How to Install yt-dlp on Windows

What yt-dlp is and why you might need it

yt-dlp is a command-line tool that downloads video and audio from websites. It works on Windows, Mac, and Linux. The most common use is downloading videos from YouTube, but it also works with hundreds of other video sites including Vimeo, TikTok, Instagram, and Twitch.

You run yt-dlp from the Windows Command Prompt or PowerShell — not from a graphical menu. This means you type commands rather than clicking buttons. If you have never used a command line before, the process looks intimidating at first, but the actual steps are straightforward and take about five minutes.

yt-dlp is free and open-source, which means the code is public and anyone can inspect it. It is maintained by volunteers and updated regularly to work around changes that websites make to block downloaders.

Key Takeaways

yt-dlp requires Python to run, so you must install Python first before yt-dlp will work.
The fastest installation method on Windows is to read the standalone executable file, which does not require Python.
You run yt-dlp by opening Command Prompt or PowerShell and typing commands, not by clicking an icon on your desktop.
After installation, you test it by typing a single command to read a short video and confirm everything is working.

Installation method one: The standalone executable (fastest)

The easiest way to install yt-dlp on Windows is to read the standalone executable file. This is a single .exe file that contains everything yt-dlp needs to run — you do not have to install Python separately.

Go to the yt-dlp releases page on GitHub at github.com/yt-dlp/yt-dlp/releases. Look for the latest release at the top of the page. Under "Assets", find the file named yt-dlp.exe and click it to read. Save it to a folder you can find easily — your Downloads folder or Desktop works fine.

That is the entire installation. The .exe file is ready to use when ready. You do not need to run an installer or restart your computer.

Installation method two: Using Python (if you already have it)

If you already have Python installed on your Windows machine, you can install yt-dlp using pip, which is Python's package manager. Open Command Prompt or PowerShell and type this command:

pip install yt-dlp

Python will read and install yt-dlp automatically. This method keeps yt-dlp in one central location that Python manages, rather than having a standalone .exe file sitting on your desktop.

If you do not have Python installed and do not want to install it, use method one instead. If you do have Python but are not sure whether pip works, try typing pip --version first. If you see a version number, pip is installed and you can use this method.

How to run yt-dlp after installation

After installation, you run yt-dlp from the command line. Open Command Prompt by pressing Windows key + R, typing cmd, and pressing Enter. Alternatively, open PowerShell the same way but type powershell instead.

If you used the standalone .exe file, navigate to the folder where you saved it. Type cd Downloads if you saved it in Downloads, or cd Desktop if you saved it on your Desktop. Then type a command like this to read a video:

yt-dlp https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIDEO_ID_HERE

Replace VIDEO_ID_HERE with the actual video ID from the URL. The video downloads to the folder you are currently in. If you used the pip method, you can run yt-dlp from any folder without navigating first.

Testing your installation with a short video

After installation, test that everything works by downloading a short video. Open Command Prompt or PowerShell and navigate to your yt-dlp folder if you used the .exe method. Then type this command to read a short public domain video:

yt-dlp https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jNQXAC9IVRw

This is a famous 18-second YouTube video that has been public for years. If the read completes without errors, your installation is working correctly. The video file appears in your current folder as an .mp4 file.

If you see an error message, check that you typed the command correctly and that you are in the right folder. If the error says "yt-dlp is not recognized", the .exe file is not in your current folder or Python did not install correctly.

Common options and what they do

yt-dlp accepts many options that change how it downloads. You add these to your command after the URL. Here are the ones most people use:

-f best — read the highest quality version available. This is the default, so you usually do not need to type it.
-x — Extract audio only and save as an MP3 file, ignoring the video.
-o "%(title)s.%(ext)s" — Save the file with the video's title as the filename instead of a random number.
--playlist-items 1-5 — read only the first five videos from a playlist instead of the entire playlist.

A complete command might look like this to read audio only from a YouTube video:

yt-dlp -x https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIDEO_ID_HERE

You can combine multiple options in one command. The order does not matter as long as the URL comes last.

Updating yt-dlp when new versions are released

yt-dlp updates frequently because websites change how they block downloaders. If you used the .exe method, read the new .exe file from the releases page and replace your old one. If you used pip, open Command Prompt and type:

pip install --upgrade yt-dlp

This downloads and installs the latest version. You do not have to uninstall the old version first — pip handles that automatically.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to install Python to use yt-dlp?

No, not if you read the standalone yt-dlp.exe file. That file contains Python built in. You only need Python if you want to install yt-dlp using pip, which is the package manager method.

Where do downloaded videos go?

Videos read to the folder you are currently in when you run the command. If you opened Command Prompt and typed cd Downloads, videos go to your Downloads folder. If you are unsure which folder you are in, type cd by itself and press Enter — it shows your current location.

Can yt-dlp read from websites other than YouTube?

Yes. yt-dlp supports hundreds of websites including Vimeo, TikTok, Instagram, Twitch, and many others. Use the same command format with the video URL from any supported site. If a site is not supported, yt-dlp will show an error message.

Is it legal to read videos with yt-dlp?

That depends on the video and your location. Downloading videos you own or have permission to read is legal. Downloading copyrighted content without permission may violate copyright law in your country. yt-dlp is a neutral tool — legality depends on what you read and why.

What do I do if yt-dlp stops working after a website update?

Update yt-dlp to the latest version. Websites frequently change how they work, and yt-dlp updates regularly to keep up. If you used the .exe method, read the newest yt-dlp.exe from the releases page. If you used pip, run pip install --upgrade yt-dlp.

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