Guide to Downloading YouTube Videos with yt-dlp

Guide to Downloading YouTube Videos with yt-dlp

Picture this: You're a content creator studying video editing techniques from your favorite YouTubers. You've found the perfect tutorial series, but you're heading to a remote location with spotty internet for the next month. Or maybe you're a researcher archiving educational content for offline reference. Perhaps you're simply tired of buffering issues during your commute.

Enter yt-dlp—the Swiss Army knife of video downloading. Born as a more actively maintained fork of the legendary youtube-dl, yt-dlp has become the go-to tool for anyone who needs reliable, feature-rich video downloading capabilities. It's not just about YouTube anymore; yt-dlp supports over 1,000 websites, making it the ultimate digital archiving companion.

This isn't about piracy—it's about taking control of your digital media consumption, creating offline archives for legitimate use, and ensuring you have access to content when you need it most.

Why yt-dlp?

The Power User's Choice

Unlike browser extensions or sketchy online converters, yt-dlp offers: - Complete control over video quality, format, and metadata - Batch downloading for entire playlists and channels - Active development with frequent updates and bug fixes - Privacy-focused with no tracking or data collection - Cross-platform support (Windows, macOS, Linux, Android via Termux) - Powerful filtering and automation capabilities - Support for premium content (with your own credentials)

Installation

Linux/macOS

The easiest method using pip:

pip install yt-dlp

Or using your package manager:

# Ubuntu/Debian
sudo apt install yt-dlp

# Arch Linux
sudo pacman -S yt-dlp

# macOS (Homebrew)
brew install yt-dlp

Windows

Download the executable from the official GitHub releases:

# Using winget
winget install yt-dlp

# Or download directly
# Visit: https://github.com/yt-dlp/yt-dlp/releases

Android (Termux)

pkg install python
pip install yt-dlp

Verify Installation

yt-dlp --version

Getting Started: Basic Usage

Your First Download

The simplest command—just paste the URL:

yt-dlp https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIDEO_ID

This downloads the best quality video available by default.

Choosing Video Quality

Download best quality:

yt-dlp -f bestvideo+bestaudio https://youtube.com/watch?v=VIDEO_ID

Download specific resolution:

# 1080p
yt-dlp -f "bestvideo[height<=1080]+bestaudio/best[height<=1080]" URL

# 720p
yt-dlp -f "bestvideo[height<=720]+bestaudio/best[height<=720]" URL

# 4K
yt-dlp -f "bestvideo[height<=2160]+bestaudio/best[height<=2160]" URL

List available formats:

yt-dlp -F URL

This shows all available formats with their IDs, resolutions, and codecs.

Audio-Only Downloads

Extract best audio:

yt-dlp -x --audio-format mp3 URL

Specific audio quality:

yt-dlp -x --audio-format mp3 --audio-quality 0 URL

(0 is best, 9 is worst)

Advanced Techniques

Downloading Entire Playlists

Download complete playlist:

yt-dlp https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLAYLIST_ID

Download playlist in reverse order:

yt-dlp --playlist-reverse URL

Download specific items from playlist:

# Items 1 to 10
yt-dlp --playlist-items 1-10 URL

# Items 5, 10, 15
yt-dlp --playlist-items 5,10,15 URL

# From item 20 onwards
yt-dlp --playlist-items 20- URL

Downloading Entire Channels

Download all videos from a channel:

yt-dlp https://www.youtube.com/@ChannelName/videos

Download only recent uploads:

yt-dlp --dateafter 20240101 https://www.youtube.com/@ChannelName/videos

Smart Filtering

Download videos by date range:

yt-dlp --dateafter 20240101 --datebefore 20241231 URL

Filter by duration:

# Only videos shorter than 10 minutes
yt-dlp --match-filter "duration < 600" URL

# Only videos longer than 30 minutes
yt-dlp --match-filter "duration > 1800" URL

Filter by views:

