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Platform-specific Instructions for yt-dlp

This guide provides detailed instructions for installing and using yt-dlp on various platforms.

Windows

Installation

Using the Executable:

  1. Download yt-dlp.exe from the official releases page.
  2. Place it in a folder that's in your system's PATH (e.g., C:\Windows).

Using Chocolatey:

choco install yt-dlp

Using Scoop:

scoop install yt-dlp

Usage

Open Command Prompt or PowerShell and run:

yt-dlp [OPTIONS] URL

Notes

  • Install Microsoft Visual C++ 2010 Redistributable Package (x86) if you encounter MSVCR100.dll errors.

macOS

Installation

Using Homebrew:

brew install yt-dlp

Using the Binary:

  1. Download yt-dlp_macos from the releases page.

  2. Rename it to yt-dlp and make it executable:

    chmod a+rx yt-dlp
  3. Move it to a directory in your PATH:

    sudo mv yt-dlp /usr/local/bin/

Usage

Open Terminal and run:

yt-dlp [OPTIONS] URL

Notes

  • Install FFmpeg for full functionality:

    brew install ffmpeg

Linux

Installation

Using Package Managers:

Debian/Ubuntu:
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:tomtomtom/yt-dlp
sudo apt update
sudo apt install yt-dlp
Arch Linux:
sudo pacman -S yt-dlp

Using the Binary:

  1. Download yt-dlp from the releases page.

  2. Make it executable and move to a directory in your PATH:

    chmod a+rx yt-dlp
    sudo mv yt-dlp /usr/local/bin/

Usage

Open a terminal and run:

yt-dlp [OPTIONS] URL

Notes

  • Install FFmpeg for full functionality:

    sudo apt install ffmpeg

    (or equivalent for your distribution)

Android

Installation via Termux

  1. Install Termux from F-Droid or Google Play Store
  2. Open Termux and run:
termux-setup-storage                 # Allow termux to access storage
pkg update && pkg upgrade # Update packages
pkg install libexpat openssl python # Install python
pip install -U "yt-dlp[default]" # Install yt-dlp
pkg install ffmpeg # Optional: Install ffmpeg

Usage

In Termux, run:

yt-dlp [OPTIONS] URL

Notes

  • To access device storage:

    termux-setup-storage
  • Install FFmpeg:

    pkg install ffmpeg

General Tips

  • Update yt-dlp regularly:

    yt-dlp -U
  • Check installed version:

    yt-dlp --version
  • For all platforms, consider using a virtual environment if you're using pip to install yt-dlp.

  • Remember to always download yt-dlp from official sources to ensure security and reliability.

Each platform may have specific nuances, so consult the official documentation for any platform-specific issues or advanced configurations.