M
MCP.directory

yt-dlp

by SecKatie
68
0
Source

Download audio and video from thousands of websites using yt-dlp. Feature-rich command-line tool supporting format selection, subtitle extraction, playlist handling, metadata embedding, and post-processing. This skill is triggered when the user says things like "download this video", "download from YouTube", "extract audio from video", "download this playlist", "get the mp3 from this video", "download subtitles", or "save this video locally".

Install

mkdir -p .claude/skills/yt-dlp && curl -L -o skill.zip "https://mcp.directory/api/skills/download/366" && unzip -o skill.zip -d .claude/skills/yt-dlp && rm skill.zip

Installs to .claude/skills/yt-dlp

About this skill

yt-dlp Documentation Guide

yt-dlp is a feature-rich command-line audio/video downloader with support for thousands of sites. It's a maintained fork of youtube-dl with many additional features and fixes.

Documentation Structure

This skill includes the complete README.md and the official wiki. When working with yt-dlp, reference the appropriate documentation based on the task:

For Installation and Setup

  • README.md - Section: # INSTALLATION - Installation methods, dependencies, and updates
  • wiki/Installation.md - Detailed installation guide for various platforms
  • wiki/FAQ.md - Common installation issues and solutions

For Basic Downloads

  • README.md - Section: # USAGE AND OPTIONS - Complete command-line reference
  • README.md - Section: ## Download Options: - File selection, rate limiting, retries
  • README.md - Section: ## Video Selection: - Playlist handling, filtering, date ranges

For Format Selection (Quality, Audio/Video)

  • README.md - Section: ## Video Format Options: - Format selection syntax and filtering
  • README.md - Section: # FORMAT SELECTION - Detailed format selection guide
  • wiki/FAQ.md - Common format selection questions

For Audio Extraction

  • README.md - Section: ## Post-Processing Options: - Audio extraction, conversion, embedding
  • Look for examples with -x or --extract-audio flags
  • Format selection for audio-only downloads

For Subtitles and Captions

  • README.md - Section: ## Subtitle Options: - Subtitle downloading, conversion, embedding
  • Examples with --write-subs, --write-auto-subs, --sub-lang

For Output Customization

  • README.md - Section: # OUTPUT TEMPLATE - Filename templates and field formatting
  • README.md - Section: ## Filesystem Options: - Path formatting, file naming
  • Use this for custom file naming patterns and organization

For Metadata and Embedding

  • README.md - Section: # MODIFYING METADATA - Adding/modifying metadata during download
  • README.md - Section: ## Post-Processing Options: - Embedding thumbnails, metadata, chapters

For Authentication and Cookies

  • README.md - Section: ## Authentication Options: - Username/password, cookies, netrc
  • README.md - Section: # CONFIGURATION - Subsection: ### Authentication with netrc
  • Use for sites requiring login

For Troubleshooting

  • wiki/FAQ.md - Frequently asked questions and common issues
  • README.md - Section: ## Workarounds: - Handling rate limits, geo-restrictions, errors
  • README.md - Section: ## Extractor Options: - Site-specific options
  • wiki/Extractors.md - List of supported sites and extractor-specific details

For YouTube-Specific Issues

  • wiki/PO-Token-Guide.md - YouTube PO Token authentication (for bot detection issues)
  • wiki/EJS.md - YouTube cipher decryption setup
  • README.md - Section: ## SponsorBlock Options: - SponsorBlock integration for YouTube

For Playlists and Channels

  • README.md - Section: ## Video Selection: - Playlist filtering, item selection
  • Use --playlist-start, --playlist-end, --playlist-items options
  • Archive functionality to track downloaded items

For Configuration Files

  • README.md - Section: # CONFIGURATION - Configuration file locations and syntax
  • Configuration file examples and environment variables

For Advanced Usage

  • wiki/Plugins.md - Using community plugins for additional functionality
  • wiki/Plugin-Development.md - Creating custom plugins
  • README.md - Section: # EMBEDDING - Using yt-dlp as a Python library

For Proxy and Network Issues

  • README.md - Section: ## Network Options: - Proxy configuration, network settings
  • README.md - Section: ## Geo-restriction: - Bypassing geo-blocks

Common Usage Patterns

When the user asks to:

  • Download a video → Check # USAGE AND OPTIONS and ## Download Options:
  • Extract audio → Check ## Post-Processing Options: and look for -x examples
  • Download best quality → Check # FORMAT SELECTION for format sorting
  • Download playlists → Check ## Video Selection: for playlist options
  • Fix download errors → Check wiki/FAQ.md and ## Workarounds:
  • Customize filenames → Check # OUTPUT TEMPLATE
  • Download with cookies → Check ## Authentication Options:
  • Handle YouTube issues → Check wiki/PO-Token-Guide.md and wiki/EJS.md

