YouTube Media Downloader

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name: youtube-downloader description: Download audio (MP3) and video (MP4) files from YouTube URLs. Use when users want to convert YouTube videos to files, extract music/songs, download videos for offline viewing, save educational content, or process playlists. Handles single videos, playlists, and batch downloads with quality options.

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YouTube Media Downloader

Download high-quality audio and video files from YouTube for offline use, music conversion, and content archiving.

Overview

This skill provides comprehensive YouTube downloading capabilities with quality control, batch processing, and format options. Perfect for music extraction, video archiving, educational content, and playlist processing.

Quick Start

Single Video/Audio

# Download as MP3 (default)
scripts/download_media.sh "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIDEO_ID"
Download as MP4 video
scripts/download_media.sh -v "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIDEO_ID"
Custom filename and directory
scripts/download_media.sh -o ~/Downloads "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIDEO_ID" "my_song"

Playlist/Batch Download

# Entire playlist as MP3
scripts/batch_download.sh "https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLAYLIST_ID"
Playlist items 5-10 as 720p video
scripts/batch_download.sh -v -q 720p -s 5 -e 10 "PLAYLIST_URL"
From file list of URLs
scripts/batch_download.sh -f urls.txt

Core Capabilities

Audio Extraction

Format: High-quality MP3

Quality: Best available audio automatically selected

Use cases: Music, podcasts, lectures, interviews

Command: Default behavior (no flags needed)

Video Download

Format: MP4 (maximum compatibility)

Quality options: best, 720p, 480p, 360p, worst

Use cases: Offline viewing, archiving, educational content

Command: Use -v/--video flag

Batch Processing

Playlists: Full playlist support with range selection

URL files: Process text files with multiple URLs

Organization: Auto-numbered for playlists

Control: Start/end positions, max downloads

Quality Selection Guide

Audio (MP3)

Best quality: Automatic selection from source

File size: ~3-10MB per song

Compatibility: Universal MP3 support

Video Quality Options

best: Highest available (1080p+, large files)

720p: HD quality, balanced size (~50-200MB)

480p: SD quality, mobile-friendly (~20-80MB)

360p: Low quality, minimal size (~10-30MB)

Advanced Usage

Organization Options

# Specific output directory
-o ~/Downloads/Music
Date-based folders
-o ~/Downloads/$(date +%Y-%m-%d)

Playlist Range Control

# Specific range (items 10-20)
-s 10 -e 20
From specific item to end
-s 25
Limit total downloads
-m 50

File Input Processing

Create urls.txt with one URL per line:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=video1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=video2

Then: batch_download.sh -f urls.txt

Script Reference

download_media.sh

Purpose: Single video/audio downloads Key flags:

-a/--audio: MP3 extraction (default)

-v/--video: MP4 video download

-q/--quality: Quality selection

-o/--output: Output directory

batch_download.sh

Purpose: Playlist and bulk downloads Key flags:

-s/--start, -e/--end: Range selection

-m/--max-downloads: Limit downloads

-f/--file: Process URL file

All single download flags supported

Best Practices & Patterns

For detailed usage patterns, quality guidelines, and troubleshooting, see download-patterns.md.

Technical Notes

Auto-installation: Scripts install yt-dlp and ffmpeg automatically if needed

Portable setup: Downloads portable binaries, no system admin required

Resume support: Interrupted downloads can be resumed

Error handling: Batch processing continues despite individual failures

Format preference: Always attempts MP4 for video, MP3 for audio

Naming: Auto-generated from video titles unless specified

Legal & Ethical Use

Personal use: Download content for your own offline viewing

Respect copyrights: Don't redistribute copyrighted material

Terms compliance: Follow YouTube's terms of service

Fair use: Consider fair use guidelines for educational content

Single Video/Audio

# Download as MP3 (default)
scripts/download_media.sh "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIDEO_ID"
Download as MP4 video
scripts/download_media.sh -v "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIDEO_ID"
Custom filename and directory
scripts/download_media.sh -o ~/Downloads "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIDEO_ID" "my_song"

Playlist/Batch Download

# Entire playlist as MP3
scripts/batch_download.sh "https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLAYLIST_ID"
Playlist items 5-10 as 720p video
scripts/batch_download.sh -v -q 720p -s 5 -e 10 "PLAYLIST_URL"
From file list of URLs
scripts/batch_download.sh -f urls.txt