explaingit

ihmily/streamcap

Analysis updated 2026-05-18

3,618PythonAudience · generalComplexity · 2/5LicenseSetup · easy

TLDR

StreamCap is a desktop and web app that automatically records live streams from over 40 platforms like TikTok, Twitch, and Douyin the moment a broadcaster goes live.

Mindmap

mindmap
  root((StreamCap))
    What it does
      Auto records live streams
      40+ platforms
    Tech stack
      Python
      FFmpeg
      Docker
    Use cases
      Record a streamer live
      Scheduled recording
      Multi-stream capture
    Audience
      Stream viewers
      Content archivers

Code map

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What do people build with it?

USE CASE 1

Automatically record a favorite streamer's broadcast the moment they go live.

USE CASE 2

Schedule recordings for a stream that starts at a known time each day.

USE CASE 3

Record multiple live streams from different platforms at the same time and convert them to MP4.

What is it built with?

PythonFFmpegDocker

How does it compare?

ihmily/streamcaplightricks/comfyui-ltxvideoufal/whisper_streaming
Stars3,6183,6183,618
LanguagePythonPythonPython
Setup difficultyeasyhardmoderate
Complexity2/55/54/5
Audiencegeneralvibe coderdeveloper

Figures from each repo's GitHub metadata at analysis time.

How do you get it running?

Difficulty · easy Time to first run · 5min

Pre-built apps exist for Windows and macOS, Linux and source installs need Python 3.10+ and FFmpeg.

Apache 2.0 license: use freely for any purpose, including commercial use, as long as you keep the copyright and license notices.

In plain English

StreamCap is a desktop and web application that records live streams automatically. You point it at a broadcaster's page on any supported platform, and it captures the video as the stream happens. It covers more than 40 platforms, including Chinese services like Douyin, Bilibili, Huya, and Douyu, as well as international ones like TikTok, Twitch, and YouTube. The main reason people use it is to record streams they would otherwise miss. You can set it to watch a channel continuously and start recording the moment a broadcaster goes live, so you never have to babysit the process. There is also a scheduled mode where you tell it specific time windows to check, which is useful if you know a stream starts at a certain hour. Both modes run without you needing to be present. When the recording finishes, the tool can automatically convert the file to MP4 format. During recording it can save in several formats including MKV, MOV, FLV, and MP3 for audio-only captures. It can also send you a notification when a stream starts, so you know the recording is underway. Multiple streams can be recorded at the same time. Installing it is straightforward on Windows and macOS, where a pre-built application is available to download directly. On Linux, it runs in a browser-based web mode accessed at a local address. It can also be run through Docker if you prefer a container setup and do not want to install Python manually. For those who want to run it from source, it requires Python 3.10 or later and the FFmpeg video tool, which handles the actual capture work. The project is open source under the Apache 2.0 license and is built on top of two other libraries, FFmpeg and a package called streamget that handles the platform-specific stream extraction. Documentation and advanced configuration options are available on the project's wiki.

Copy-paste prompts

Prompt 1
Show me how to install StreamCap on Windows and set it to record a Twitch channel automatically.
Prompt 2
Explain how to run StreamCap with Docker instead of installing Python manually.
Prompt 3
Help me set up scheduled recording windows in StreamCap for a stream that starts at a fixed time.

Frequently asked questions

What is streamcap?

StreamCap is a desktop and web app that automatically records live streams from over 40 platforms like TikTok, Twitch, and Douyin the moment a broadcaster goes live.

What language is streamcap written in?

Mainly Python. The stack also includes Python, FFmpeg, Docker.

What license does streamcap use?

Apache 2.0 license: use freely for any purpose, including commercial use, as long as you keep the copyright and license notices.

How hard is streamcap to set up?

Setup difficulty is rated easy, with roughly 5min to a first successful run.

Who is streamcap for?

Mainly general.

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