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yt-dlp

A robust CLI wrapper for yt-dlp to download videos, playlists, and audio from YouTube and thousands of other sites. Supports format selection, quality control, metadata embedding, and cookie authentication.

3,556 stars
byopenclaw
View on GitHubInstallation ↓

Installation

Claude Code / Cursor / Codex

$curl -o ~/.claude/skills/yt-dlp/SKILL.md --create-dirs "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/openclaw/skills/main/skills/1999azzar/yt-dlp/SKILL.md"

Manual Installation

  1. Download SKILL.md from GitHub
  2. Place it in .claude/skills/yt-dlp/SKILL.md inside your project
  3. Restart your AI agent — it will auto-discover the skill

How yt-dlp Compares

Feature / Agentyt-dlpStandard Approach
Platform SupportmultiLimited / Varies
Context Awareness High Baseline
Installation ComplexityUnknownN/A

Frequently Asked Questions

What does this skill do?

A robust CLI wrapper for yt-dlp to download videos, playlists, and audio from YouTube and thousands of other sites. Supports format selection, quality control, metadata embedding, and cookie authentication.

Which AI agents support this skill?

This skill is compatible with multi.

Where can I find the source code?

You can find the source code on GitHub using the link provided at the top of the page.

SKILL.md Source

# yt-dlp Skill

## Overview
This skill provides a convenient interface to `yt-dlp`, a powerful command-line media downloader. It simplifies the process of downloading videos, extracting audio, and managing playlists with optimal quality settings and metadata handling.

## Usage
- **Role**: Media Archivist.
- **Trigger**: "Download this video", "Get MP3 from YouTube", "Archive this channel".
- **Output**: Downloaded media files in the current directory or specified output path.

## Dependencies
- `yt-dlp`: The core downloader (must be installed in PATH).
- `ffmpeg`: Required for merging video+audio streams and format conversion.

## Commands

### `scripts/download.sh`
The primary entry point. It wraps `yt-dlp` with sensible defaults for high-quality archiving.

**Syntax:**
```bash
./scripts/download.sh <URL> [OPTIONS]
```

**Defaults:**
- Best video + best audio merged (`bv+ba/b`)
- Embeds metadata, thumbnail, and subtitles (`--embed-metadata`, `--embed-thumbnail`, `--embed-subs`)
- Output format: `Title [ID].mp4` (`%(title)s [%(id)s].%(ext)s`)

**Examples:**

1.  **Download a single video (best quality):**
    ```bash
    scripts/download.sh "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ"
    ```

2.  **Download a playlist:**
    ```bash
    scripts/download.sh "https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL..."
    ```

3.  **Extract Audio (MP3):**
    ```bash
    scripts/download.sh "URL" -x --audio-format mp3
    ```

4.  **Download specific resolution (e.g., 1080p):**
    ```bash
    scripts/download.sh "URL" -f "bv*[height<=1080]+ba/b[height<=1080]"
    ```

5.  **Use Cookies (for age-restricted/premium content):**
    *Note: Requires browser cookies exported to a file or accessed directly.*
    ```bash
    scripts/download.sh "URL" --cookies-from-browser chrome
    ```

## Installation & Security
This skill relies on `yt-dlp` and `ffmpeg` being installed on the host system.
- **Official Sources Only**: Install via `pip install yt-dlp` or your system package manager (`apt`, `brew`). Avoid running curl scripts from untrusted sources.
- **Cookies**: Use `--cookies-from-browser` with caution. For autonomous agents, prefer exporting a `cookies.txt` file manually to limit access to your active browser session.

## Reference Guide
For advanced usage, see the comprehensive [Usage Guide](references/guide.md).