yt-dlp is a powerful command-line tool that lets you download videos from YouTube and other popular video sites with ease. A fork of the well-known youtube-dl, it brings additional features and better performance, supporting a wide range of video and audio formats. Here’s a guide on how to use yt-dlp from the command line to download YouTube videos.
Installation
1. Install yt-dlp:
Depending on your system, yt-dlp can be installed in various ways:
Using curl:
“`bash
sudo curl -L https://github.com/yt-dlp/yt-dlp/releases/latest/download/yt-dlp -o /usr/local/bin/yt-dlp
sudo chmod a+rx /usr/local/bin/yt-dlp
“`
Using pip:
“`bash
python3 -m pip install -U yt-dlp
“`
Using your Linux distribution’s package manager:
For Debian/Ubuntu: `sudo apt install yt-dlp`
For Fedora: `sudo dnf install yt-dlp`
For Arch Linux: `sudo pacman -S yt-dlp`
2. Update yt-dlp:
Keep yt-dlp up to date by running:
“`bash
yt-dlp -U
“`
Downloading Videos
1. Download a single video:
To download a video, simply run:
“`bash
yt-dlp <video_url>
“`
Replace `<video_url>` with the actual URL of the video.
- Downloading a playlist:
If you want to download an entire playlist, use:
“`bash
yt-dlp -i –yes-playlist <playlist_url>
“`
- Choosing video quality and format:
yt-dlp allows you to specify the quality of the video you wish to download. For example, to download the best quality available:
“`bash
yt-dlp -f best <video_url>
“`
To download a video in 1080p:
“`bash
yt-dlp -f ‘bestvideo[height=1080]+bestaudio/best[height=1080]’ <video_url>
“`
- Downloading only the audio:
You can extract audio directly from a video with:
“`bash
yt-dlp -x –audio-format mp3 <video_url>
“`
Advanced Features
- Customizing file names:
You can customize the output filename with options such as title, uploader, and date:
“`bash
yt-dlp -o ‘%(title)s.%(ext)s’ <video_url>
“`
- Downloading subtitles:
To download subtitles along with the video, you can use:
“`bash
yt-dlp –write-subs –sub-lang en <video_url>
“`
- Handling multiple downloads:
If you have several videos to download, you can either list their URLs in a command:
“`bash
yt-dlp <url1> <url2> …
“`
Or save the URLs in a text file (`urls.txt`) and run:
“`bash
yt-dlp -a urls.txt
“`
yt-dlp is a versatile and user-friendly tool for downloading videos from YouTube and other platforms, offering extensive customization options for formats, quality, and file management. Whether you want to download in high resolution, extract audio, or save playlists, yt-dlp handles it all with simple command-line instructions.
