# youtube-dl — Command-Line Video Downloader for Hundreds of Sites

> A command-line program to download videos from YouTube and many other video platforms, supporting playlists, subtitles, and format selection.

## Install

Save as a script file and run:

# youtube-dl — Command-Line Video Downloader for Hundreds of Sites

## Quick Use
```bash
pip install youtube-dl
youtube-dl https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ
youtube-dl -f best -o "%(title)s.%(ext)s" URL
```

## Introduction
youtube-dl is a command-line program that lets you download videos from YouTube and over a thousand other sites. It is written in Python and runs on any platform with a Python interpreter, making it one of the most widely used open-source media tools available.

## What youtube-dl Does
- Downloads video and audio from 1000+ websites
- Extracts audio-only streams in formats like MP3, AAC, and Opus
- Supports playlist and channel batch downloads
- Fetches subtitles, thumbnails, and metadata alongside media
- Allows format selection and quality control via format codes

## Architecture Overview
youtube-dl is a single Python package that ships as both a library and a CLI. Each supported site has an extractor module that parses page HTML or calls site APIs to locate stream URLs. A central downloader component handles HTTP, RTMP, and HLS streams, while a post-processor pipeline handles merging, remuxing, and embedding metadata via FFmpeg when installed.

## Self-Hosting & Configuration
- Install via pip: `pip install youtube-dl` or download the standalone binary
- Requires Python 2.6+ or 3.2+ on Linux, macOS, or Windows
- Optional FFmpeg dependency for merging separate video and audio streams
- Configure defaults in `~/.config/youtube-dl/config` (one option per line)
- Supports proxy, rate-limiting, and cookie-based authentication for gated content

## Key Features
- Extensive site support with community-contributed extractors
- Automatic retry and resume for interrupted downloads
- Embed thumbnails and subtitles directly into output files
- Output template system for organizing downloads by metadata
- Can be imported as a Python library for programmatic use

## Comparison with Similar Tools
- **yt-dlp** — Actively maintained fork with faster updates and additional features; preferred for new setups
- **gallery-dl** — Focused on image galleries and boorus rather than video
- **streamlink** — Specializes in piping live streams to media players
- **aria2** — General-purpose download accelerator without site-specific extraction
- **wget** — Generic HTTP downloader with no video format negotiation

## FAQ
**Q: Is youtube-dl still maintained?**
A: Development has slowed since 2021. The community fork yt-dlp receives more frequent updates, but youtube-dl still works for many sites.

**Q: Do I need FFmpeg?**
A: FFmpeg is optional but recommended. Without it, youtube-dl cannot merge separate video and audio streams or convert formats.

**Q: Can I download private or age-restricted videos?**
A: Yes, by passing cookies from your browser session using the --cookies flag or by supplying credentials with -u and -p.

**Q: Is downloading videos legal?**
A: Legality depends on your jurisdiction and the content's license. Downloading content you have the right to access for personal use is generally acceptable, but redistributing copyrighted material is not.

## Sources
- https://github.com/ytdl-org/youtube-dl
- https://youtube-dl.org/

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Source: https://tokrepo.com/en/workflows/asset-82f34ae2
Author: Script Depot