# πŸ“₯ Downloading Long Vimeo Videos (DASH Streams) with yt-dlp # πŸ“₯ Downloading Long Vimeo Videos (DASH Streams) with yt-dlp Vimeo streams video in two possible ways: * **HLS** β†’ uses `.m3u8` playlists and `.ts`/fragmented MP4 segments. * **DASH** β†’ uses a `playlist.json` manifest and `.m4s` segments. ## πŸ” Step 1 β€” Identify What You’re Dealing With * Open **DevTools β†’ Network**. * If you filter for **`m3u8`** and see manifests β†’ that video is using **HLS**. * If you only see **`playlist.json`** and **`.m4s`** segment requests β†’ that video is using **DASH**. πŸ‘‰ **In my case:** * I didn’t see any `.m3u8` in the Network tab. * I did see `playlist.json` and lots of `.m4s` segments. * That means the embed is **DASH-only**. * ffmpeg can’t parse Vimeo’s JSON directly, but **yt-dlp can** (it knows how to read the DASH JSON and reassemble the streams). ## πŸ”‘ Step 2 β€” Get the Player Page URL * Filter for **`config`** in DevTools. * You’ll find a request like: ``` https://player.vimeo.com/video/519981982/config?... ``` * The **video ID** here is `519981982`. * Strip the `/config?...` part β†’ the stable player URL is: ``` https://player.vimeo.com/video/519981982 ``` This URL doesn’t expire, unlike the signed segment URLs. Screenshot 2025-09-26 at 09 58 01 ## πŸ›  Step 3 β€” Download with yt-dlp Run yt-dlp against the player page with a referer and concurrency: ```bash yt-dlp --referer "https://player.vimeo.com/video/519981982" \ -N 15 -S "codec:avc,res,ext" \ --merge-output-format mp4 --remux-video mp4 \ --postprocessor-args "ffmpeg:-movflags +faststart" \ "https://player.vimeo.com/video/519981982" ``` --- ## βš™οΈ Step 4 β€” What Each Flag Does * `--referer` β†’ Vimeo requires this header. * `-N 15` β†’ download 15 fragments in parallel (much faster for long videos). * `-S "codec:avc,res,ext"` β†’ prefer AVC (MP4) over VP9/WebM. * `--merge-output-format mp4` β†’ final file will always be MP4. * `--remux-video mp4` β†’ repackage without re-encoding. * `--postprocessor-args "ffmpeg:-movflags +faststart"` β†’ optimize MP4 for instant playback. --- ## ⚑ Tips * **If it fails:** signed URLs (`exp=...`) expired β†’ reload and grab a fresh `/video//config`. * **Private videos:** use your browser cookies: ```bash yt-dlp --cookies-from-browser chrome "https://player.vimeo.com/video/" ``` * **Maximum speed:** install [aria2c](https://aria2.github.io/) and run with: ```bash yt-dlp --downloader aria2c \ --downloader-args "aria2c:-x 16 -s 16 -k 1M" \ "https://player.vimeo.com/video/" ``` βœ… **Summary:** * Filter for `config` in DevTools to get the video ID. * Build the stable `/video/` URL. * Since no `.m3u8` appears, this is **DASH** (`playlist.json` + `.m4s`). * Use yt-dlp with concurrency to fetch and merge into MP4. # ARIA 2 πŸ”₯ ```bash brew install aria2 ``` That gives you the `aria2c` binary, which yt-dlp can use as an external downloader. Then you can run your Vimeo command with aria2c for maximum speed: ```bash yt-dlp --referer "https://player.vimeo.com/video/519981982" \ --downloader aria2c \ --downloader-args "aria2c:-x 16 -s 16 -k 1M" \ -S "codec:avc,res,ext" \ --merge-output-format mp4 --remux-video mp4 \ --postprocessor-args "ffmpeg:-movflags +faststart" \ "https://player.vimeo.com/video/519981982" ``` ### What those args mean: * `-x 16` β†’ up to 16 connections per download * `-s 16` β†’ split into 16 segments * `-k 1M` β†’ segment size (1 MB) ⚑ This will usually max out your bandwidth on long Vimeo videos. ytdlp vs. aria2c --- πŸ‘‰ Try the [Vimeo Video Downloader](https://serp.ly/vimeo-video-downloader) ## Related - [SERP Apps](https://apps.serp.co) - [SERP Apps github](https://github.com/serpapps) - [Vimeo Downloader](https://apps.serp.co/vimeo-video-downloader) - [Vimeo Downloader Repo](https://github.com/serpapps/vimeo-video-downloader)