yt-dlp: Command Line Video downloader

If downloading video is your thing and ad-infested websites and broken tools are not, yt-dlp is a command-line powerhouse that may be just what you are looking for. yt-dlp is a powerful, open-source command-line tool that lets you download and convert videos or audio from YouTube and hundreds of other sites with precision and speed.

It's basically a supercharged fork of the once-popular youtube-dl. That tool hasn't seen much love in a while, so yt-dlp stepped in to do the job better. More features, active development, and cleaner performance.

It makes downloading video and audio from YouTube simple, fast, and flexible. Although yt-dlp isn't limited to YouTube. It supports downloading from a vast array of websites—over 1,700, to be precise. This includes popular platforms like Vimeo, Dailymotion, Facebook, Instagram, and many others/

How It Works

yt-dlp runs from the command line. No GUI. Some people will prefer that sort of clean way of doing things. You type what you want, and it does the heavy lifting. Perfect for power users, automation junkies, and anyone who doesn't mind getting their hands a little dirty learing the commands and switches. However, we know many of you prefer a GUI, and if some of you do, there are plenty of other video downloaders here.

yt-dlp cross-platform, too. Whether you're on Windows, macOS, Linux, or even Android via Termux, yt-dlp is ready to roll. And it's open-source under the Unlicense, which means free as in freedom—and also free as in beer.

Why Use yt-dlp?

Many video downloaders either bog you down with ads, break every other week, or cost a small fortune. yt-dlp is different. It's actively maintained, supports tons of sites and gives you insane control over how and what you download.

Want to grab an entire playlist? You can do that. Need just the audio in MP3 format? Easy peasy. Looking to archive livestreams? Yep, it handles that too. Need a proxy? Just type it in.

Real-World Command Line Examples

Command-line tools can be intimidating because you need to remove things and learn the options. However, generally speaking, you're off to the races once you learn a few quick commands. First, download the appropriate version for your system. In this case, I will download and use the Windows EXE called "yt-dlp_x86." You do not install it; you can just put it in a folder of choice. In my case, Downloads\Video. Run CMD, navigate to the Downloads\Video folder, and then run the command line to make it get what you like.

By default, the video will be saved into the folder that you ran in as well as a .webm format. This is a video format like .avi or mp4, just used mainly on the web. You can easily view this format in any video player like VLC Media Player.

Command lines are easy once you know them, so here is a starter pack to get you going.

Download a single video:
yt-dlp https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ

Extract just the audio (MP3 format):
yt-dlp -x --audio-format mp3 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ

Download audio only from a video (YouTube download MP3 keyword match):
yt-dlp -f bestaudio --extract-audio --audio-format mp3 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIDEO_ID

Download an entire playlist:
yt-dlp https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLabc123

Pick a specific format (say, 1080p video with best audio):
yt-dlp -f "bv[height=1080]+ba" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ

Add subtitles (when available):
yt-dlp 6 --write-subs --sub-lang en https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ

Each operating system will work similarly, but it is best to read the documentation for your system.

Pros

Download entire channels, playlists, or user uploads

Audio extraction with format conversion

Subtitles and metadata support

Custom output templates (great for organizing files)

Fully Proxy Support to help bypass geo-restrictions , etc.

Fast and reliable downloads

Massive site support

Regular updates

Tons of customization

Cons

No graphical interface (could scare off CLI newbies)

Initial setup might confuse non-techies

Geek Verdict

If you love local video and are tired of stumbling around with sketchy YouTube converters or flaky browser plugins, it's time to get yt-dlp and get your CLI on. It's clean, efficient, and brutally effective at what it does. Sure, the command line might initially seem intimidating, but once you get the hang of it, the payoff is worth it. This is one of those tools that earns a permanent spot in your digital toolbox. Simple as that.