Skip to content

Instantly share code, notes, and snippets.

@Cqoicebordel

Cqoicebordel/JSON2YTT-CONVERTER-README.md

Last active May 23, 2025 00:05
Show Gist options
  • Save Cqoicebordel/d9110b4b1191b9e9f6a8165438e00ea0 to your computer and use it in GitHub Desktop.
Save Cqoicebordel/d9110b4b1191b9e9f6a8165438e00ea0 to your computer and use it in GitHub Desktop.
Download ZIP
Twitch's json comments to Youtube subtitles converter
Raw
convert-combined-ytt.py
#!/usr/bin/python3
import sys
import json
import datetime
import secrets
import html
# Name file should be in command line
if len(sys.argv) < 2:
print("You need to add the input json as an argument.")
exit()
with open(sys.argv[1], 'r', encoding='UTF8') as jsonFile:
data = json.loads(jsonFile.read())
# Time delay in second for chat, to sync with video. For me, 7s looks like it's in sync with what the video display
delta = 7
# Duration of display of the line
duration = 10
# Size of the font. Supposed to be in percent of standart, but it looks like all sizes aren't available
size = 10
# Bacground color. The standart of YT is solid black
background_color = "#000000"
# Opacity of the background color. Between 0 and 254. 254 means that the color is not transparent
background_opacity = 200
header = '<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?><timedtext format="3"><head><wp id="0" ap="7" ah="0" av="0" /><wp id="1" ap="6" ah="0" av="100" /><ws id="0" ju="2" pd="0" sd="0" /><ws id="1" ju="0" pd="0" sd="0" />'
middle = '</head><body>'
footer = '</body></timedtext>'
spacer = '<s p="1">​\n​</s>'
output = ''
texts = []
timestamps = []
colors = ["#000000", "#FEFEFE"]
users = ["yt-bug", "white-text"]
for i in data['comments']:
display_name = i['commenter']['display_name']
message = i['message']['body']
if display_name not in users:
users.append(display_name)
userIndex = users.index(display_name)
if i['message']['user_color'] is not None:
color = i['message']['user_color']
else:
color = "#"+secrets.token_hex(3)
#print(display_name+color)
colors.insert(userIndex, color)
else:
userIndex = users.index(display_name)
texts.append('<s p="'+str(userIndex)+'">'+display_name+':</s><s p="1"> '+html.escape(message)+'</s>')
timestamps.append([i['content_offset_seconds']+delta, True])
timestamps.append([i['content_offset_seconds']+delta+duration, False])
lengthColors = len(colors)
for i in range(lengthColors):
header += '<pen id="'+str(i)+'" sz="'+str(size)+'" fc="'+colors[i]+'" fo="254" bc="'+background_color+'" bo="'+str(background_opacity)+'" />'
timestamps.sort(key=lambda x: x[0])
start = 0
end = 1
length = len(timestamps)
for i in range(1,length):
combined_text = ""
for j in range(start,end):
combined_text += texts[j]
if j != end-1:
combined_text += spacer
timestamp_start = int(timestamps[i-1][0]*1000)
timestamp_end = int(timestamps[i][0]*1000)
if start != end:
output += '<p t="'+str(timestamp_start)+'" d="'+str(timestamp_end-timestamp_start)+'" wp="1" ws="1"><s p="1">​</s>'+combined_text+'<s p="1">​</s></p>'
if timestamps[i][1]:
end += 1
else:
start += 1
if len(sys.argv) == 3:
with open(sys.argv[2], 'w', encoding='UTF8') as outputFile:
outputFile.write(header+middle+output+footer)
else:
print(header+middle+output+footer)
Raw
JSON2YTT-CONVERTER-README.md

Python script to convert the Json containing all the chat of Twitch, to the Youtube Timed Text subtitle format (YTT).

Features

  • Use the users' colors
  • Create a unique color for users who don't have one
  • Display the subtitles in chat order (new at bottom). Do this by compiling collisions
  • Display the chat at the bottom left of the screen
  • Display unicode emojis

Absent forever features

  • Doesn't show Twitch only emojis (show only their names)
  • Doesn't show users' badges

Usage

Either make it executable (chmod +x), or just run python3 convert-combined-ytt.py twitchChat.json. It will write the output to the console. You can save the file by redirecting the output with > :
python3 convert-combined-ytt.py twitchChat.json > twitchChat.ytt

You can also use a second command line argument to set an output file. It's probably needed if your console/cmd is not in UTF-8. Beware, it'll write to the file without any confirmation asked if the file exists, overwritting it by default.
python3 convert-combined-ytt.py twitchChat.json twitchChat.ytt

Notes

You can use Twitch Downloader to download the JSON of the Twitch Chat : TwitchDownloaderCLI -m ChatDownload -u videoID -o videoID.json

I also used YTSubConverter extensively to understand the YTT format. Note that they implemented at my request a feature to handle the reverse order of Collision in .ass format, allowing for chat order of subtitles (new at bottom).
This tool is great, so don't hesitate to use it if it fits your needs more.

Note that in order to do this script, I also made JSON to .ssa and JSON to .ass converters. If you want them, ask and I'll add them.

The script may have bugs. I didn't test it extensively. But looks good as far as I know. Don't hesitate to comment if you find bugs.

@Cqoicebordel
Copy link
Author

So.
Yeah, Youtube does everything locally, and it's a pain because it uses a lot of CPU. But I can't do nothing about that :/
About the preview, yeah, I know, Youtube shows only the classic subtitle way. But you have to keep in mind that this tool is only to sync the subtitles. If you upload the ytt, it will work as the video on the example. You can try on a private video to be sure, if you like, but I confirm it works.
I will eventually add the others converters, but keep in my that they don't work for Youtube. They are just for local play.
YTT (and some sort of JSON) are the only formats working in YT.

@laymanal
Copy link

I also made JSON to .ssa and JSON to .ass converters. If you want them, ask and I'll add them.

Please add them.

Sign up for free to join this conversation on GitHub. Already have an account? Sign in to comment