bigbigbo yt-dlp Video Downloader
yt-dlp is a powerful command-line tool that downloads videos/audio from thousands of websites.
Prerequisites
Check if yt-dlp is installed:
yt-dlp --version
If not installed, install with:
# Using pip
pip install yt-dlp
# Or using package managers
# Windows: winget install yt-dlp
# macOS: brew install yt-dlp
# Linux: See https://github.com/yt-dlp/yt-dlp#installation
Quick Start
Basic Video Download
Download a video in best quality:
yt-dlp "VIDEO_URL"
Download to specific directory with custom filename:
yt-dlp -o "downloads/%(title)s.%(ext)s" "VIDEO_URL"
Audio Only
Extract audio (MP3/Opus/etc):
yt-dlp -x --audio-format mp3 "VIDEO_URL"
Format Selection
Select specific quality:
# Best quality up to 1080p
yt-dlp -f "bestvideo[height<=1080]+bestaudio" "VIDEO_URL"
# Best MP4 video
yt-dlp -f "bestvideo[ext=mp4]+bestaudio[ext=m4a]" "VIDEO_URL"
# Worst quality (for testing)
yt-dlp -f "worst" "VIDEO_URL"
Playlist Download
Download entire playlist:
yt-dlp "PLAYLIST_URL"
Download specific range from playlist:
yt-dlp --playlist-start 5 --playlist-end 10 "PLAYLIST_URL"
Subtitles
Download subtitles:
# Download available subtitles
yt-dlp --write-subs --sub-langs en "VIDEO_URL"
# Embed subtitles into video
yt-dlp --embed-subs --convert-subs srt "VIDEO_URL"
# Download auto-generated subs
yt-dlp --write-auto-subs "VIDEO_URL"
Common Options
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
-o OUTPUT |
Output filename template |
-f FORMAT |
Format selector |
--no-playlist |
Download single video from playlist URL |
--playlist-items START-END |
Download playlist range |
-x |
Extract audio |
--audio-format FORMAT |
Audio format (mp3, m4a, opus, etc) |
--write-subs |
Download subtitles |
--embed-subs |
Embed subtitles in video |
--write-description |
Write video description |
--write-info-json |
Write video metadata JSON |
--concat-playlist |
Download playlist as single file |
--no-overwrites |
Skip existing files |
--continue |
Resume incomplete downloads |
--proxy URL |
Use proxy |
--rate-limit LIMIT |
Download rate limit (e.g., 50K) |
Python Script
For more complex operations, use the bundled Python script:
.claude/skills/yt-dlp/scripts/download.py URL [options]
The script provides a simple interface with progress bars and error handling.
Output Templates
Common output template variables:
| Variable | Description |
|---|---|
%(id)s |
Video ID |
%(title)s |
Video title |
%(uploader)s |
Uploader name |
%(ext)s |
File extension |
%(duration)s |
Duration in seconds |
%(view_count)s |
View count |
%(upload_date)s |
Upload date (YYYYMMDD) |
Example templates:
# Organize by uploader
-o "downloads/%(uploader)s/%(title)s.%(ext)s"
# Include date
-o "downloads/%(upload_date)s - %(title)s.%(ext)s"
# Flat directory with ID
-o "downloads/%(id)s.%(ext)s"
Troubleshooting
Format not available: Try different format selector or use -f "best"
Download fails: Check network connection, try --retry-sleep
Subtitle not available: Video may not have subtitles, try --list-subs first
Rate limiting: Use --rate-limit to avoid being blocked
Age restricted: Use --cookies-from-browser chrome to pass authentication
Supported Sites
yt-dlp supports 1000+ websites including:
- YouTube (all features)
- Bilibili
- Vimeo
- Twitter/X
- TikTok
- Twitch
- And many more...
See https://github.com/yt-dlp/yt-dlp/blob/master/supportedsites.md for full list.