Download M3U8 Streams Using FFmpeg

To download an M3U8 stream as an MP4 file:

ffmpeg -i "https://example.com/stream.m3u8" -c copy downloaded.mp4

FFmpeg fetches all segments, concatenates them, and saves the result as a single file. The -c copy flag ensures no re-encoding — just a direct copy of the streams.

For live streams, you need to specify a duration because they don't have an end:

ffmpeg -i "https://example.com/live-stream.m3u8" -t 3600 -c copy live-recording.mp4

The -t 3600 flag tells FFmpeg to record for 3600 seconds (1 hour). Adjust the number to your needs. Press Ctrl+C to stop recording early.

For adaptive streams with multiple quality levels:

# List available variants first
ffmpeg -i "https://example.com/master.m3u8"

# Download the highest quality variant
ffmpeg -i "https://example.com/master.m3u8" -map 0:v:0 -map 0:a:0 -c copy best-quality.mp4

Increase the last number in -map 0:v:0 to select lower quality variants (0=highest, 1=second highest, etc.).

FFmpeg doesn't natively support resume. If your download is interrupted, you'll need to start over. For large files, consider:

• Using a download manager that supports HLS (like our online downloader)
• Recording shorter segments and concatenating them
• Ensuring a stable connection before starting