Extract subtitles from .mkv files on Mac OS X

subtitle-extract.md

Extract Subtitles From .mkv

These instructions shall work on Mac OS X and Linux.

Install mkvtoolnix (Mac OS X)

Installation via Homebrew:

brew install mkvtoolnix

List content of the .mkv file

mkvmerge -i myFile.mkv

Example of the file content

File 'myFile.mkv': container: Matroska
Track ID 1: video (V_MPEG4/ISO/AVC)
Track ID 2: audio (A_DTS)
Track ID 3: subtitles (S_TEXT/UTF8)
Track ID 4: subtitles (S_TEXT/UTF8)
Chapters: 22 entries

Track ID 3 and 4 are subtitles.

Extract subtitles tracks into separate files

mkvextract tracks myFile.mkv 3:myFile1.srt 4:myFile2.srt

Enjoy!

---

Extract Multiple Files

In case you need this in batch for all files in a directory (works only if all files have the same subtitle Track IDs).

Make sure you use correct file extension (*.mkv) and track-ids (3)

Example:

for file in *.mkv; do
  sub=$(echo $file | sed 's/\.mkv$/.srt/'); 
  mkvextract tracks "${file}" 3:"${sub}"; 
done

Thinks.Help me a lot.

Written really well, even for newbies.

thank you, this helped a lot.

Amazing, thank you! I have almost no idea what I'm doing, but I managed to figure it out (like I barely know how to use the commands on the terminal app on my Mac). :)

Alternate:

0. Install ffmpeg (for example, through brew install ffmpeg)
1. ffmpeg -i video.mkv
2. Look for Stream #<stream number>(eng): Subtitle: subrip where <stream number> is the stream number of the subtitle track. Eg: 0:2
3. ffmpeg -i video.mkv -map <stream number> subs.srt (example: ffmpeg -i video.mkv -map 0:2 subs.srt)

I'm trying this, but I keep getting the error:

-bash: syntax error near unexpected token `('

I guess it's because the file name contains parentheses ()? How can I solve this? Any help appreciated.

Hi guys, I forgot that even exists. Just better formatted @bmaeser notes :)
Anyway, I am quite happy for your appreciation.
Feel free to suggest any improvements.

I added useful notes "Extract Multiple Files" from @farzadshafiee

Thanks a lot! That was really helpful!

Hi I keep getting the message that Error: The file 'Episode_1.mkv' could not be opened for reading: open file error.

@pavelbinar

I did exactly as suggested. It extracted a file. The file ended in .srt because that's the filename I specified, but it's a 25MB binary file, not a plain text .srt file. I suspect it's a .sub file format. Here are the first couple of lines:

PG�9ÅÆ��������Ä�8���Ä��������˛�mPG�9ÅÆ������
���˛�m�á�îPG�9ÅÆ������B����ÄÄÄ��ÄÄ@��ÄÄ`��ÄÄø��ÄĘ��ÄÄ���ÄÄü��ÄÄ �ÄÄ0

Apparently mkvextract cannot convert subtitle format/codec, but just gives you whatever is in the Matroska file.

Going to try the ffmpeg suggestion. Usually ffmpeg is good about honoring the file extension you provide, if I remember right.

And just in case there are any doubts, here are the actual lines from the command-line session, except I've changed the filenames:

$ mkvmerge -i video.mkv
File 'video.mkv': container: Matroska
Track ID 0: video (MPEG-H/HEVC/h.265)
Track ID 1: audio (AC-3/E-AC-3)
Track ID 2: subtitles (HDMV PGS)
Chapters: 14 entries

$ mkvextract tracks video.mkv 2:subtitles.srt
Extracting track 2 with the CodecID 'S_HDMV/PGS' to the file 'subtitles.srt'. Container format: SUP
Progress: 100%

The lines of binary gibberish above are from subtitles.srt.

---

UPDATE: Nope, ffmpeg can't do it either. It notices the .srt extension and provides this helpful error message:
Subtitle encoding currently only possible from text to text or bitmap to bitmap

Hi I keep getting the message that Error: The file 'Episode_1.mkv' could not be opened for reading: open file error.

Me too, file is not open. or in use

Hi Guys,
This is not a support channel.
This is just drop-in "snippet".

If you need help, please move into more appropriate place where you can actually get some help.
Try https://stackoverflow.com/

Please remove me from this mailing list. I have no idea who any of you are. You have the wrong email address.

…

On Thu, May 7, 2020 at 5:48 PM Pavel Binar ***@***.***> wrote: ***@***.**** commented on this gist. ------------------------------ Hi Guys, This is not a support channel. This is just drop-in "snippet". If you need help, please move into more appropriate place where you can actually get some help. Try https://stackoverflow.com/ — You are receiving this because you commented. Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub <https://gist.github.com/20a3366b54f41e355d2745c89091ec46#gistcomment-3293965>, or unsubscribe <https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/AFJKAEICMFEFIALXUDY3PT3RQJYULANCNFSM4IK3J2YQ> .

I did exactly as suggested. It extracted a file. The file ended in .srt because that's the filename I specified, but it's a 25MB binary file, not a plain text .srt file. I suspect it's a .sub file format. Here are the first couple of lines:

PG�9ÅÆ��������Ä�8���Ä��������˛�mPG�9ÅÆ������
���˛�m�á�îPG�9ÅÆ������B����ÄÄÄ��ÄÄ@��ÄÄ`��ÄÄø��ÄĘ��ÄÄ���ÄÄü��ÄÄ �ÄÄ0

Apparently mkvextract cannot convert subtitle format/codec, but just gives you whatever is in the Matroska file.

Going to try the ffmpeg suggestion. Usually ffmpeg is good about honoring the file extension you provide, if I remember right.

And just in case there are any doubts, here are the actual lines from the command-line session, except I've changed the filenames:

$ mkvmerge -i video.mkv
File 'video.mkv': container: Matroska
Track ID 0: video (MPEG-H/HEVC/h.265)
Track ID 1: audio (AC-3/E-AC-3)
Track ID 2: subtitles (HDMV PGS)
Chapters: 14 entries

$ mkvextract tracks video.mkv 2:subtitles.srt
Extracting track 2 with the CodecID 'S_HDMV/PGS' to the file 'subtitles.srt'. Container format: SUP
Progress: 100%

The lines of binary gibberish above are from subtitles.srt.

UPDATE: Nope, ffmpeg can't do it either. It notices the .srt extension and provides this helpful error message:
Subtitle encoding currently only possible from text to text or bitmap to bitmap

you solved this?

I use zsh on my Catalina and I'm getting:

zsh: command not found: mkvmerge

My solution: I had the GUI MKVToolNix installed (v47) (via DMG install), so I did like this:

/Applications/MKVToolNix-47.0.0.app/Contents/MacOS/mkvmerge -i myFile.mkv

and

/Applications/MKVToolNix-47.0.0.app/Contents/MacOS/mkvextract tracks myFile.mkv 3:myFile1.srt 4:myFile2.srt

Worked.

https://stackoverflow.com/ is better place for this type of support requests / discussion.

I have the same issue as @larryy and @antonioreyna. Any updates or solves?