yt-dlp
yt-dlp lets you grab YouTube content—videos, audio tracks, or transcripts—in the format you need. Extract audio as MP3, pull full videos, or fetch subtitles and transcripts as VTT files.
yt-dlp downloads YouTube videos, audio, and subtitles in your choice of format.
AI-generated summary based on this skill's SKILL.md
Install
ykdojo/safeclaw/yt-dlp · repository language: HTML
git clone https://github.com/ykdojo/safeclaw
cp -r safeclaw/setup/skills/yt-dlp ~/.claude/skills/yt-dlpnpx skillfed install ykdojo/safeclaw/yt-dlpFrequently asked questions
AI-generated answers based on this skill's SKILL.md and metadata
How do I download YouTube videos using yt-dlp?
yt-dlp downloads YouTube videos in various formats and quality levels. Run `yt-dlp [URL]` to save a video locally. You can specify quality with `-f` (format) flags, choose resolution, and select video codecs. yt-dlp handles authentication, age-gated content, and automatically fetches the best available quality by default.
How to extract audio from YouTube as MP3 with yt-dlp?
yt-dlp extracts audio from YouTube videos as MP3 or other formats using the `-x` flag combined with `--audio-format mp3`. Run `yt-dlp -x --audio-format mp3 [URL]` to download just the audio track. You can also specify audio quality with `--audio-quality` to control the bitrate of your extracted file.
Can yt-dlp get YouTube subtitles and transcripts?
yt-dlp retrieves and saves YouTube subtitles and transcripts as VTT files. Use `--write-subs` to download available captions and `--write-auto-subs` for auto-generated transcripts. Combine with `--sub-langs` to target specific languages. yt-dlp also fetches video metadata like title, duration, and description automatically.
What is yt-dlp and how do I install it?
yt-dlp is a command-line tool for downloading YouTube content—videos, audio, subtitles, and transcripts. Licensed under MIT, it automates bulk downloads via command line. Install via pip with `pip install yt-dlp` or download binaries from the GitHub repository. It works on Windows, macOS, and Linux.
Can I batch download YouTube playlists with yt-dlp?
yt-dlp automates bulk YouTube content downloads via command line, including entire playlists. Use `yt-dlp [PLAYLIST_URL]` to download all videos in a playlist. Add `-x --audio-format mp3` to extract audio from each video, or `--write-subs` to grab subtitles for the entire batch in one command.
What formats and quality options does yt-dlp support?
yt-dlp downloads YouTube videos in various formats and quality levels. List available formats with `-F` to see all options. Use `-f best` for highest quality, `-f worst` for smallest file size, or specify exact format codes. yt-dlp supports MP4, WebM, MKV, and other containers with customizable video and audio codecs.
SKILL.md
rendered from the published skill — quoted content, verbatim
yt-dlp
Download YouTube videos, audio, and subtitles/transcripts.
Setup
Check if yt-dlp is installed, and download it if not:
if ! command -v yt-dlp &>/dev/null && [ ! -f ~/yt-dlp ]; then
curl -sL https://github.com/yt-dlp/yt-dlp/releases/latest/download/yt-dlp -o ~/yt-dlp && chmod +x ~/yt-dlp
fi
Then use ~/yt-dlp (or just yt-dlp if installed globally).
Examples
Download subtitles/transcript:
~/yt-dlp --write-auto-sub --sub-lang en --skip-download -o "/tmp/%(id)s" <url>
Download audio only:
~/yt-dlp -x --audio-format mp3 -o "/tmp/%(title)s.%(ext)s" <url>
Download video:
~/yt-dlp -o "/tmp/%(title)s.%(ext)s" <url>
Get video info (title, duration, description):
~/yt-dlp --print title --print duration_string --print description --no-download <url>
Notes
- Subtitles are saved as
.vttfiles - read them to get the transcript - Use
/tmp/for downloads to avoid cluttering the working directory
Read as markdown · JSON record · Browse the source repository
File tree — 1 file
setup/skills/yt-dlp/SKILL.md