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yt-dlp
What it is
yt-dlp is free command-line software for downloading audio and video from thousands of sites. Supported sources include YouTube, Bilibili, Dailymotion, Facebook, Vimeo, TikTok, Twitch, and many other extractors. It handles playlists, subtitles, batch jobs, configurable output templates, and paths. Format selection can choose and sort available video and audio formats, with outputs including AVI, FLV, MKV, MOV, MP4, WebM, AAC, AIFF, ALAC, FLAC, M4A, MKA, MP3, OGG, Opus, Vorbis, and WAV. Downloads can cover selected timestamps or chapters, and chapters can be split into separate files. SponsorBlock data can mark or remove sponsor segments in YouTube videos. The tool can read cookies from supported browsers and can be embedded in Python through its YoutubeDL interface. It runs on Windows, macOS, and Linux; full YouTube support requires yt-dlp-ejs. CPython 3.10+ and PyPy 3.11+ are supported. Release checksums have SHA-256 and SHA-512 signature files with a GPG public key.
For and against
For
- Supports thousands of online sources
- Playlist, subtitle, and batch downloads
- Wide video and audio format selection
- Partial downloads by timestamps or chapters
- Free Unlicense project with signed checksums
Against
- Command-line software requires technical setup
- Full YouTube support requires yt-dlp-ejs
- External plugin code is unchecked
- Older versions than 90 days show warnings
The verdict
yt-dlp offers extensive source coverage and detailed command-line control for media downloads. Its dependencies, plugin cautions, and technical interface make it better suited to users comfortable managing software and formats.
Who it suits
yt-dlp suits technically oriented users who want scriptable downloads, format control, playlists, subtitles, or batch processing. It also fits developers embedding downloader functions in Python programs.
Plans and prices
Free software
No paid plans or usage limits stated
Read 11 Oct 2026 · github.com
On the record
- Batch downloads
- Yesgithub.com · read 20 Sep 2026
- Browser cookies
- It can extract cookies from supported browsers, including Brave, Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge.github.com · read 11 Oct 2026
- Dependencies
- Python 3.10+ is supported for CPython, and ffmpeg, ffprobe, yt-dlp-ejs, and a supported JavaScript runtime are recommended, with yt-dlp-ejs required for full YouTube support.github.com · read 11 Oct 2026
- Device platforms
- Windows,macOS,Linuxgithub.com · read 20 Sep 2026
- Embedding
- The project documents embedding yt-dlp in Python programs through its YoutubeDL interface.github.com · read 11 Oct 2026
- Formats
- Its format selection supports choosing and sorting available video and audio formats.github.com · read 11 Oct 2026
- Repository activity
- The repository lists 24,009 commits, 16.8k forks, and 194k stars.github.com · read 27 Sep 2026
- Repository visibility
- The GitHub repository is public.github.com · read 27 Sep 2026
- Integrity verification
- Release checksums have SHA-512 and SHA-256 signature files with a GPG public key.github.com · read 27 Sep 2026
- License
- The repository is marked Unlicense, while the README explains that some bundled release binaries contain third-party code under other licenses.github.com · read 11 Oct 2026
- Linux support
- Provides Linux binaries for glibc, musl, x86_64, aarch64, and armv7l variants.github.com · read 27 Sep 2026
- macOS support
- Provides standalone macOS executables for macOS 10.15 or later.github.com · read 27 Sep 2026
- Version warning
- Versions older than 90 days display a warning suggesting an update.github.com · read 27 Sep 2026
- Output formats
- avi,flv,mkv,mov,mp4,webm,aac,aiff,alac,flac,m4a,mka,mp3,ogg,opus,vorbis,wavgithub.com · read 20 Sep 2026
- Partial downloads
- Videos can be downloaded partially by timestamps or chapters, and split into multiple files by chapter.github.com · read 11 Oct 2026
- Playlists
- It supports playlist downloads and configurable output templates and paths for downloaded files.github.com · read 11 Oct 2026
- Playlist downloads
- Yesgithub.com · read 20 Sep 2026
- Plugins
- Extractor and postprocessor plugins can be loaded from external files, but the project warns that plugin code is unchecked and should only be trusted if the user trusts its author.github.com · read 11 Oct 2026
