youtube-downloader_skill

This skill downloads YouTube videos and HLS streams, handling authentication, errors, and quality options, and saves the final file to your chosen location.

Python

609

GitHub Stars

2

Bundled Files

2 months ago

Catalog Refreshed

4 months ago

First Indexed

Readme & install

Copy the install command, review bundled files from the catalogue, and read any extended description pulled from the listing source.

Installation

Preview and clipboard use veilstrat where the catalogue uses aiagentskills.

npx veilstrat add skill daymade/claude-code-skills --skill youtube-downloader

.security-scan-passed181 B
SKILL.md18.0 KB

Overview

This skill downloads YouTube videos and HLS (m3u8) streams from services like Mux and Vimeo using yt-dlp and ffmpeg. It handles high-quality video (up to 4K), audio extraction, authenticated or protected streams, and common download failures. The workflow is user-friendly: fetch metadata, show simple choices, then download with sensible defaults.

How this skill works

The agent fetches video metadata (title, channel, duration, thumbnail) and presents clear options: video vs audio, quality presets, subtitles, and save location. It runs yt-dlp with an automatic PO token helper (or browser cookies when needed), uses ffmpeg for merging or format conversion, and retries intelligently on errors like 403, nsig extraction failures, or m3u8 fragment issues. Final output includes file path, size, and resolution.

When to use it

User asks to download a YouTube video or playlist
User wants audio extracted (MP3) from a YouTube video
HLS (m3u8) stream download from Mux, Vimeo, or similar services
Downloads fail with 403, nsig extraction, or only 360p formats available
User needs format selection, conversion (WebM→MP4), or subtitles included

Best practices

Always confirm the user has rights to download the content (brief legal reminder)
Fetch and confirm metadata before starting; render thumbnail when available
Use PO token provider for high-quality access; fall back to browser cookies if necessary
Keep the browser window open while web-based PO tokens are minting
Prefer MP4 merged output by default; convert WebM to MP4 with ffmpeg when compatibility is needed
Retry once with progressive formats if m3u8 or fragment errors occur

Example use cases

Download a single YouTube video at best quality and save to the Downloads folder
Extract MP3 audio from a music video and return filename, size, and duration
Download a protected HLS stream using provided authentication headers
Troubleshoot 'only 360p available' by enabling PO token provider or using browser cookies
Convert a VP9 WebM download to H.264 MP4 for wider device compatibility

FAQ

Give permission to use your browser cookies; the skill will retry with cookies and the web_safari client if needed.

Why is only 360p available?

That usually means PO tokens are missing or yt-dlp is outdated; enable the PO token provider or update yt-dlp to get higher formats.