In the age of online media consumption, YouTube has become an indispensable platform for video content. However, there are times when you want to save a video for offline viewing or archival purposes. That’s where yt-dlp comes into play. yt-dlp is an enhanced version of the popular YouTube video downloader, youtube-dl, with added features and improvements. In this blog post, we will explore how to use yt-dlp to download YouTube videos in various formats.

Step 1: Installation:

Before diving into the world of yt-dlp, you need to have it installed on your system. yt-dlp is a command-line tool that can be run on multiple operating systems, including Windows, macOS, and Linux. Follow these steps to install it:

1. Open your command prompt or terminal.
2. Ensure you have Python installed on your system. You can check by running the command python --version. If Python is not installed, download and install it from the official Python website.
3. Install yt-dlp using pip, a package manager for Python, by executing the command pip install yt-dlp.

Step 2: Basic Usage:

Once yt-dlp is successfully installed, you can start downloading YouTube videos using the following command syntax:

yt-dlp [options] URL(s)

To download a video, simply provide the URL of the video as the argument. For example, to download a video with the URL “https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIDEO_ID," run the command:

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

By default, yt-dlp downloads the best available quality video and audio and merges them into a single file. The downloaded video is saved in the current working directory.

Step 3: Customizing Download Options:

yt-dlp offers a wide range of options to customize your download preferences. Here are a few commonly used options:

1. Choosing Video and Audio Quality:

   • --format FORMAT: Specify the format code or quality abbreviation (e.g., 720p, mp4) for the video and audio.
   • --merge-output-format FORMAT: Specify the format for merging video and audio, such as mp4 or mkv.

2. Downloading Subtitles:

   • --write-sub: Download subtitles for the video.
   • --write-auto-sub: Automatically download autogenerated subtitles (if available).

3. Selecting Specific Formats:

   • --list-formats: List all available formats for a video and choose one using the format code.
   • --format FORMAT: Specify the format code to download a specific format.

4. Downloading Playlists:

   • --yes-playlist: Download the entire playlist instead of a single video.

These are just a few examples of the numerous customization options provided by yt-dlp. To explore the complete range of options, refer to the yt-dlp documentation.

Step 4: Advanced Features:

yt-dlp goes beyond basic video downloading with its advanced features. Here are a couple of notable ones:

1. Extracting Metadata:

   • --dump-json: Extract metadata of the video in JSON format.
   • --get-thumbnail: Download the thumbnail of the video.

2. Simulating Downloads:

   • --simulate: Simulate the download process without actually downloading the video.
   • --verbose: Get detailed information about the download process.

These advanced features allow you to obtain additional information about videos and simulate downloads to check the output before proceeding with the actual download.

Step 5: Updating yt-dlp:

To ensure you have the latest features and bug fixes, it’s essential to keep yt-dlp up to date. The yt-dlp development team regularly releases updates and improvements. Updating yt-dlp is a straightforward process. Follow the steps below:

1. Open your command prompt or terminal.

2. Run the following command to update yt-dlp using pip:

   pip install --upgrade yt-dlp
   

   This command will upgrade the existing yt-dlp installation to the latest version available.

3. Wait for the update process to complete. Pip will automatically download and install the latest version of yt-dlp.

4. Once the update is finished, you can verify the installation by running the command:

   yt-dlp --version
   

   This will display the current version of yt-dlp installed on your system.

By regularly updating yt-dlp, you can take advantage of the latest enhancements and ensure optimal performance while downloading YouTube videos.

It’s important to note that yt-dlp updates may introduce changes to the command-line interface or behavior of certain options. Therefore, if you encounter any issues after updating, refer to the yt-dlp documentation or the release notes to familiarize yourself with any changes and adjust your commands accordingly.

Remember to stay updated to benefit from new features, bug fixes, and security patches while using yt-dlp.

Conclusion:

yt-dlp is a powerful command-line tool that empowers you to download YouTube videos with flexibility and customization options. With its extensive range of features, you can fine-tune your download preferences, extract metadata, and perform simulated downloads. By following the steps outlined in this guide, you can harness the full potential of yt-dlp and enhance your YouTube video downloading experience.

Remember to respect copyright laws and adhere to YouTube’s terms of service when using yt-dlp. Happy downloading!

Note: Downloading copyrighted content without proper authorization may infringe upon intellectual property rights. Ensure you have the necessary permissions or use yt-dlp responsibly within the boundaries of applicable laws and regulations.