Archiving lectures, your own channel or public-domain videos and want the most capable free tool? yt-dlp, the actively maintained open-source fork of youtube-dl, is a command-line downloader for thousands of sites, and the engine behind many graphical downloaders.
Format selection and file naming
yt-dlp runs in Command Prompt or PowerShell. Supply one or more URLs, then use format options to filter or sort the available video and audio formats and select the version to save. Output templates can build filenames from video metadata, making it easier to keep an archive organized.
- Choose subtitles to download alongside a video.
- Use post-processing options to extract audio or embed supported metadata and thumbnails.
- Save settings in a configuration file to reuse options across commands.
How does playlist downloading work?
Pass a playlist URL to process its videos as a batch. Options can select which videos to download, and yt-dlp can continue with later entries when an individual download fails. One command can therefore archive a whole playlist.
Merging and post-processing
Some sites deliver audio and video as separate streams. yt-dlp uses ffmpeg and ffprobe for merging those files and for additional post-processing tasks. Audio extraction, subtitles, thumbnails and metadata are handled the same way. Many sites, including YouTube, forbid downloading in their terms, and copyright applies, so use it for content you own or that is freely licensed.
Pros
- Downloads individual videos and playlists from thousands of supported sites
- Offers format filtering, sorting, and quality selection
- Supports subtitle downloads, audio extraction, and metadata-based filenames
Cons
- Command-line only, no graphical interface
- Merging streams requires ffmpeg
- Downloading may break site terms or copyright
System requirements: Windows 8.1, Windows 10, Windows 11 · 32-bit and 64-bit · ffmpeg and ffprobe are required to merge separate audio and video files and support post-processing. · YouTube support now also needs a JavaScript runtime and its helper package.
Can yt-dlp download a whole playlist?
Yes. Provide a playlist URL, and yt-dlp can process its videos in a batch. Options can control video selection and whether it continues after an item fails.
Can yt-dlp save subtitles or extract audio?
Yes. It has subtitle download options and supports audio extraction through post-processing.
Why does yt-dlp use ffmpeg?
ffmpeg is required to merge separately downloaded audio and video streams and supports other post-processing tasks.