---
id: guia-matthieu/clawfu-skills/youtube-downloader
version: "1c051ab3"
license: MIT
install: manual
updated: 2026-04-02
---

# youtube-downloader — YouTube Downloader pulls videos, audio, and transcripts from YouTube using yt-dlp, supporting multiple formats and quality levels. Use it to archive webinars, extract audio for podcasts, grab transcripts for blogs, or gather competitor content for analysis. The skill handles individual videos, playlists, and metadata retrieval.

Publisher: guia-matthieu · Stars: 140 · Updated: 2026-04-02

Install (manual): `git clone https://github.com/guia-matthieu/clawfu-skills`

## SKILL.md

# YouTube Downloader

> Download YouTube videos, extract audio, and get transcripts using yt-dlp - the most reliable YouTube extraction tool.

## When to Use This Skill

- **Competitor research** - Download and analyze competitor videos
- **Content repurposing** - Extract audio for podcasts or transcripts for blogs
- **Training material** - Archive webinars and tutorials
- **Quote extraction** - Get transcripts for pulling quotable moments
- **Offline access** - Save videos for travel or presentations


## What Claude Does vs What You Decide

| Claude Does | You Decide |
|-------------|------------|
| Structures production workflow | Final creative direction |
| Suggests technical approaches | Equipment and tool choices |
| Creates templates and checklists | Quality standards |
| Identifies best practices | Brand/voice decisions |
| Generates script outlines | Final script approval |

## Dependencies

```bash
pip install yt-dlp click
# Optional for transcription:
pip install openai-whisper
```

## Commands

### Download Video
```bash
python scripts/main.py download "https://youtube.com/watch?v=..." --format mp4
python scripts/main.py download "https://youtube.com/watch?v=..." --quality 1080p
```

### Extract Audio
```bash
python scripts/main.py audio "https://youtube.com/watch?v=..." --format mp3
python scripts/main.py audio "https://youtube.com/watch?v=..." --format wav
```

### Get Transcript
```bash
python scripts/main.py transcript "https://youtube.com/watch?v=..."
python scripts/main.py transcript "https://youtube.com/watch?v=..." --translate en
```

### Download Playlist
```bash
python scripts/main.py playlist "https://youtube.com/playlist?list=..." --limit 10
python scripts/main.py playlist "https://youtube.com/playlist?list=..." --audio-only
```

### Get Metadata
```bash
python scripts/main.py info "https://youtube.com/watch?v=..."
python scripts/main.py info "https://youtube.com/watch?v=..." --format json
```

## Examples

### Example 1: Research Competitor Content
```bash
# Get video metadata
python scripts/main.py info "https://youtube.com/watch?v=ABC123"

# Output:
# Title: How We Grew to $1M ARR
# Channel: SaaS Founder
# Duration: 15:32
# Views: 45,230
# Published: 2024-01-15
# Tags: saas, growth, startup

# Download transcript for analysis
python scripts/main.py transcript "https://youtube.com/watch?v=ABC123"
# Output: how-we-grew-to-1m-arr.txt
```

### Example 2: Create Podcast from Webinar
```bash
# Download audio only
python scripts/main.py audio "https://youtube.com/watch?v=WEBINAR" --format mp3 --quality best

# Output: webinar-title.mp3 (ready for podcast editing)

# Get transcript for show notes
python scripts/main.py transcript "https://youtube.com/watch?v=WEBINAR"
# Output: webinar-title.txt
```

### Example 3: Archive Training Playlist
```bash
# Download entire playlist
python scripts/main.py playlist "https://youtube.com/playlist?list=TRAINING" \
  --output ./training-videos/ \
  --limit 20

# Output:
# ./training-videos/
# ├── 01-introduction.mp4
# ├── 02-getting-started.mp4
# └── ...
```

## Quality Options

| Option | Resolution | File Size | Use Case |
|--------|------------|-----------|----------|
| `best` | Highest available | Largest | Archival |
| `1080p` | 1920x1080 | ~1GB/hour | Standard |
| `720p` | 1280x720 | ~500MB/hour | Balance |
| `480p` | 854x480 | ~250MB/hour | Mobile |
| `audio` | N/A | ~100MB/hour | Podcasts |

## Audio Formats

| Format | Quality | Size | Compatibility |
|--------|---------|------|---------------|
| `mp3` | Good | Small | Universal |
| `m4a` | Better | Medium | Apple/Modern |
| `wav` | Lossless | Large | Editing |
| `opus` | Best | Smallest | Modern apps |

## Legal Considerations

⚠️ **Important**: Only download content you have rights to use.

**Generally OK:**
- Your own videos
- Creative Commons content
- Content for personal research/reference
- Content with explicit download permission

**Check First:**
- Competitor content (fair use analysis)
- Content for derivative works
- Anything for commercial use

## Skill Boundaries

### What This Skill Does Well
- Structuring audio production workflows
- Providing technical guidance
- Creating quality checklists
- Suggesting creative approaches

### What This Skill Cannot Do
- Replace audio engineering expertise
- Make subjective creative decisions
- Access or edit audio files directly
- Guarantee commercial success

## Related Skills

- [whisper-transcription](../whisper-transcription/) - Transcribe downloaded audio
- [video-processing](../video-processing/) - Process downloaded videos
- [content-repurposer](../content-repurposer/) - Repurpose transcripts

## Skill Metadata


- **Mode**: cyborg
```yaml
category: automation
subcategory: content-extraction
dependencies: [yt-dlp]
difficulty: beginner
time_saved: 4+ hours/week
```


[View on SkillFed](https://skillfed.io/guia-matthieu/clawfu-skills/youtube-downloader) · [View on GitHub](https://github.com/guia-matthieu/clawfu-skills)