Note: If the M3U8 file only contains relative paths (e.g., seg-1.ts ), you will need to append the base URL website path to the front of every line using a text editor or a script. Step 3: Run aria2c in Input Mode
aria2c -i urls.txt -j 16 -x 16 -s 16 --save-session=download.session Use code with caution.
For large video files, you can use advanced aria2c flags to speed up the process by creating multiple connections. aria2c -P -Z -c -x 5 -j 5 "URL_OR_PLAYLIST" Use code with caution. -P : Parallel download. -Z : Use multiple connections. -c : Continue downloading a partially downloaded file. -x 5 : Use 5 connections per server. -j 5 : Download 5 files simultaneously. Method 3: Handling Complex HLS/m3u8 Streams
If manually extracting URLs feels tedious, the most efficient way to use aria2c's speed for M3U8 is through .
While is a legendary, ultra-fast command-line download utility, M3U8 files are not actual videos. Instead, they are plain-text playlists containing links to hundreds of tiny video segments (usually .ts files). To download an M3U8 stream, you need tools like FFmpeg or specialized scripts that handle the parsing, downloading, and stitching processes. Why Aria2c Fails with M3U8 Files aria2c m3u8
: These are the actual video and audio fragments, usually 2 to 10 seconds long.
When downloading from websites that require authentication, your cookies and headers contain sensitive information. Consider:
aria2c --load-cookies=cookies.txt "https://example.com/video.m3u8"
Alternatively, specialized m3u8 downloaders that integrate with aria2c can handle encryption automatically. These tools typically parse the m3u8 file, identify encryption methods, download key files, and use FFmpeg to decrypt and merge segments in a single streamlined process. Note: If the M3U8 file only contains relative paths (e
: For encrypted streams, skip aria2c entirely. Use FFmpeg natively, as it can automatically fetch the decryption key listed in the playlist and decrypt the video on the fly: ffmpeg -i "https://example.com" -c copy output.mp4 Use code with caution. Summary Comparison: When to use aria2c vs. FFmpeg aria2c (Segment Method) Native FFmpeg Download Speed Extremely Fast (Downloads 10-20 chunks at once) Moderate (Downloads chunks sequentially) Network Reliability High (Excellent auto-retry and session resumption) Low (Can fail or drop frames if connection stutters) Ease of Use Complex (Requires a 3-step script process) Simple (Single command line instruction) Encryption Support No (Cannot parse decryption keys) Yes (Handles AES-128 streams natively)
Now that you have a urls.txt file containing hundreds of direct video segment links, let aria2c pull them down at maximum speed. Run the following optimized command:
Merge the segments back together in the correct chronological order.
#!/bin/bash aria2c -x 16 -s 16 -o "$3" "$1" aria2c -P -Z -c -x 5 -j 5
Are you encountering any specific (like 403 Forbidden)?
This typically occurs when aria2c attempts to access local files without proper configuration. Solution: Use the --allow-overwrite=true flag or specify proper protocol handling in your configuration file.
yt-dlp will automatically merge the downloaded fragments into a single .mp4 or .mkv file using FFmpeg. Method 2: Manual Download (The Scripting Way)
The cookies.txt file should contain cookies in Netscape format.
echo "[1/3] Downloading playlist..." curl -s -o "playlist.m3u8" "$M3U8_URL"