# Only videos with more than 1M views
yt-dlp --match-filter "view_count > 1000000" URL

Output Organization

Custom filename template:

yt-dlp -o "%(title)s-%(id)s.%(ext)s" URL

Organize by uploader:

yt-dlp -o "%(uploader)s/%(title)s.%(ext)s" URL

Organize by date:

yt-dlp -o "%(upload_date)s-%(title)s.%(ext)s" URL

Complex organization:

yt-dlp -o "%(uploader)s/%(playlist)s/%(playlist_index)s-%(title)s.%(ext)s" URL

Subtitle Management

Download with subtitles:

yt-dlp --write-sub --sub-lang en URL

Auto-generated subtitles:

yt-dlp --write-auto-sub --sub-lang en URL

Download all available subtitles:

yt-dlp --write-sub --all-subs URL

Embed subtitles in video:

yt-dlp --embed-subs --sub-lang en URL

Real-World Scenarios

Scenario 1: The Student's Archive

You're taking an online course and want offline access:

yt-dlp \
  -f "bestvideo[height<=720]+bestaudio" \
  --write-sub --sub-lang en \
  --embed-subs \
  -o "Course Materials/%(playlist_index)s - %(title)s.%(ext)s" \
  https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=COURSE_PLAYLIST_ID

This downloads 720p videos with embedded subtitles, organized by lesson number.

Scenario 2: The Music Collector

Building an offline music library:

yt-dlp \
  -x --audio-format mp3 \
  --audio-quality 0 \
  --embed-thumbnail \
  --add-metadata \
  -o "Music/%(artist)s/%(album)s/%(track_number)s - %(title)s.%(ext)s" \
  URL

Extracts high-quality audio with thumbnails and metadata.

Scenario 3: The Content Creator

Downloading reference material for video editing:

yt-dlp \
  -f "bestvideo[ext=mp4]+bestaudio[ext=m4a]/best[ext=mp4]" \
  --merge-output-format mp4 \
  --write-thumbnail \
  -o "References/%(uploader)s - %(title)s.%(ext)s" \
  URL

Ensures MP4 format for compatibility with editing software.

Scenario 4: The Archivist

Preserving educational content:

yt-dlp \
  --download-archive downloaded.txt \
  --write-description \
  --write-info-json \
  --write-thumbnail \
  --all-subs \
  -o "Archive/%(upload_date)s/%(title)s [%(id)s].%(ext)s" \
  https://www.youtube.com/@EducationalChannel/videos

Creates a comprehensive archive with all metadata and prevents re-downloading.

Power User Features

Using Configuration Files

Create a config file at ~/.config/yt-dlp/config (Linux/macOS) or %APPDATA%/yt-dlp/config.txt (Windows):

# Default video quality
-f bestvideo[height<=1080]+bestaudio/best

# Output template
-o ~/Videos/%(uploader)s/%(title)s.%(ext)s

# Always write subtitles
--write-sub
--sub-lang en

# Archive to avoid re-downloads
--download-archive ~/Videos/archive.txt

# Rate limiting to be respectful
--limit-rate 5M

Now just run:

yt-dlp URL

Batch Downloads from File

Create a text file with URLs (one per line):

https://youtube.com/watch?v=VIDEO1
https://youtube.com/watch?v=VIDEO2
https://youtube.com/watch?v=VIDEO3

Download all:

yt-dlp -a urls.txt

Using Cookies for Premium Content

Export cookies from your browser (using a browser extension) and use them:

yt-dlp --cookies cookies.txt URL

This allows downloading member-only or age-restricted content you have access to.

Sponsorblock Integration

Skip sponsored segments automatically:

yt-dlp --sponsorblock-remove all URL

Live Stream Recording

Record ongoing live stream:

yt-dlp --live-from-start LIVE_STREAM_URL

Wait for scheduled live stream:

yt-dlp --wait-for-video 300 SCHEDULED_STREAM_URL

Automation Scripts

Daily Channel Monitor (Python)

#!/usr/bin/env python3
import subprocess
from datetime import datetime, timedelta

def download_recent_videos(channel_url, days=7):
    """Download videos from the last N days"""
    date_after = (datetime.now() - timedelta(days=days)).strftime("%Y%m%d")

    command = [
        'yt-dlp',
        '--dateafter', date_after,
        '--download-archive', 'downloaded.txt',
        '-o', '%(uploader)s/%(upload_date)s - %(title)s.%(ext)s',
        channel_url
    ]

    subprocess.run(command)

# Usage
channels = [
    'https://www.youtube.com/@Channel1/videos',
    'https://www.youtube.com/@Channel2/videos',
]

for channel in channels:
    download_recent_videos(channel, days=7)

