
# Removes invalid characters from filename
    fname = fname.replace("/","")
    fname = fname.replace("?","")
    fname = fname.replace(":","-")
    fname = fname.replace("\\","")
    fname = fname.replace("<","")
    fname = fname.replace(">","")
    fname = fname.replace("*","")
    fname = fname.replace("\"","")
    fname = fname.replace("|","")
    return fname


def loopcheck():
    while True:
        status = check_user(user)
        if status == 2:
            print("username not found. invalid username?")
        elif status == 3:
            print(datetime.datetime.now().strftime("%Hh%Mm%Ss")," ","unexpected error. will try again in 5 minutes.")
            time.sleep(300)
        elif status == 1:
            print(user,"currently offline, checking again in",refresh,"seconds")
            time.sleep(refresh) # 30 seconds
        elif status == 0:
            print(user,"online. stop.")
            filename = user+" - "+datetime.datetime.now().strftime("%Y-%m-%d %Hh%Mm%Ss")+" - "+(info['stream']).get("channel").get("status")+".mp4"
            filename = format_filename(filename)
            subprocess.call(["livestreamer", "twitch.tv/"+user,quality,"-o",directory+filename])
            print("Stream is done. Going back to checking..")
            time.sleep(15)

def main():
    global refresh
    global user
    global quality
    global directory

    refresh = 30.0
    user = "day9tv"
    quality = "best"
    directory = "C:\\"

    client = False
    clientID = "http-header=Client-ID=jzkbprff40iqj646a697cyrvl0zt2m6"
    dir_path = '%s\livestreamer\livestreamerrc' % os.environ['APPDATA']

    file = open(dir_path, 'r')
    for line in file:
        if line == clientID:
            client = True
    file = open(dir_path, 'a')
        if client != True:
            file.write(clientID)
    file.close()

    if(refresh<15):
        print("Check interval should not be lower than 15 seconds")
        refresh=15

    print("Checking for",user,"every",refresh,"seconds. Record with",quality,"quality.")
    loopcheck()


if __name__ == "__main__":
    # execute only if run as a script
    main()

#This script checks if a user on twitch is currently streaming and then records the stream via livestreamer

from urllib.request import urlopen

from urllib.error import URLError

from threading import Timer

import os

import time

import json

import sys

import subprocess

import datetime

def check_user(user):

""" returns 0: online, 1: offline, 2: not found, 3: error """

global info

url = 'https://api.twitch.tv/kraken/streams/' + user

try:

info = json.loads(urlopen(url, timeout = 15).read().decode('utf-8'))

if info['stream'] == None:

status = 1

else:

status = 0

except URLError as e:

if e.reason == 'Not Found' or e.reason == 'Unprocessable Entity':

status = 2

else:

status = 3

return status

def format_filename(fname):

# Removes invalid characters from filename

fname = fname.replace("/","")

fname = fname.replace("?","")

fname = fname.replace(":","-")

fname = fname.replace("\\","")

fname = fname.replace("<","")

fname = fname.replace(">","")

fname = fname.replace("*","")

fname = fname.replace("\"","")

fname = fname.replace("|","")

return fname

def loopcheck():

while True:

status = check_user(user)

if status == 2:

print("username not found. invalid username?")

elif status == 3:

print(datetime.datetime.now().strftime("%Hh%Mm%Ss")," ","unexpected error. will try again in 5 minutes.")

time.sleep(300)

elif status == 1:

print(user,"currently offline, checking again in",refresh,"seconds")

time.sleep(refresh) # 30 seconds

elif status == 0:

print(user,"online. stop.")

filename = user+" - "+datetime.datetime.now().strftime("%Y-%m-%d %Hh%Mm%Ss")+" - "+(info['stream']).get("channel").get("status")+".mp4"

filename = format_filename(filename)

subprocess.call(["livestreamer", "twitch.tv/"+user,quality,"-o",directory+filename])

print("Stream is done. Going back to checking..")

time.sleep(15)

def main():

global refresh

global user

global quality

global directory

refresh = 30.0

user = "day9tv"

quality = "best"

directory = "C:\\"

client = False

clientID = "http-header=Client-ID=jzkbprff40iqj646a697cyrvl0zt2m6"

dir_path = '%s\livestreamer\livestreamerrc' % os.environ['APPDATA']

file = open(dir_path, 'r')

for line in file:

if line == clientID:

client = True

file = open(dir_path, 'a')

if client != True:

file.write(clientID)

file.close()

if(refresh<15):

print("Check interval should not be lower than 15 seconds")

refresh=15

print("Checking for",user,"every",refresh,"seconds. Record with",quality,"quality.")

loopcheck()

if __name__ == "__main__":

# execute only if run as a script

main()

If you run into any problems or have any questions, feel free to leave a comment below.