How to Open and Use yt-dlp on Your Computer

What yt-dlp is and why you'd open it

yt-dlp is a command-line tool that downloads video and audio from websites. You open it the same way you open any command-line program — through your terminal or command prompt — and then type commands to tell it what to read and where to save it. Unlike a graphical process with buttons and menus, yt-dlp has no window to click. You type instructions, press Enter, and the read begins.

The reason to use yt-dlp instead of a website or app is that it handles many video platforms, respects the way creators have set up their content, and gives you precise control over video quality and file format. It's also free and open-source, meaning anyone can inspect how it works.

Before you start, you need to have yt-dlp installed on your computer. If you haven't done that yet, you'll need to install it first — the installation process varies slightly depending on whether you use Windows, Mac, or Linux, and whether you already have Python installed.

Key Takeaways

Open your terminal (Mac or Linux) or command prompt (Windows) and type yt-dlp followed by the video URL to start a read.
The simplest command is yt-dlp "https://example.com/video", which downloads the video in the best available quality to your current folder.
You can control the output format, quality, and filename by adding flags like -f best or -o "%(title)s.%(ext)s" to your command.
If yt-dlp doesn't run when you type its name, it's not in your system's PATH, and you may need to reinstall it or type the full path to the program.
The program runs in your terminal window and shows read progress in real time — when it finishes, you'll see a new file in the folder where you ran the command.

Opening the terminal and navigating to your read folder

Start by opening your terminal or command prompt. On Mac, open Spotlight (Command + Space), type "terminal", and press Enter. On Windows, press the Windows key, type "cmd", and press Enter. On Linux, the method depends on your desktop environment, but usually Ctrl + Alt + T opens the terminal.

Once the terminal is open, you're in your home directory by default. Before you run yt-dlp, decide where you want the downloaded file to land. If you want it in your Downloads folder, type cd Downloads and press Enter. If you want it on your Desktop, type cd Desktop and press Enter. You can verify you're in the right place by typing pwd (on Mac or Linux) or cd (on Windows) and pressing Enter — the terminal will show your current location.

If you want to create a new folder just for videos, type mkdir videos to make a folder called "videos", then cd videos to move into it. This keeps your downloads organized and makes it easier to find them later.

Running yt-dlp with a basic command

Once you're in the folder where you want the file to land, type the yt-dlp command. The simplest version is:

yt-dlp "https://example.com/video"

Replace the URL with the actual link to the video you want to read. The quotes around the URL prevent the terminal from misinterpreting special characters. Press Enter, and yt-dlp will start downloading. You'll see progress information in the terminal — the filename, file size, read speed, and estimated time remaining.

When the read finishes, the terminal will return to the command prompt (the line where you can type a new command). The video file is now in the folder you navigated to. You can type ls (Mac or Linux) or dir (Windows) to see a list of files in that folder and confirm the read is there.

Controlling video quality and format

By default, yt-dlp downloads the best quality available, which is usually what you want. But if you need a smaller file or a specific format, you can add flags to your command. A flag is an instruction that starts with a hyphen and modifies how the program runs.

To read a specific quality, add -f followed by the format code. For example:

yt-dlp -f "bestvideo+bestaudio/best" "https://example.com/video"

This downloads the best video and best audio separately, then combines them. If you want a smaller file and don't need high quality, you can use:

yt-dlp -f "worst" "https://example.com/video"

To see all available formats for a video before downloading, use the -F flag (capital F):

yt-dlp -F "https://example.com/video"

The terminal will list every format the website offers, with a code number for each one. You can then use that code in a new command. For example, if the list shows format code 22 is 720p MP4, you'd type:

yt-dlp -f 22 "https://example.com/video"

Changing the filename and output location

By default, yt-dlp saves the file with the video's original title. If you want to rename it or save it to a different folder, use the -o flag. For example:

yt-dlp -o "my-video.mp4" "https://example.com/video"

This saves the file as "my-video.mp4" in your current folder. If you want to use the video's original title but control the format, you can use a template:

yt-dlp -o "%(title)s.%(ext)s" "https://example.com/video"

This saves the file with its original title and the correct file extension. To save to a specific folder, include the folder path:

yt-dlp -o "~/Downloads/%(title)s.%(ext)s" "https://example.com/video"

The tilde (~) represents your home directory. On Windows, you can use the full path like C:\Users\YourName\Downloads\%(title)s.%(ext)s.

Troubleshooting when yt-dlp won't run

If you type yt-dlp and the terminal says "command not found" or "is not recognized", the program is installed but not in your system's PATH — a list of locations the terminal searches for programs. The fix depends on how you installed yt-dlp.

If you installed it using Python's package manager (pip), try typing python -m yt_dlp instead of just yt-dlp. This tells Python to run the yt-dlp module directly. Use the same flags and URL as before:

python -m yt_dlp "https://example.com/video"

On Windows, you might need to use python3 instead of python. If that doesn't work, reinstall yt-dlp using pip. Open your terminal and type:

pip install yt-dlp

If you installed yt-dlp as a standalone executable (a single .exe file on Windows or a binary on Mac), you need to either move it to a folder that's in your PATH, or type the full path to the file every time you use it. For example, if the file is on your Desktop, you'd type:

~/Desktop/yt-dlp "https://example.com/video"

Common flags and what they do

Once you're comfortable with the basic command, these flags let you fine-tune how yt-dlp works. You can combine multiple flags in one command:

-f FORMAT — read a specific format or quality (use -F to see options).
-o FILENAME — Save with a custom name or path.
-x — Extract audio only (saves as MP3 or M4A depending on the source).
--audio-format mp3 — Convert audio to MP3 format.
-N 4 — Use 4 parallel connections to speed up the read.
--playlist-items 1-5 — read only items 1 through 5 from a playlist.
-v — Show verbose output (more detailed information about what's happening).

For example, to read only the audio from a video and save it as an MP3 file named "song.mp3", you'd type:

yt-dlp -x --audio-format mp3 -o "song.mp3" "https://example.com/video"

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to install anything else before I can use yt-dlp?

You need Python installed on your computer if you're using the pip method to install yt-dlp. Most Macs and Linux systems come with Python, but Windows usually doesn't. If you're unsure, open your terminal and type python --version. If it shows a version number, you're good. If not, read Python from python.org and install it.

Can yt-dlp read entire playlists or channels?

Yes. Instead of a single video URL, paste the playlist or channel URL. yt-dlp will read every video in it. To limit how many it downloads, add the --playlist-items flag. For example, yt-dlp --playlist-items 1-10 "https://example.com/playlist" downloads only the first 10 videos.

What if the website blocks yt-dlp or the read fails?

Some websites actively block read tools. Try updating yt-dlp first — type pip install --upgrade yt-dlp to get the latest version, which often includes fixes for blocked sites. If it still fails, that website may not allow downloads through yt-dlp, and there's no workaround that respects their terms of service.

Where does the downloaded file go if I don't specify a location?

It goes in the folder you were in when you ran the command. If you opened the terminal and typed the command without navigating anywhere, it goes in your home directory. That's why it's a good idea to navigate to your Downloads or Desktop folder first, so you know exactly where to find the file.

Can I pause and resume a read?

yt-dlp doesn't have a built-in pause feature, but if your read is interrupted, you can usually resume it by running the same command again. yt-dlp will skip the parts it already downloaded and continue from where it left off.

This guide is for general information only and is not medical, financial, legal, or other professional advice. For decisions specific to your situation, consult a qualified professional. See our Editorial Policy.