Mixcloud failed to parse json

[kabachook]

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---

Log

[debug] System config: []
[debug] User config: []
[debug] Custom config: []
[debug] Command-line args: ['--verbose', 'https://www.mixcloud.com/union77radio/noir-12-04-2016-quatri%C3%A8me/']
[debug] Encodings: locale UTF-8, fs utf-8, out UTF-8, pref UTF-8
[debug] youtube-dl version 2017.08.06
[debug] Python version 3.6.2 - Linux-4.10.8-docker-1-x86_64-with
[debug] exe versions: none
[debug] Proxy map: {}
[mixcloud] union77radio-noir-12-04-2016-quatrième: Downloading webpage
ERROR: union77radio-noir-12-04-2016-quatrième: Failed to parse JSON  (caused by JSONDecodeError('Expecting value: line 1 column 1 (char 0)',)); please report this issue on https://yt-dl.org/bug . Make sure you are using the latest version; see  https://yt-dl.org/update  on how to update. Be sure to call youtube-dl with the --verbose flag and include its complete output.
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/usr/local/lib/python3.6/site-packages/youtube_dl/extractor/common.py", line 676, in _parse_json
    return json.loads(json_string)
  File "/usr/local/lib/python3.6/json/__init__.py", line 354, in loads
    return _default_decoder.decode(s)
  File "/usr/local/lib/python3.6/json/decoder.py", line 339, in decode
    obj, end = self.raw_decode(s, idx=_w(s, 0).end())
  File "/usr/local/lib/python3.6/json/decoder.py", line 357, in raw_decode
    raise JSONDecodeError("Expecting value", s, err.value) from None
json.decoder.JSONDecodeError: Expecting value: line 1 column 1 (char 0)
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/usr/local/lib/python3.6/site-packages/youtube_dl/extractor/common.py", line 676, in _parse_json
    return json.loads(json_string)
  File "/usr/local/lib/python3.6/json/__init__.py", line 354, in loads
    return _default_decoder.decode(s)
  File "/usr/local/lib/python3.6/json/decoder.py", line 339, in decode
    obj, end = self.raw_decode(s, idx=_w(s, 0).end())
  File "/usr/local/lib/python3.6/json/decoder.py", line 357, in raw_decode
    raise JSONDecodeError("Expecting value", s, err.value) from None
json.decoder.JSONDecodeError: Expecting value: line 1 column 1 (char 0)

During handling of the above exception, another exception occurred:

Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/usr/local/lib/python3.6/site-packages/youtube_dl/YoutubeDL.py", line 776, in extract_info
    ie_result = ie.extract(url)
  File "/usr/local/lib/python3.6/site-packages/youtube_dl/extractor/common.py", line 433, in extract
    ie_result = self._real_extract(url)
  File "/usr/local/lib/python3.6/site-packages/youtube_dl/extractor/mixcloud.py", line 82, in _real_extract
    self._decrypt_play_info(encrypted_play_info), track_id)
  File "/usr/local/lib/python3.6/site-packages/youtube_dl/extractor/common.py", line 680, in _parse_json
    raise ExtractorError(errmsg, cause=ve)
youtube_dl.utils.ExtractorError: union77radio-noir-12-04-2016-quatrième: Failed to parse JSON  (caused by JSONDecodeError('Expecting value: line 1 column 1 (char 0)',)); please report this issue on https://yt-dl.org/bug . Make sure you are using the latest version; see  https://yt-dl.org/update  on how to update. Be sure to call youtube-dl with the --verbose flag and include its complete output.

---

Description of your issue, suggested solution and other information

When downloading from Mixcloud json parser error occurs

[kabachook]

Probably connected with this js code that decrypt m-play-info contains

 function v(e, t) {
                var n, o, r = "pleasedontdownloadourmusictheartistswontgetpaid", i = r.length, a = 0, l = [];
                for (!t && f.player.value && (r = f.player.value,
                i = r.length),
                o = atob(e),
                n = o.length; n > a; a++)
                    l[a] = o.charCodeAt(a) ^ r.charCodeAt(a % i);
                var c = String.fromCharCode.apply(String, l);
                try {
                    return JSON.parse(c)
                } catch (s) {
                    if (t)
                        throw s;
                    return v(e, !0)
                }

[AndyRubio]

The key pleasedontdownloadourmusictheartistswontgetpaid hasn't altered since yesterday when mixcloud was downloadable.

[UPDATE] c in kabachook's snippet initialises correctly. In my case, it contains https://stream1.mixcloud.com/c/m4a/64/1/5/7/f/6006-a40e-4a9b-a579-500c4db2ecf2.m4a which is the file I want to download.

[UPDATE] return JSON.parse(c) returns what appears to be valid JSON containing the valid .m4a url.

[kabachook]

It works only in browser for me. I run youtube-dl in a debugger and got wrongly decrypted string but code seems to be ok
[UPDATE] _decrypt_play_info returns '#(c{btlm_)?#.t>(}eik!9?+:Sgya$mtpu@�xawu gox�~9t6cfljk!hjbv>�-9$976kv7:d%",)>}e6s.f�m,$�t;3=@2=`=e�(0(Td4<91rujq\\'llh}7tyzp9Ql5.4P `yihze�w`<~�/$Ej��^8~&> 7=�4S3�+&($6fhk�(�mpm!@+M8`' insdead of {"stream_url": "https://stream4.mixcloud.com/c/m4a/64/3/6/1/d/5147-12b2-4309-a11e-54c6508a73e9.m4a", "id": 86305506, "html5_ping_session_id": "83C5B044-BBB3-4447-9938-5AC3BBFE8FE8"} as js script does

[kabachook]

[UPDATE]
Key value now is (function() { return new Date().toLocaleDateString(); })()
Everything seems to be working now

[kabachook]

Test passed

python test\test_download.py TestDownload.test_Mixcloud
[mixcloud] dholbach-cryptkeeper: Downloading webpage
[info] Writing video description metadata as JSON to: test_Mixcloud_dholbach-cryptkeeper.info.json
[debug] Invoking downloader on 'https://stream5.mixcloud.com/c/m4a/64/6/f/c/d/d610-b93d-40e5-9086-d731038019d9.m4a'
[download] Destination: test_Mixcloud_dholbach-cryptkeeper.m4a
[download] 100% of 10.00KiB in 00:00
.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Ran 1 test in 2.407s

OK

New to github, need some help about how to make a pull request

[AndyRubio]

What value does the key value have for you? new Date().toLocaleDateString() resolves to 09/08/2017 for me (I'm in the UK), my tests are still failing. I've tried different variations ...

[kabachook]

It's a string

[AndyRubio]

Thanks - yep saw it on the fix. Good work!