Download YouTube Videos

While our built-in download service is unavailable, we're excited to introduce you to yt-dlp, a robust and versatile command-line program designed for downloading videos from YouTube and numerous other platforms. This open-source tool offers a wide array of features and customization options, making it an excellent alternative for your video downloading needs.

What is yt-dlp?

yt-dlp is an advanced fork of the popular youtube-dl project, enhanced with additional features, improved performance, and regular updates. It's a powerful, open-source command-line tool that allows users to download videos, playlists, and even entire channels from YouTube and a multitude of other video hosting platforms.

Key advantages of yt-dlp include:

• Support for a vast number of websites beyond YouTube
• Ability to download videos in various qualities, including 4K and 8K
• Options for extracting audio from videos
• Advanced features like thumbnail downloading and subtitle extraction
• Regular updates to maintain compatibility with supported platforms
• Active community support and continuous development

Installation Guide

yt-dlp can be installed using several methods, depending on your operating system and preferences:

Method 1: Using pip (Python package manager)

If you have Python installed on your system, you can easily install yt-dlp using pip:

pip install yt-dlp

Method 2: Downloading the binary

You can download pre-compiled binaries for your operating system from the official GitHub releases page:

1. Visit the yt-dlp releases page
2. Download the appropriate binary for your operating system (e.g., yt-dlp.exe for Windows)
3. Place the downloaded file in a directory included in your system's PATH

Method 3: Using package managers

For macOS users with Homebrew:

brew install yt-dlp

For Windows users with Chocolatey:

choco install yt-dlp

Basic Usage

Once installed, using yt-dlp is straightforward. The basic syntax for downloading a video is:

yt-dlp [OPTIONS] URL

For example, to download a YouTube video, simply run:

yt-dlp https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ

Advanced Commands and Features

yt-dlp offers a wide range of options to customize your downloads. Here are some useful commands:

1. Download best quality video and audio

yt-dlp -f bestvideo+bestaudio URL

2. Extract audio only (MP3 format)

yt-dlp -x --audio-format mp3 URL

3. Download entire playlist

yt-dlp -i URL

4. Download with custom filename

yt-dlp -o "%(title)s-%(id)s.%(ext)s" URL

5. Download video with subtitles

yt-dlp --write-sub --sub-lang en URL

6. Download thumbnail along with the video

yt-dlp --write-thumbnail URL

7. Limit download rate

yt-dlp --limit-rate 1M URL

Supported Platforms

yt-dlp supports an extensive list of websites. Here are some of the most popular platforms:

• YouTube
• Vimeo
• Dailymotion
• Facebook
• Twitter
• TikTok
• Instagram
• SoundCloud
• Twitch
• Bandcamp
• LinkedIn
• TED Talks
• Udemy
• Flickr
• Imgur
• Mixcloud
• Vevo
• Bilibili

This list is not exhaustive, and yt-dlp supports many more platforms. For a complete list, refer to the official documentation.

Best Practices and Tips

• Always ensure you have the right to download and use the content you're accessing.
• Keep yt-dlp updated to maintain compatibility with supported websites.
• Use the --update flag to check for updates before running yt-dlp.
• Explore the extensive documentation to discover more advanced features and options.
• Consider using yt-dlp in combination with other tools for post-processing downloaded content.

Conclusion

While we work on restoring our built-in download functionality, yt-dlp offers a powerful and flexible alternative for your video downloading needs. Its extensive feature set, regular updates, and wide platform support make it an excellent tool for both casual users and power users alike.

We encourage you to explore yt-dlp and its capabilities. Remember to use this tool responsibly and in accordance with copyright laws and the terms of service of the platforms you're downloading from.

For more detailed information, advanced usage instructions, and a comprehensive list of supported sites and features, please visit the official yt-dlp GitHub repository.

Thank you for your continued support and understanding. We look forward to bringing you more great features and improvements in the future!