Media Downloader
Download video/audio from 1500+ websites using yt-dlp. Supports format selection, subtitles, playlists, and custom output naming.
Quick Start
# Basic download (best quality)
yt-dlp "URL"
# Specific resolution
yt-dlp -f "bestvideo[height<=1080]+bestaudio/best[height<=1080]" "URL"
# With subtitles
yt-dlp --write-subs --sub-langs "en,zh" "URL"
# Audio only
yt-dlp -f "bestaudio" "URL"
Format Selection
Resolution Presets
| Request | Command |
|---|
| Best quality | -f "bestvideo+bestaudio/best" |
| 4K | -f "bestvideo[height<=2160]+bestaudio/best" |
| 1080p | -f "bestvideo[height<=1080]+bestaudio/best" |
| 720p | -f "bestvideo[height<=720]+bestaudio/best" |
| 480p | -f "bestvideo[height<=480]+bestaudio/best" |
List Available Formats
yt-dlp -F "URL" # Show all formats with codes
Advanced Format Selection
# Prefer MP4 container
yt-dlp -f "bestvideo[ext=mp4]+bestaudio[ext=m4a]/best[ext=mp4]/best" "URL"
# Specific format code (from -F output)
yt-dlp -f 137+140 "URL"
# Merge to specific container
yt-dlp --merge-output-format mkv "URL"
Subtitles
Download Subtitles
# Manual subtitles (human-created)
yt-dlp --write-subs --sub-langs "en,zh,ja" "URL"
# Auto-generated subtitles
yt-dlp --write-auto-subs --sub-langs "en" "URL"
# Both manual and auto
yt-dlp --write-subs --write-auto-subs --sub-langs "en,zh" "URL"
# Embed subtitles in video (MP4/MKV/WebM)
yt-dlp --write-subs --embed-subs "URL"
List Available Subtitles
yt-dlp --list-subs "URL"
Subtitle Format
# Convert to SRT
yt-dlp --write-subs --sub-format srt "URL"
# Available: srt, ass, vtt, lrc
Output Naming
Template Variables
| Variable | Description | Example |
|---|
%(title)s | Video title | My Video |
%(id)s | Video ID | dQw4w9WgXcQ |
%(ext)s | File extension | mp4 |
%(upload_date)s | Upload date | 20231215 |
%(uploader)s | Channel name | Rick Astley |
%(playlist)s | Playlist name | Best Songs |
%(playlist_index)s | Position in playlist | 01 |
%(resolution)s | Video resolution | 1920x1080 |
Common Patterns
# Default: title + extension
yt-dlp -o "%(title)s.%(ext)s" "URL"
# Date prefix
yt-dlp -o "%(upload_date)s - %(title)s.%(ext)s" "URL"
# Organized by uploader
yt-dlp -o "%(uploader)s/%(title)s.%(ext)s" "URL"
# Playlist with numbering
yt-dlp -o "%(playlist)s/%(playlist_index)02d - %(title)s.%(ext)s" "URL"
# Sanitize title (remove special chars)
yt-dlp -o "%(title).100B.%(ext)s" "URL" # Limit to 100 bytes
Playlist Handling
# Download entire playlist
yt-dlp "PLAYLIST_URL"
# Only video (not playlist)
yt-dlp --no-playlist "URL"
# Specific items (1-indexed)
yt-dlp -I 1:5 "PLAYLIST_URL" # First 5
yt-dlp -I 1,3,5 "PLAYLIST_URL" # Items 1, 3, 5
yt-dlp -I -3: "PLAYLIST_URL" # Last 3
# Skip already downloaded
yt-dlp --download-archive downloaded.txt "PLAYLIST_URL"
Platform-Specific Notes
YouTube
- Supports: videos, playlists, channels, shorts, live streams
- Cookies may be needed for age-restricted/member content
Bilibili
- Use
--cookies-from-browser for premium content
- Subtitles:
--write-subs --sub-langs "zh-Hans"
TikTok / Douyin
- Direct URL download works
- Watermark may be present in some cases
Twitter/X
- Supports video tweets and spaces
- Use
--cookies-from-browser for private content
Instagram
- Stories require login
- Use
--cookies-from-browser firefox or --cookies cookies.txt
Authentication
# Browser cookies (recommended)
yt-dlp --cookies-from-browser firefox "URL"
yt-dlp --cookies-from-browser chrome "URL"
# Cookie file
yt-dlp --cookies cookies.txt "URL"
# Username/password (limited support)
yt-dlp -u USERNAME -p PASSWORD "URL"
Troubleshooting
Common Issues
| Issue | Solution |
|---|
| "Video unavailable" | Try --cookies-from-browser |
| Slow download | Add --concurrent-fragments 4 |
| Format merge fails | Install ffmpeg |
| Geo-blocked | Use --geo-bypass or proxy |
Update yt-dlp
yt-dlp -U # Update to latest stable
Complete Examples
Download YouTube video in 1080p with Chinese subtitles:
yt-dlp -f "bestvideo[height<=1080]+bestaudio/best" \
--write-subs --sub-langs "zh" \
-o "%(title)s.%(ext)s" \
"https://youtube.com/watch?v=..."
Download TikTok video:
yt-dlp -o "%(uploader)s - %(title)s.%(ext)s" \
"https://tiktok.com/@user/video/..."
Download Bilibili playlist:
yt-dlp --cookies-from-browser chrome \
-o "%(playlist)s/%(playlist_index)02d - %(title)s.%(ext)s" \
"https://bilibili.com/video/BV..."
Download Twitter video:
yt-dlp --cookies-from-browser firefox \
"https://twitter.com/user/status/..."