youtube-dl

TLDR

Download a video

$ youtube-dl "[url]"

Download audio only in best quality

$ youtube-dl -x --audio-format mp3 "[url]"

List available formats for a video

$ youtube-dl -F "[url]"

Download a specific format

$ youtube-dl -f [format_code] "[url]"

Download a playlist

$ youtube-dl "[playlist_url]"

Download with custom filename template

$ youtube-dl -o "%(title)s.%(ext)s" "[url]"

Download subtitles

$ youtube-dl --write-sub --sub-lang [en] "[url]"

Resume a partial download

$ youtube-dl -c "[url]"

SYNOPSIS

youtube-dl [options] url [url ...]

youtube-dl is a command-line program to download videos from YouTube and hundreds of other video platforms. It supports playlists, channels, and individual videos, with options for format selection, audio extraction, and subtitle downloading.
The output filename can be customized using templates with metadata variables. Configuration options can be stored in ~/.config/youtube-dl/config or /etc/youtube-dl.conf for persistent settings.
The tool requires Python 2.6+ or 3.2+ and works on Linux, macOS, and Windows.

PARAMETERS

-f, --format format

Video format code. Use -F to list available formats.

-F, --list-formats

List all available formats for the video.

-o, --output template

Output filename template with variables like %(title)s, %(ext)s.

-x, --extract-audio

Extract audio track only.

--audio-format format

Audio format for extraction: mp3, aac, flac, wav, etc.

--audio-quality quality

Audio quality: 0 (best) to 9 (worst), or specific bitrate.

-a, --batch-file file

Read URLs from a file (one per line).

-c, --continue

Resume partially downloaded files.

-i, --ignore-errors

Continue on errors (useful for playlists).

--playlist-start num

Start playlist at video number.

--playlist-end num

End playlist at video number.

--write-sub

Download subtitles.

--sub-lang langs

Subtitle languages to download.

-j, --dump-json

Print video info as JSON without downloading.

-v, --verbose

Print debug information.

-h, --help

Display help message.

CAVEATS

youtube-dl development has slowed significantly. Consider using yt-dlp, an actively maintained fork with more features, better performance, and support for more sites. Some sites may block youtube-dl or require cookies/authentication for access.

HISTORY

youtube-dl was created in 2006 by Ricardo Garcia and has since become one of the most popular command-line video downloaders. The project moved to GitHub and gained widespread adoption. Due to a DMCA takedown in October 2020 (later reversed), and slow development pace, the community fork yt-dlp emerged in 2021 and has become the recommended alternative.