Documentation

OpenBBQ turns a video URL or local file into an editable bilingual subtitle draft and a burned video. Give an AI agent one prompt and let it run the bounded workflow, or drive the same commands yourself from the terminal.

In fansub circles, an untranslated video is "raw meat" and the finished release is "cooked meat". OpenBBQ handles the work between them.

New here?

How OpenBBQ works

One video, one workspace folder. You move through the grill one step at a time, and every step saves its result as a plain file you can open and inspect:

download → write down what it hears → cut into lines
→ translate → review → export subtitles → burn into video

Nothing hides in a black box. Stop anywhere, look at the files, fix something, and continue. OpenBBQ picks up where you left off. Structural correctness, bounded translation batches, artifact freshness, and one-time export and burn are enforced deterministically. Quality findings remain visible on the automatic draft; open the local editor when the work needs professional human review. Read more in Workspaces and stages and Quality controls.

Doing something specific?

• Getting video: local files, YouTube links, and sign-in
• Transcription and listening checks: turn speech into text, then verify it
• Translation and review: fill, check, and audit the translation
• Glossaries: keep names consistent across episodes
• Visual review: see everything in a local editor before publishing
• Export and burn: subtitle files and hard-subtitled video
• Working with agents: let Claude Code, Codex, or scripts drive

Looking something up?

• CLI reference: every command and option
• Workspace files: what each file in a workspace is for
• Troubleshooting: when something goes wrong

Need help or want to contribute?