Lightweight YouTube Download Tool

A lightweight terminal-based YouTube download tool with optional flags to open the file explorer after downloading, play the video, and more.

Features

• Download YouTube videos directly from the terminal.
• Specify output file name as a second argument.
• Download to the system's Downloads folder with the -d flag.
• Open the file explorer after downloading with the -o flag.
• Play the video immediately after downloading with the -p flag.
• Choose video quality (best or worst) with the -q flag.
• Specify video format (e.g., mp4, mp3) with the -f flag.

Requirements

• Python 3.x
• yt-dlp package
• ffmpeg (if you wish to convert files)

Installation

1. Clone or download this repository.

2. Install Dependencies:

   pip install -r requirements.txt
   Alternatively, install yt-dlp directly:
   pip install yt-dlp```
   
   

Usage

python youtube_downloader.py [options] <YouTube_URL> [output_file_name]

Or make the script executable (Unix/Linux):

chmod +x youtube_downloader.py ./youtube_downloader.py [options] <YouTube_URL> [output_file_name]

Options

• -d, --downloads: Download to the system's Downloads folder.
• -o, --open: Open the file explorer after downloading.
• -p, --play: Play the video immediately after downloading.
• -q, --quality: Choose the video quality to download (best or worst). Defaults to best.
• -f, --format: Specify the video format (e.g., mp4, webm, mp3).
• -h, --help: Show help message and exit.
• --list-formats: List all available formats for the given URL, then exit.
• --subtitles: Download subtitles for the video.
• --sub-lang: Comma-separated subtitle languages (default: en) to use when downloading subtitles.
• --cookies: Path to a cookies file (e.g., cookies.txt).
• --max-downloads: Maximum number of videos to download (useful for playlists).

Examples

1. Download a video with default file name and format: python youtube_downloader.py "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ"

2. Download a video with a specified output file name: python youtube_downloader.py "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ" myvideo.mp4

3. Download to the Downloads folder with a specified file name: python youtube_downloader.py "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ" myvideo.mp4 -d

4. Attempt to download to a subdirectory in Downloads (will raise an error): python youtube_downloader.py "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ" folder/subfolder/myvideo.mp4 -d Error: Cannot combine a custom output path with the '-d' flag. Remove the path from the output file name or do not use the '-d' flag.

5. Download a video to a specific directory specified in the output file name: python youtube_downloader.py "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ" folder/subfolder/myvideo.mp4

6. Download a video with a specified format, warning if extension doesn't match: python youtube_downloader.py "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ" myvideo.webm -f mp4 Warning: The file extension of 'myvideo.webm' does not match the specified format 'mp4'. Proceeding anyway.

7. Download and play the video after downloading: python youtube_downloader.py "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ" -p

8. List all available formats for a URL (no download): python youtube_downloader.py --list-formats "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ"

9. Download subtitles (default: English) along with the video: python youtube_downloader.py --subtitles "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ"

10. Download subtitles in multiple languages: python youtube_downloader.py --subtitles --sub-lang "en,es" "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ"

11. Use a cookies file: python youtube_downloader.py --cookies /path/to/cookies.txt "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ"

12. Limit total downloads to 1 (useful for playlists): python youtube_downloader.py --max-downloads 1 "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PLAYLIST_LINK"

Notes

• Downloads Folder Detection: The script automatically detects the Downloads folder across Windows, macOS, and Linux.
• Output File Name and Paths:
  • If the -d flag is used to download to the Downloads folder, and the output file name includes a path (e.g., folder/subfolder/myvideo.mp4), the script raises an error.
  • If only a file name is provided (without a path), it is saved in the Downloads folder when -d is used.
  • If a custom path is included in the output file name, do not use the -d flag.
• File Extension Checks:
  • The script warns if the file extension of the output file name doesn't match the specified or default format but proceeds with the download.
• Dependencies: Install the yt-dlp package using pip install yt-dlp.
• Respect YouTube's Terms of Service: Be mindful of YouTube's policies regarding content downloading.