Cron Job for Automatic Downloads

Add to crontab (crontab -e):

# Download new videos from favorite channels daily at 2 AM
0 2 * * * /usr/local/bin/yt-dlp --download-archive ~/archive.txt -o "~/Videos/%(uploader)s/%(title)s.%(ext)s" -a ~/channels.txt

Bash Script for Selective Downloads

#!/bin/bash

# Interactive download script
echo "Enter video URL:"
read URL

echo "Select quality:"
echo "1) Best quality"
echo "2) 1080p"
echo "3) 720p"
echo "4) Audio only (MP3)"
read CHOICE

case $CHOICE in
    1)
        yt-dlp -f bestvideo+bestaudio "$URL"
        ;;
    2)
        yt-dlp -f "bestvideo[height<=1080]+bestaudio" "$URL"
        ;;
    3)
        yt-dlp -f "bestvideo[height<=720]+bestaudio" "$URL"
        ;;
    4)
        yt-dlp -x --audio-format mp3 "$URL"
        ;;
    *)
        echo "Invalid choice"
        ;;
esac

Tips and Best Practices

1. Be Respectful with Rate Limiting

yt-dlp --limit-rate 5M URL

This prevents overwhelming servers.

2. Use Archive Files

yt-dlp --download-archive archive.txt URL

Prevents re-downloading videos you already have.

3. Keep yt-dlp Updated

YouTube frequently changes their site, breaking downloaders:

pip install --upgrade yt-dlp

Or use the built-in updater:

yt-dlp -U

4. Verify Downloads

yt-dlp --no-overwrites --continue URL

Resumes interrupted downloads and skips completed ones.

5. Handle Geo-Restrictions

yt-dlp --geo-bypass URL

Or use a proxy:

yt-dlp --proxy socks5://127.0.0.1:9050 URL

6. Extract Metadata

yt-dlp --write-info-json --write-description --write-thumbnail URL

Saves complete metadata for archival purposes.

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

"Unable to extract video data" - Solution: Update yt-dlp with yt-dlp -U

"HTTP Error 429: Too Many Requests" - Solution: Add rate limiting: --limit-rate 5M

"Requested format not available" - Solution: List formats with -F and choose an available one

"Video unavailable" - Solution: Check if video is private, deleted, or geo-restricted

Slow downloads - Solution: Use --concurrent-fragments 4 for faster downloads

Debug Mode

For troubleshooting:

yt-dlp --verbose URL

Legal and Ethical Considerations

Important Reminders

  • Respect copyright: Download only content you have rights to or permission for
  • Follow Terms of Service: Check platform terms before downloading
  • Personal use: Keep downloads for personal, educational, or research purposes
  • Attribution: Give credit to creators when using their content
  • Support creators: Subscribe, like, and consider purchasing official content

Legitimate Use Cases

  • Creating offline educational archives
  • Research and academic analysis
  • Accessibility (downloading with subtitles for hearing-impaired users)
  • Archiving your own content
  • Backing up purchased or licensed content
  • Preserving content that may be removed

Beyond YouTube

yt-dlp supports 1000+ sites including:

# Vimeo
yt-dlp https://vimeo.com/VIDEO_ID

# Twitter/X
yt-dlp https://twitter.com/user/status/TWEET_ID

# TikTok
yt-dlp https://www.tiktok.com/@user/video/VIDEO_ID

# Instagram
yt-dlp https://www.instagram.com/p/POST_ID/

# Reddit
yt-dlp https://www.reddit.com/r/subreddit/comments/POST_ID/

# SoundCloud
yt-dlp https://soundcloud.com/user/track

Conclusion: Your Digital Freedom

yt-dlp represents more than just a download tool—it's about digital autonomy. In an age where content can disappear overnight, streaming services change their libraries, and internet access isn't always guaranteed, having control over your media consumption is valuable.

Whether you're a student building an offline study library, a creator gathering reference material, a researcher archiving content, or simply someone who values reliable offline access to media, yt-dlp is an essential tool in your digital toolkit.

The key is using it responsibly, respecting creators' rights, and understanding that with great power comes great responsibility. Download wisely, respect copyright, support creators, and enjoy the freedom of offline media access.

Happy downloading! 🎥

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