Important Notes

  1. Always check README.md first - It contains the complete command-line reference
  2. Use the wiki for troubleshooting - FAQ.md covers most common issues
  3. Format selection is powerful - The # FORMAT SELECTION section has extensive examples
  4. YouTube requires special handling - See wiki/PO-Token-Guide.md and wiki/EJS.md for modern YouTube downloads
  5. Post-processing requires ffmpeg - Many features depend on ffmpeg being installed

Quick Reference

Installation

# macOS via Homebrew
brew install yt-dlp

# Python pip
pip install yt-dlp

# Update
yt-dlp -U

Basic Commands

# Download video (best quality)
yt-dlp URL

# Extract audio
yt-dlp -x --audio-format mp3 URL

# Download playlist
yt-dlp -o "%(playlist_index)s-%(title)s.%(ext)s" PLAYLIST_URL

# List available formats
yt-dlp -F URL

# Download specific format
yt-dlp -f FORMAT_ID URL

File Locations

  • README.md - Complete command-line reference and documentation
  • wiki/FAQ.md - Frequently asked questions and troubleshooting
  • wiki/Installation.md - Detailed installation instructions
  • wiki/PO-Token-Guide.md - YouTube authentication guide
  • wiki/EJS.md - YouTube cipher decryption setup
  • wiki/Extractors.md - Supported sites and extractor details
  • wiki/Plugins.md - Plugin usage guide
  • wiki/Plugin-Development.md - Plugin development guide

When in Doubt

  1. Read the relevant section from README.md
  2. Check wiki/FAQ.md for common issues
  3. Use yt-dlp --help for complete option list
  4. For site-specific issues, check wiki/Extractors.md

You might also like

flutter-development

aj-geddes

Build beautiful cross-platform mobile apps with Flutter and Dart. Covers widgets, state management with Provider/BLoC, navigation, API integration, and material design.

290790

drawio-diagrams-enhanced

jgtolentino

Create professional draw.io (diagrams.net) diagrams in XML format (.drawio files) with integrated PMP/PMBOK methodologies, extensive visual asset libraries, and industry-standard professional templates. Use this skill when users ask to create flowcharts, swimlane diagrams, cross-functional flowcharts, org charts, network diagrams, UML diagrams, BPMN, project management diagrams (WBS, Gantt, PERT, RACI), risk matrices, stakeholder maps, or any other visual diagram in draw.io format. This skill includes access to custom shape libraries for icons, clipart, and professional symbols.

213415

godot

bfollington

This skill should be used when working on Godot Engine projects. It provides specialized knowledge of Godot's file formats (.gd, .tscn, .tres), architecture patterns (component-based, signal-driven, resource-based), common pitfalls, validation tools, code templates, and CLI workflows. The `godot` command is available for running the game, validating scripts, importing resources, and exporting builds. Use this skill for tasks involving Godot game development, debugging scene/resource files, implementing game systems, or creating new Godot components.

213296

nano-banana-pro

garg-aayush

Generate and edit images using Google's Nano Banana Pro (Gemini 3 Pro Image) API. Use when the user asks to generate, create, edit, modify, change, alter, or update images. Also use when user references an existing image file and asks to modify it in any way (e.g., "modify this image", "change the background", "replace X with Y"). Supports both text-to-image generation and image-to-image editing with configurable resolution (1K default, 2K, or 4K for high resolution). DO NOT read the image file first - use this skill directly with the --input-image parameter.

222234

ui-ux-pro-max

nextlevelbuilder

"UI/UX design intelligence. 50 styles, 21 palettes, 50 font pairings, 20 charts, 8 stacks (React, Next.js, Vue, Svelte, SwiftUI, React Native, Flutter, Tailwind). Actions: plan, build, create, design, implement, review, fix, improve, optimize, enhance, refactor, check UI/UX code. Projects: website, landing page, dashboard, admin panel, e-commerce, SaaS, portfolio, blog, mobile app, .html, .tsx, .vue, .svelte. Elements: button, modal, navbar, sidebar, card, table, form, chart. Styles: glassmorphism, claymorphism, minimalism, brutalism, neumorphism, bento grid, dark mode, responsive, skeuomorphism, flat design. Topics: color palette, accessibility, animation, layout, typography, font pairing, spacing, hover, shadow, gradient."

173201

rust-coding-skill

UtakataKyosui

Guides Claude in writing idiomatic, efficient, well-structured Rust code using proper data modeling, traits, impl organization, macros, and build-speed best practices.

166173

Stay ahead of the MCP ecosystem

Get weekly updates on new skills and servers.