How to use the command rtmpdump (with examples)

RTMPDump is a command-line tool used to download media content streamed over the RTMP (Real Time Messaging Protocol) protocol. It supports various options that allow users to specify connection parameters, handle different types of media streaming, and download files from servers that require a referrer.

Use case 1: Download a file

Code:

rtmpdump --rtmp rtmp://example.com/path/to/video -o file.ext

Motivation: The motivation for using this example is to download a file from a specified RTMP URL. By using the “–rtmp” option followed by the URL and the “-o” option to specify the output file name, users can easily download the media content.

Explanation:

• --rtmp rtmp://example.com/path/to/video: Specifies the RTMP URL from which to download the media content.
• -o file.ext: Specifies the output file name and extension for the downloaded file.

Example output: The file file.ext will be downloaded and saved in the current working directory.

Use case 2: Download a file from a Flash player

Code:

rtmpdump --rtmp rtmp://example.com/path/to/video --swfVfy http://example.com/player --flashVer "LNX 10,0,32,18" -o file.ext

Motivation: This example is useful when downloading media content from a Flash player. By specifying the URL of the Flash player using the “–swfVfy” option, along with the Flash version using the “–flashVer” option, users can successfully download the content.

Explanation:

• --rtmp rtmp://example.com/path/to/video: Specifies the RTMP URL from which to download the media content.
• --swfVfy http://example.com/player: Specifies the URL of the Flash player to use for downloading the content.
• --flashVer "LNX 10,0,32,18": Specifies the Flash version to emulate.
• -o file.ext: Specifies the output file name and extension for the downloaded file.

Example output: The file file.ext will be downloaded using the specified Flash player and Flash version, and saved in the current working directory.

Use case 3: Specify connection parameters if they are not detected correctly

Code:

rtmpdump --rtmp rtmp://example.com/path/to/video --app app_name --playpath path/to/video -o file.ext

Motivation: In some cases, the connection parameters for downloading media content may not be detected correctly. By using this example, users can manually specify the required connection parameters using the “–app” and “–playpath” options.

Explanation:

• --rtmp rtmp://example.com/path/to/video: Specifies the RTMP URL from which to download the media content.
• --app app_name: Specifies the application name for the media content if it is not detected correctly.
• --playpath path/to/video: Specifies the playpath for the media content if it is not detected correctly.
• -o file.ext: Specifies the output file name and extension for the downloaded file.

Example output: The file file.ext will be downloaded using the specified connection parameters, app name, and playpath, and saved in the current working directory.

Use case 4: Download a file from a server that requires a referrer

Code:

rtmpdump --rtmp rtmp://example.com/path/to/video --pageUrl http://example.com/webpage -o file.ext

Motivation: This example is useful when downloading media content from a server that requires a referrer URL. By using the “–pageUrl” option, users can specify the referrer URL to successfully download the content.

Explanation:

• --rtmp rtmp://example.com/path/to/video: Specifies the RTMP URL from which to download the media content.
• --pageUrl http://example.com/webpage: Specifies the referrer URL required by the server hosting the media content.
• -o file.ext: Specifies the output file name and extension for the downloaded file.

Example output: The file file.ext will be downloaded from the server using the specified referrer URL, and saved in the current working directory.

Conclusion: By utilizing the different options provided by the rtmpdump command, users can easily download media content streamed over the RTMP protocol. Whether it’s downloading a file, handling Flash players, specifying connection parameters, or dealing with servers that require a referrer URL, the rtmpdump command provides the necessary flexibility and functionality to meet the various use cases.