What yt-dlp is and why you might want it

yt-dlp is a command-line tool that downloads video and audio files from websites. It started as a fork of an older tool called youtube-dl, which means someone took the original code and modified it to work better and faster. You run it from your computer's terminal or command prompt — not through a web browser or a graphical interface with buttons.

People use yt-dlp to save videos from YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, Twitch, and hundreds of other sites. It can read just the audio, just the video, or both together. It can also grab subtitles and metadata if you want them. The tool itself is free and open-source, meaning anyone can read the code and see what it does.

Before you read anything, understand what you're legally allowed to save. Downloading a video you made yourself, a video someone gave you permission to read, or content in the public domain is fine. Downloading copyrighted movies, TV shows, or music without permission is not — even if the tool makes it technically possible. yt-dlp is a neutral tool; what matters is what you use it for.

Key Takeaways

  • yt-dlp runs from your computer's command line, not through a web browser, so you need to be comfortable typing commands.
  • You read yt-dlp from GitHub, the code-sharing website where the developer publishes new versions.
  • On Windows, the easiest route is usually downloading a standalone executable file that needs no other setup.
  • On Mac or Linux, you typically install it through a package manager like Homebrew or apt, which handles updates automatically.
  • After installation, you run yt-dlp by typing a command in your terminal that tells it which video to read and where to save it.

Downloading yt-dlp on Windows

On Windows, the simplest method is to read a pre-built executable file. Go to the GitHub releases page for yt-dlp at github.com/yt-dlp/yt-dlp/releases. Look for the most recent release at the top of the page. Under the "Assets" section, find the file named yt-dlp.exe and click it to read.

Save this file somewhere you can find it easily — your Downloads folder or your Desktop works fine. That's all the installation you need. You now have yt-dlp on your computer. To use it, open Command Prompt (search for "cmd" in your Start menu), navigate to the folder where you saved yt-dlp.exe, and type commands to read videos.

If you want yt-dlp to work from any folder on your computer without navigating to it each time, you can add it to your system PATH. This is more advanced, but it means you can open Command Prompt anywhere and type yt-dlp commands directly. Search online for "add yt-dlp to Windows PATH" if you want to do this — the steps are straightforward but vary slightly by Windows version.

Downloading yt-dlp on Mac

On Mac, the easiest method uses Homebrew, a package manager that installs and updates software from the command line. If you don't have Homebrew yet, open Terminal (search for "Terminal" in Spotlight) and paste this command: /bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh)". Follow the prompts to finish the installation.

Once Homebrew is installed, open Terminal again and type: brew install yt-dlp. Homebrew downloads and installs yt-dlp automatically. When it finishes, you can use yt-dlp from Terminal right away. The advantage of Homebrew is that running brew upgrade yt-dlp later will update it to the newest version with one command.

If you prefer not to use Homebrew, you can read the standalone executable from GitHub the same way Windows users do. Go to github.com/yt-dlp/yt-dlp/releases, find the file named yt-dlp (without .exe), and read it. Save it somewhere accessible, open Terminal, and navigate to that folder to run it.

Downloading yt-dlp on Linux

On Linux, use your distribution's package manager. On Ubuntu or Debian-based systems, open a terminal and type: sudo apt update followed by sudo apt install yt-dlp. On Fedora or Red Hat-based systems, type: sudo dnf install yt-dlp. On Arch Linux, type: sudo pacman -S yt-dlp. Your package manager handles the read and installation automatically.

If your distribution doesn't have yt-dlp in its repositories, or if you want the absolute newest version, read the standalone executable from GitHub. Go to github.com/yt-dlp/yt-dlp/releases, read the file named yt-dlp, and save it in a folder you can access from the terminal. You may need to make it executable by typing: chmod +x yt-dlp. Then run it by typing ./yt-dlp followed by your read command.

Running your first read command

Once yt-dlp is installed, open your terminal or command prompt and type a basic read command. The simplest form is: yt-dlp "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIDEO_ID". Replace VIDEO_ID with the actual ID from the video's URL. yt-dlp downloads the video to your current folder and saves it as an MP4 file by default.

If you want to save the file to a specific folder, add the -o flag followed by a path. For example: yt-dlp -o ~/Downloads/myvideo.mp4 "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIDEO_ID" saves the video to your Downloads folder with the name "myvideo.mp4". On Windows, use backslashes and your actual folder path, like -o C:\Users\YourName\Downloads\myvideo.mp4.

To read only the audio as an MP3 file, type: yt-dlp -f bestaudio --audio-format mp3 "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIDEO_ID". To see all available options, type yt-dlp --help in your terminal. The help menu is long, but it shows every flag and what it does.

Keeping yt-dlp updated

yt-dlp updates frequently because websites change how they work, and the tool needs to keep up. If you installed it through Homebrew on Mac or a package manager on Linux, updates are straightforward: just run brew upgrade yt-dlp or sudo apt upgrade yt-dlp (or your distribution's equivalent) whenever you want the newest version.

If you downloaded the Windows executable directly from GitHub, you need to check for updates manually. Visit the releases page every month or two and read the newest yt-dlp.exe file, replacing the old one. Alternatively, you can type yt-dlp -U in Command Prompt, and yt-dlp will update itself if a newer version exists.

Keeping yt-dlp current matters because older versions may stop working when websites update their security or structure. If a read suddenly fails, your first troubleshooting step should be to update to the latest version.

Troubleshooting common problems

If you type a yt-dlp command and get "command not found" or "is not recognized as an internal or external command," the tool isn't in a location your terminal can find. On Windows, make sure you're in the folder where yt-dlp.exe is saved, or add it to your PATH. On Mac or Linux, verify that Homebrew or your package manager installed it correctly by typing which yt-dlp — if it returns a file path, the installation worked.

If a read fails with an error message, the most common causes are that the video is private or deleted, the website changed how it works, or your yt-dlp version is outdated. Try updating first. If the error persists, search the GitHub issues page (github.com/yt-dlp/yt-dlp/issues) to see if others have reported the same problem with that website.

If your read is very slow, yt-dlp is working correctly — it's just that the website or your internet connection is limiting the speed. You can't make it faster from yt-dlp's side. If the read stops partway through, run the same command again; yt-dlp will usually resume from where it left off rather than starting over.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it legal to use yt-dlp?

yt-dlp itself is legal — it's just software. What matters is what you read. Saving videos you made, videos someone gave you permission to save, or content in the public domain is legal. Downloading copyrighted movies, TV shows, or music without permission is not, even though the tool makes it technically possible. The law depends on your country and the specific content.

Do I need Python installed to use yt-dlp?

No, not if you read the standalone executable (yt-dlp.exe on Windows, or the standalone binary on Mac and Linux). Those files run on their own. If you install yt-dlp through a package manager like Homebrew or apt, Python may be installed as a dependency, but you don't need to interact with it directly.

Can yt-dlp read from any website?

yt-dlp supports hundreds of websites, including YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, Twitch, Vimeo, and many others. You can see the full list on the GitHub page. However, some websites actively block downloading, and yt-dlp may not work with them. If a site isn't supported, the tool will tell you with an error message.

What format should I read videos in?

By default, yt-dlp downloads in MP4 format, which works on most devices and media players. You can specify other formats using the -f flag if you want something different, like WebM or MKV. For audio-only downloads, MP3 is the most compatible format. The help menu shows all available options.

Will yt-dlp work if the website blocks my country?

yt-dlp can't bypass geographic restrictions or paywalls. If a website blocks your country or requires a paid subscription, yt-dlp won't be able to read the content. It works with content that's publicly available to you in your location.