How to use the command youtube-dl (with examples)

The youtube-dl command is a powerful open-source tool that allows users to download videos from YouTube and a myriad of other video hosting websites. This command-line program supports a wide range of video formats and provides users with the flexibility to specify particular options like format, quality, and output filenames. It is especially useful for offline viewing, content archiving, and audio extraction.

Use case 1: Download a video or playlist

Code:

youtube-dl 'https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oHg5SJYRHA0'

Motivation: Sometimes, you may want to save a video or entire playlist for offline viewing, or perhaps you’re working on a project where you need to reference content without internet access. Downloading videos ensures you have a local copy at your disposal whenever you need it.

Explanation:

• youtube-dl: This is the command itself, indicating that we are using the youtube-dl tool.
• 'https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oHg5SJYRHA0': This is the URL of the YouTube video or playlist you wish to download. The URL must be enclosed in single quotes to ensure any special characters within the link are properly interpreted by the shell.

Example Output: The tool will download the requested video, saving it to your current working directory with the default file name based on YouTube’s metadata.

Use case 2: List all formats that a video or playlist is available in

Code:

youtube-dl --list-formats 'https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mwa0_nE9H7A'

Motivation: Knowing the available formats of a video helps you decide which quality or version suits your needs best, allowing for better file size management and device compatibility when downloading specific formats.

Explanation:

• --list-formats: This argument tells youtube-dl to retrieve and display a list of all available formats for the specified video.
• 'https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mwa0_nE9H7A': URL of the video for which you want to list formats, wrapped in single quotes as before.

Example Output: The command will output a list of all available formats for the video, including identifiers, resolutions, and file sizes.

Use case 3: Download a video or playlist at a specific quality

Code:

youtube-dl --format "best[height<=480]" 'https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oHg5SJYRHA0'

Motivation: Downloading videos at a specific quality allows you to balance between video clarity and storage capacity. This is particularly useful when device storage is limited or when you have a specific quality requirement.

Explanation:

• --format "best[height<=480]": The format option specifies a quality filter. It selects the best possible quality that matches the constraint of having a height of less than or equal to 480 pixels, which corresponds to standard definition.
• 'https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oHg5SJYRHA0': As earlier, the YouTube URL included in single quotes.

Example Output: The command will download the specified video at a quality not exceeding 480p, saving it in the default directory.

Use case 4: Download the audio from a video and convert it to an MP3

Code:

youtube-dl -x --audio-format mp3 'url'

Motivation: This use case is ideal when you are interested in only the audio track of a video, such as downloading your favorite music or podcasts in MP3 format for convenient listening on various devices.

Explanation:

• -x: This flag instructs youtube-dl to extract the audio from the downloaded video file.
• --audio-format mp3: Specifies the desired audio output format, in this case, MP3.
• 'url': The placeholder should be replaced by the actual URL of the video from which you want to extract audio.

Example Output: The command extracts the audio track and converts it into an MP3 file stored in your default download folder.

Use case 5: Download the best quality audio and video and merge them

Code:

youtube-dl -f bestvideo+bestaudio 'url'

Motivation: You may want the highest quality playback for both audio and video, such as when downloading movies or concert footage where sound and visual fidelity are paramount.

Explanation:

• -f bestvideo+bestaudio: The format option specifies that you want to download the highest quality video and audio available, and then merge them into a single file.
• 'url': As with other examples, this is the target video’s URL encased in single quotes.

Example Output: The tool downloads the video and audio streams separately and merges them to provide the highest quality playback possible.

Use case 6: Download video(s) as MP4 files with custom filenames

Code:

youtube-dl --format mp4 -o "%(playlist_index)s-%(title)s by %(uploader)s on %(upload_date)s in %(playlist)s.%(ext)s" 'url'

Motivation: Custom filenames help organize downloaded content, making it easier to identify and sort videos based on specific attributes like the uploader, upload date, playlist name, etc.

Explanation:

• --format mp4: Specifies that the video should be downloaded in MP4 format.
• -o "%(playlist_index)s-%(title)s by %(uploader)s on %(upload_date)s in %(playlist)s.%(ext)s": This option dictates the output filename template providing dynamic file naming based on video metadata.
• 'url': Replace this with the actual URL of the video or playlist.

Example Output: Videos will be downloaded in MP4 format, with filenames reflecting their playlist index, title, uploader, upload date, and playlist name.

Use case 7: Download a particular language’s subtitles along with the video

Code:

youtube-dl --sub-lang en --write-sub 'https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mwa0_nE9H7A'

Motivation: If you need subtitles for better comprehension or translation purposes, particularly when consuming content in a non-native language, you can download subtitles in your preferred language with the video.

Explanation:

• --sub-lang en: Specifies the language code for the subtitles desired, in this case, English.
• --write-sub: Instructs youtube-dl to download the subtitles file alongside the video.
• 'https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mwa0_nE9H7A': The video’s URL which includes the desired subtitles.

Example Output: The command downloads both the video and its English subtitles, storing them in your default download directory.

Use case 8: Download a playlist and extract MP3s from it

Code:

youtube-dl -f "bestaudio" --continue --no-overwrites --ignore-errors --extract-audio --audio-format mp3 -o "%(title)s.%(ext)s" 'url_to_playlist'

Motivation: Extracting MP3s from an entire playlist is useful for bulk downloading audio content such as albums or podcast series, allowing for easy creation of music libraries or study material collections.

Explanation:

• -f "bestaudio": Chooses the best available audio format for download.
• --continue: Continues downloading a partially downloaded file to prevent restarting the entire download.
• --no-overwrites: Avoids overwriting any existing files.
• --ignore-errors: Skips over errors, such as unavailable videos, and continues downloading.
• --extract-audio: Extracts the audio file from videos in the playlist.
• --audio-format mp3: Specifies that the audio be converted into MP3 format.
• -o "%(title)s.%(ext)s": Sets the output template for filenames based on video titles.
• 'url_to_playlist': This is the URL of the playlist you want to download.

Example Output: Extracted MP3 audio files from the playlist are saved in the specified directory, organized by video title.

Conclusion

The youtube-dl command offers an extensive range of functionalities for downloading and customizing video and audio collection from a wide array of websites. By exploring these use cases, users can optimize their download strategy to meet storage constraints, format preferences, and organizational needs effectively. Whether you’re archiving videos for offline viewing, extracting audio tracks, or precisely managing download formats, youtube-dl is a versatile tool that caters to diverse requirements.