What MovieJack can do

MovieJack saves streaming content locally to your hard drive — so you can watch it offline, archive it, or play it on your smartphone on the go. Depending on the chosen edition, the following are supported:

• Shows from public service media libraries from German-speaking countries — included in all editions
• Videos from large video portals (videos, playlists, subtitles — up to 4K if available) — in Premium and Karaoke Edition
• Other video and streaming platforms — in Premium and Karaoke Edition
• Audio extraction to MP3 for your music collection — in all editions
• Karaoke conversion with vocal removal and lyrics synchronization — only in the Karaoke Edition

Editions at a glance

Three editions — one suitable for every use case. All editions are purchased once and run for the chosen duration without a subscription, without automatic renewal.

All editions: one-time purchase, no subscription, no automatic renewal. Up to 22% savings with a 3-year license.

System Requirements

Demo Version — Try for Free

Without a license, MovieJack runs as a demo. This allows you to try out the most important functions without obligation:

• 5 downloads per day — enough to test the app at your leisure
• 15 days of usage from the first app launch
• Media libraries and large video portals available
• MP3 extraction and subtitles fully usable
• Full quality — no watermark, no ad overlay
• No account, no credit card, no hidden limits

When the demo expires, the app remains installed — you can activate a license key at any time and continue working immediately.

Installation

Windows

1. Download the setup file MovieJack-Setup.exe from the Engelmann shop or your confirmation email.
2. Double-click the downloaded file.
3. Follow the installation wizard — the installation runs without administrator rights in the user profile.
4. After completion, start MovieJack from the Start Menu or the desktop shortcut.

macOS

1. Download and double-click MovieJack.dmg.
2. Drag the MovieJack icon to the Applications folder.
3. Start the application via Launchpad or the Applications folder.

Apple Silicon and Intel Macs: There is a separate version for Macs with Apple Silicon (M1/M2/M3/M4) and for Intel Macs. The download automatically provides the correct version.

Activate License Key

You received the license key by email after purchase — or it is included with the purchased magazine issue.

1. Start MovieJack and click on Activate License in the menu or the demo notice.
2. Enter the license key. New MovieJack keys have the format MOV-XXX-XXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XX; older keys (from previous MovieJack versions) have the format XXXXXX-XXXXXX-XXXXXX-XXXXXX-XXXXXX. Both are automatically recognized. Hyphens and capitalization do not matter.
3. Click on Activate — a brief online connection is sufficient.
4. After successful activation, your edition will appear in the app.

Multiple devices? A purchased license allows use on up to 3 devices by the same user.

First Steps: Download Video

1. Open the video you want to save in your browser. Copy the URL from the address bar.
2. In MovieJack, paste the URL into the Add URL field — or press the clipboard icon to directly take it from the clipboard.
3. Click Add — the video will appear in the download list.
4. Click Start. The progress will be shown live.
5. After completion, click the folder icon to open the video directly.

Change Download Folder

In the main window, click the path button in the upper right to change the save location. By default, MovieJack saves to your user's Videos folder.

Download Playlists

If you paste a playlist URL and activate the Download complete playlist option, MovieJack will download all titles in the playlist one after another. The progress will also show which title is currently playing (e.g., Video 3/12).

Search Directly in the App

You don't have to switch to your browser every time — MovieJack has a built-in search.

1. Switch to the Search tab.
2. Select the source: Video Portal or Media Libraries.
3. Enter your search term and click Search.
4. Click the download button for each result — the button will change to "Downloading..." during download and to "✓ Done" after completion. Next to the download button, you will also find a button to copy the video URL.

Shows from Media Libraries

The Media Libraries section searches the major public service media libraries from German-speaking countries simultaneously. Instead of a URL, simply enter the title you are looking for — such as the name of a show, a keyword like "Doku Klima", or the title of a series.

The hit list shows preview images, broadcaster, and broadcast date. By clicking Download, the episode is downloaded to your computer — usually in HD, if the broadcaster offers it.

Download Subtitles

Subtitles can be automatically downloaded and embedded into the video file upon request — plus saved as a separate .srt file so that every media player recognizes them reliably.

1. Open settings → Subtitles section.
2. Check the box next to Download subtitles.
3. Select language — Automatic selects the language matching the program interface, plus English as a fallback.

If no subtitles are available for a video, MovieJack shows a subtle hint and downloads the video without further delay.

Save as MP3

If you only want the audio track — podcasts, lectures, songs — MovieJack extracts the audio track in one step:

1. In the settings, activate the option Audio instead of video.
2. Select format: MP3 (standard) or M4A for better quality with smaller files.
3. Select bitrate (128 kbps for speech, 192–320 kbps for music).
4. Add URLs and start download as usual — you will directly receive MP3 files.

Karaoke Edition

The Karaoke Edition extends MovieJack with two computationally intensive but fascinating functions:

Remove Vocals from Songs

Using modern AI technology, MovieJack separates the vocal track from the music — leaving a pure instrumental track, ideal for singing along. The processing runs locally on your computer; nothing is uploaded to the cloud.

Lyrics Synchronization

MovieJack recognizes the sung lyrics and synchronizes them precisely to the beat — as an .lrc file or as burned-in karaoke subtitles in the finished video. In the Karaoke tab, you can adjust the lyrics delay and the maximum number of words per line using two sliders.

Customize Appearance

In the settings under Karaoke Tools, the karaoke layout can be customized:

• Font size: small, medium, or large
• Color scheme: Standard (Red → White), Gold-Highlight, White → Red or White → Gold on Black
• Number of lines: one line or two lines (with preview of the next line)

Settings — the most important options

Updates

MovieJack automatically checks once a day when starting if a new version is available. Updates are checked for authenticity (signature check) before installation to ensure that no manipulated version is installed.

All updates are included free of charge during your active license period.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does MovieJack also work without a permanent internet connection?
Yes. An internet connection is only required for one-time activation and for downloading videos. The app itself runs completely offline.

Am I allowed to download videos at all?
For private use, creating a private copy is permitted in Germany, as long as no effective copy protection is circumvented. Passing it on to third parties or public playback is not permitted. When in doubt: keep it to yourself and watch it privately.

How many devices can I use with one license?
Up to 3 devices for the same user.

What happens when my license expires?
MovieJack continues to run but switches to demo mode with the restrictions described above. You can renew or upgrade at any time — your settings and download history will be retained.

Can I upgrade from media libraries to Premium?
Yes. Contact our support — we will proportionally credit the remaining runtime of the media library edition to the Premium or Karaoke edition.

Some portals block me after several downloads — what should I do?
Large video portals have automatic protection mechanisms against too many requests from the same source. Wait a few minutes between larger download sessions, then it will work again. This is a platform behavior that cannot be influenced from outside.

Subtitles are not displayed in my player — why?
Some video containers and media players do not reliably recognize embedded subtitles. Therefore, MovieJack additionally saves an .srt file next to the video. Most players load this automatically — if not: in the player menu, choose Subtitles → Add subtitle file.

Can I continue to use an older MovieJack license?
Yes. MovieJack recognizes both new license keys in the format MOV-XXX-XXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XX and older keys in the 5x6 format. Simply enter your existing key in the activation dialog.

Support

If you can't figure it out despite the instructions, we're happy to help. For the fastest processing, please have the following ready:

• Exact MovieJack version (found in the About dialog)
• Operating system and version
• Description of the problem with the last steps before it
• In case of an error: content of the diagnostic log (Settings → Diagnostics → View → Copy)

📩 Contact support All help