youtube-downloader

YouTube Downloader

Download YouTube videos, extract audio, and get transcripts using yt-dlp - the most reliable YouTube extraction tool.

When to Use This Skill

• Competitor research - Download and analyze competitor videos
• Content repurposing - Extract audio for podcasts or transcripts for blogs
• Training material - Archive webinars and tutorials
• Quote extraction - Get transcripts for pulling quotable moments
• Offline access - Save videos for travel or presentations

What Claude Does vs What You Decide

| Claude Does | You Decide | |-------------|------------| | Structures production workflow | Final creative direction | | Suggests technical approaches | Equipment and tool choices | | Creates templates and checklists | Quality standards | | Identifies best practices | Brand/voice decisions | | Generates script outlines | Final script approval |

Dependencies

pip install yt-dlp click
# Optional for transcription:
pip install openai-whisper

Commands

Download Video

python scripts/main.py download "https://youtube.com/watch?v=..." --format mp4
python scripts/main.py download "https://youtube.com/watch?v=..." --quality 1080p

Extract Audio

python scripts/main.py audio "https://youtube.com/watch?v=..." --format mp3
python scripts/main.py audio "https://youtube.com/watch?v=..." --format wav

Get Transcript

python scripts/main.py transcript "https://youtube.com/watch?v=..."
python scripts/main.py transcript "https://youtube.com/watch?v=..." --translate en

Download Playlist

python scripts/main.py playlist "https://youtube.com/playlist?list=..." --limit 10
python scripts/main.py playlist "https://youtube.com/playlist?list=..." --audio-only

Get Metadata

python scripts/main.py info "https://youtube.com/watch?v=..."
python scripts/main.py info "https://youtube.com/watch?v=..." --format json

Examples

Example 1: Research Competitor Content

# Get video metadata
python scripts/main.py info "https://youtube.com/watch?v=ABC123"

# Output:
# Title: How We Grew to $1M ARR
# Channel: SaaS Founder
# Duration: 15:32
# Views: 45,230
# Published: 2024-01-15
# Tags: saas, growth, startup

# Download transcript for analysis
python scripts/main.py transcript "https://youtube.com/watch?v=ABC123"
# Output: how-we-grew-to-1m-arr.txt

Example 2: Create Podcast from Webinar

# Download audio only
python scripts/main.py audio "https://youtube.com/watch?v=WEBINAR" --format mp3 --quality best

# Output: webinar-title.mp3 (ready for podcast editing)

# Get transcript for show notes
python scripts/main.py transcript "https://youtube.com/watch?v=WEBINAR"
# Output: webinar-title.txt

Example 3: Archive Training Playlist

# Download entire playlist
python scripts/main.py playlist "https://youtube.com/playlist?list=TRAINING" \
  --output ./training-videos/ \
  --limit 20

# Output:
# ./training-videos/
# ├── 01-introduction.mp4
# ├── 02-getting-started.mp4
# └── ...

Quality Options

| Option | Resolution | File Size | Use Case | |--------|------------|-----------|----------| | best | Highest available | Largest | Archival | | 1080p | 1920x1080 | ~1GB/hour | Standard | | 720p | 1280x720 | ~500MB/hour | Balance | | 480p | 854x480 | ~250MB/hour | Mobile | | audio | N/A | ~100MB/hour | Podcasts |

Audio Formats

| Format | Quality | Size | Compatibility | |--------|---------|------|---------------| | mp3 | Good | Small | Universal | | m4a | Better | Medium | Apple/Modern | | wav | Lossless | Large | Editing | | opus | Best | Smallest | Modern apps |

Legal Considerations

⚠️ Important: Only download content you have rights to use.

Generally OK:

• Your own videos
• Creative Commons content
• Content for personal research/reference
• Content with explicit download permission

Check First:

• Competitor content (fair use analysis)
• Content for derivative works
• Anything for commercial use

Skill Boundaries

What This Skill Does Well

• Structuring audio production workflows
• Providing technical guidance
• Creating quality checklists
• Suggesting creative approaches

What This Skill Cannot Do

• Replace audio engineering expertise
• Make subjective creative decisions
• Access or edit audio files directly
• Guarantee commercial success

Related Skills

• [whisper-transcription](../whisper-transcription/) - Transcribe downloaded audio
• [video-processing](../video-processing/) - Process downloaded videos
• [content-repurposer](../content-repurposer/) - Repurpose transcripts

Skill Metadata

• Mode: cyborg

category: automation
subcategory: content-extraction
dependencies: [yt-dlp]
difficulty: beginner
time_saved: 4+ hours/week