Introduction
Tired of dodgy online downloaders filled with popups and trackers? Let’s go clean, fast, and powerful — using the terminal. Whether you’re a content creator, researcher, or just offline-first, yt-dlp is your best tool.
Step 1: Install yt-dlp
If you’re on Windows, use the built-in package manager:
winget install yt-dlp
That’s it. If you don’t have winget, ensure you’re on Windows 10+ with the latest App Installer.
Step 2: Download a YouTube Video
Just grab the link of the video you want and paste it into this command:
yt-dlp https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ
This downloads the highest quality version by default.
Step 3: Advanced Usage
- Audio only:
yt-dlp -f bestaudio URL
- Playlist download:
yt-dlp -i --yes-playlist URL
- Custom output name:
yt-dlp -o "%(title)s.%(ext)s" URL
Why Use yt-dlp Over Other Tools?
- Open-source and regularly updated
- Handles age-restricted & geo-blocked videos better than youtube-dl
- No ads or shady redirects
- Batch download support
Final Thoughts
With one command, you unlock full control over video downloads. Whether it’s for personal viewing, remixing content, or offline archiving, yt-dlp is the fastest and safest method available.
💬 Have questions or favorite use cases? Drop them in the comments!