yt-dlp-downloader

A simple, interactive, and user-friendly Python script to download YouTube videos and playlists as videos (MP4), audios (MP3), or with advanced custom options. This project wraps the powerful yt-dlp tool into a clean terminal interface, so you don't need to remember or type long yt-dlp commands.

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Features

• Download YouTube videos as MP4, MP3, or with advanced custom options.
• Aria2c multi-connection parallel downloading it can fetch different parts of the same file from multiple connections at once—far faster than the single-threaded default in yt-dlp
• Interactive, menu-driven terminal UI — no need to type long yt-dlp commands.
• Batch downloads for playlists or multiple videos.
• Custom output formats, quality, and more.
• Easy to use: Just run and follow the prompts.

Requirements

• Windows (Batch scripts provided; works on other OS with minor adjustments)
• Python 3.7+ -Aria2c
• FFmpeg (for audio/video conversion, merging, etc.)
• yt-dlp (will be installed automatically)
• Internet access

Setup Instructions (Manual & Automated)

Automated Setup (Windows)

• setup.bat:
  Just double-click setup.bat to:

  • Automatically install Python dependencies
  • Download and install yt-dlp
  • install FFmpeg
  • install Aria2c
  • Prepare everything for you

  Note: You may need to run the Setup.bat more then 3 times for complete installation.

• run.bat:
  Double-click to launch the downloader with one click.

🔧 Configuration (Optional .env)

You can control where your downloads and configuration file are stored by using .env file.

# Base directory for all downloads and config
# Comment this out to use the defaults under your home directory
DOWNLOAD_PATH=C:\Users\YourUser\MyDownloads 

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Manual Installation

1. Install Python

• Download and install Python 3.7 or newer from python.org/downloads.
• During installation, check the box "Add Python to PATH".

2. Install FFmpeg (and Add to PATH)

FFmpeg is required for video/audio processing.

a. Download FFmpeg

-choose a build gyan.dev builds

• Download the latest release full build as a ZIP file.

b. Extract and Add to PATH

1. Extract the ZIP file (e.g., to C:\ffmpeg).
2. Inside the extracted folder, locate the bin directory (e.g., C:\ffmpeg\bin).
3. Add C:\ffmpeg\bin to your Windows PATH:
   • Press Win + S, type "Environment Variables", and select "Edit the system environment variables".
   • Click "Environment Variables".
   • Under "System variables", select "Path" and click "Edit".
   • Click "New" and add the path to your FFmpeg bin folder (e.g., C:\ffmpeg\bin).
   • Click OK on all dialogs.
4. Verify installation:
   • Open a new terminal/command prompt and run: ffmpeg -version
   • If you see version info, you're set!

3. Install aria2c (and Add to PATH)

aria2c is an optional but highly recommended downloader that can significantly speed up downloads by using multiple connections. The main.py script will automatically use it if found in your PATH.

a. Download aria2c

1. Go to the aria2 GitHub Releases page.
2. Find the latest release and download the Windows 64-bit build (e.g., aria2-1.37.0-win-64bit-build1.zip).

b. Extract and Add to PATH

1. Extract the ZIP file to a permanent location (e.g., C:\Program Files\aria2).
2. The folder should contain aria2c.exe.
3. Add the folder (e.g., C:\Program Files\aria2) to your Windows PATH:
   • Press Win + S, type "Environment Variables", and select "Edit the system environment variables".
   • Click "Environment Variables".
   • Under "System variables", select "Path" and click "Edit".
   • Click "New" and add the path to your aria2 folder (e.g., C:\Program Files\aria2).
   • Click OK on all dialogs.
4. Verify installation:
   • Open a new terminal/command prompt and run: aria2c --version
   • If you see version info, it's installed correctly.

3. Install yt-dlp-downloader Dependencies

• Open a terminal/command prompt in the project folder.
• Run:

  pip install -r requirements.txt
  

  This will install yt-dlp and any other dependencies.

4. Run the Script

• Windows:

  • Double-click run.bat or run in terminal:

    python main.py
    

• Linux/macOS:

  • Run:

    python3 main.py
    

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Usage

1. Launch the downloader:
   • Run run.bat or execute python main.py.
2. Follow the on-screen prompts:
   • Enter the YouTube link(s), select output format (video/audio), quality, and other options.
3. Wait for download and processing to complete.
4. Your files will be saved in the specified output directory.

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Troubleshooting

• FFmpeg not found error:
  Ensure FFmpeg is installed and the bin folder is in your PATH. Close and reopen your terminal after adding to PATH.

• yt-dlp not found:
  Make sure pip install -r requirements.txt ran successfully.

• Permission errors:
  Try running your terminal as administrator.

• Still stuck?
  Open an issue on GitHub Issues.

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License

This project is licensed under the MIT License.

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Credits

• yt-dlp
• FFmpeg