Welcome to yt-dlp
yt-dlp is a feature-rich command-line audio/video downloader with support for thousands of sites. It’s a fork of youtube-dl based on the now inactive youtube-dlc, with additional features and fixes.Install yt-dlp
Get started by installing yt-dlp on your platform
Quick start guide
Download your first video in minutes
Format selection
Learn advanced format selection and quality control
Python API
Embed yt-dlp in your Python applications
Key features
Download from thousands of sites
Download from thousands of sites
yt-dlp supports video downloads from thousands of websites including YouTube, Vimeo, Twitter, Facebook, and many more. The extractor system is continuously updated with fixes and new site support.Key capabilities:
- YouTube (including clips, stories, music, channels, and playlists)
- Social media platforms (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok)
- Video hosting platforms (Vimeo, Dailymotion, Twitch)
- Educational sites (Coursera, Khan Academy, Udemy)
- News and media outlets
Advanced format selection
Advanced format selection
Choose exactly the quality and format you want with powerful sorting and filtering options.Features:
- Intelligent format sorting by resolution, codec, and bitrate
- Custom format filters using
-Soption - Merge best video and audio automatically
- Support for HDR, 4K, 8K, and high frame rate content
- Download specific format combinations
Audio extraction and conversion
Audio extraction and conversion
Extract audio from videos and convert to your preferred format.Capabilities:
- Extract audio in original quality
- Convert to MP3, M4A, FLAC, Opus, Vorbis, WAV
- Automatic bitrate selection or custom bitrate
- Embed metadata and thumbnails
- Split by chapters for albums and podcasts
SponsorBlock integration
SponsorBlock integration
Automatically mark or remove sponsor segments from YouTube videos using the SponsorBlock API.Options:
- Skip sponsor segments, intros, outros, self-promotion
- Remove segments entirely during download
- Mark chapters for manual skipping
- Community-driven segment database
Flexible output templates
Flexible output templates
Control exactly how and where files are saved with powerful templating.Features:
- Date-time formatting and numeric offsets
- Metadata-based file naming
- Separate paths for different file types
- Playlist-aware numbering and organization
- Regular expression replacement
Post-processing with FFmpeg
Post-processing with FFmpeg
Extensive post-processing capabilities using FFmpeg.Options:
- Format conversion and remuxing
- Embed subtitles, thumbnails, and metadata
- Split or concatenate videos
- Apply audio/video filters
- Extract chapters and segments
Plugin system
Plugin system
Extend yt-dlp with custom extractors and post-processors.Capabilities:
- Load extractors from external files
- Custom post-processing plugins
- Replace or extend built-in extractors
- Install via pip or configuration directories
Playlist and channel support
Playlist and channel support
Download entire playlists, channels, and feeds with ease.Features:
- YouTube playlists and channels (including shorts and live)
- Playlist item filtering and ranges
- Archive file to avoid re-downloading
- Random order or reverse download
- Download from start for livestreams
Why yt-dlp?
yt-dlp improves upon youtube-dl with:- Better performance: Multi-threaded fragment downloads for faster speeds
- More features: SponsorBlock integration, cookies from browser, download time ranges
- Active development: Regular updates with new extractors and bug fixes
- YouTube reliability: Fix for throttling issues and enhanced YouTube support
- Flexible updates: Stable, nightly, and master release channels
What’s next?
Installation
Install yt-dlp using pip, binaries, or package managers
Quick start
Download your first video and learn basic commands
Configuration
Set up configuration files for your preferences
Browse guides
Explore detailed guides for common tasks