ydl_opts = 'outtmpl': f'args.output/%(playlist_title)s/%(playlist_index)02d - %(title)s.%(ext)s', 'format': format_spec, 'merge_output_format': merge_output_format, 'postprocessors': postprocessors, 'ignoreerrors': True, 'quiet': args.no_progress, 'no_warnings': args.no_progress, 'playliststart': args.start, 'playlistend': args.end, 'playlistend': args.max if args.max else args.end, 'progress_hooks': [progress_hook] if not args.no_progress else [], 'extract_flat': False,
: This controls the naming convention. Using %(playlist_index)s prefixes the file name with its ordered position in the playlist (e.g., 01 - Video Title.mp4 ), keeping your media library organized.
Fetching playlist... Playlist Title: Python Tutorials Total Videos: 15
pytube is a popular, lightweight, dependency-free Python library for downloading YouTube videos. We will use it for its playlist functionality.Open your terminal or command prompt and run: pip install pytube Use code with caution. youtube playlist free downloader python script
Download ffmpeg from its official website and add it to your system PATH.
yt-dlp is a feature-rich fork of the original youtube-dl . It is actively maintained and handles YouTube's frequent updates better than most alternatives.
To download only videos 5 through 10 of a playlist: 'playlist_items': '5-10', Use code with caution. Save Subtitles: 'writesubtitles': True, 'subtitleslangs': ['en'], Use code with caution. 5. Important Considerations ydl_opts = 'outtmpl': f'args
: Scripts can handle metadata, like saving videos into folders named after the playlist.
So I added a time.sleep(3) between downloads and used a proxy rotator (another Python script). That worked, but now my simple “one-liner” had turned into a mini engineering project.
def main(): args = parse_args()
Before writing any code, it's important to understand the legal context. Downloading YouTube videos may violate YouTube's Terms of Service. However, many jurisdictions allow downloading for under fair use principles – for example, archiving your own content, educational purposes, or watching without an internet connection.
Ensure Python 3.7 or higher is installed on your system. You can check your version by running: python --version Use code with caution. 2. Install yt-dlp Install the library via pip , Python's package installer: pip install yt-dlp Use code with caution. 3. Install FFmpeg (Highly Recommended)
print("\nSelect quality:") print("1. Highest resolution (includes audio)") print("2. Lowest resolution (fast download)") print("3. 720p (if available)") choice = input("Enter choice (1/2/3): ").strip() Playlist Title: Python Tutorials Total Videos: 15 pytube
stream = video.streams.filter(res="720p", file_extension='mp4').first() Use code with caution. Common Issues and Troubleshooting
