How to Download and Install yt-dlp on Windows, Mac, and Linux

What yt-dlp is and why you might want it

yt-dlp is a command-line tool that lets you download videos from YouTube and hundreds of other video sites. It's a maintained fork of the older youtube-dl project, meaning it's actively updated to work around YouTube's blocking attempts. You run it from your computer's terminal or command prompt, not through a web browser.

People use yt-dlp to save videos they own or have permission to download — educational content they want to keep, videos from creators who allow it, or their own uploads. It's legal to use the tool itself; what matters is whether you have the right to download the specific video.

yt-dlp is free and open-source, which means anyone can read its code and contribute improvements. Because it's actively maintained by volunteers, it tends to stay functional longer than abandoned tools do.

Key Takeaways

yt-dlp requires Python to run, so you'll need to install Python first if you don't have it.
On Windows, the simplest route is to download a standalone executable file that doesn't require Python at all.
On Mac and Linux, you can install yt-dlp through a package manager like Homebrew or apt, which handles updates automatically.
After installation, you run yt-dlp from the terminal with a command like yt-dlp https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIDEO_ID.
The downloaded video saves to your current folder unless you specify a different location with the -o flag.

Installing on Windows

Windows users have two main paths: use the standalone executable (easiest) or install Python and then yt-dlp (more flexible for other tools later).

Standalone executable method: Go to the yt-dlp releases page on GitHub at github.com/yt-dlp/yt-dlp/releases. Scroll to the latest release and look for a file named something like yt-dlp.exe or yt-dlp_win.exe. Download it to a folder you'll remember — your Downloads folder or Desktop works fine. You can now run yt-dlp by opening Command Prompt, navigating to that folder, and typing commands. This method requires no setup beyond the download.

Python method: If you want to install Python first, download it from python.org. During installation, check the box that says "Add Python to PATH" — this lets you run Python from anywhere in Command Prompt. Once Python is installed, open Command Prompt and type pip install yt-dlp. pip is Python's package manager and will handle the download and setup automatically. This method is more work upfront but makes it easier to update yt-dlp later by typing pip install --upgrade yt-dlp.

Installing on Mac

Mac users can install yt-dlp through Homebrew, a package manager that handles installation and updates. If you don't have Homebrew, install it first by opening Terminal and pasting the command from brew.sh. The installation takes a few minutes.

Once Homebrew is installed, open Terminal and type brew install yt-dlp. Homebrew downloads and installs yt-dlp automatically. To update it later, type brew upgrade yt-dlp.

Alternatively, if you prefer not to use Homebrew, you can install Python from python.org and then use the pip method described in the Windows section above.

Installing on Linux

Most Linux distributions include a package manager that can install yt-dlp directly. On Ubuntu and Debian-based systems, open a terminal and type sudo apt update followed by sudo apt install yt-dlp. On Fedora, use sudo dnf install yt-dlp. On Arch, use sudo pacman -S yt-dlp.

These commands require your user password (the sudo part means "run as administrator"). The package manager handles all setup and can update yt-dlp when you run your regular system updates.

If your distribution doesn't have yt-dlp in its repositories, or if you want the absolute latest version, install Python and use pip install yt-dlp instead.

Downloading your first video

After installation, open your terminal or command prompt and navigate to the folder where you want to save videos. Type yt-dlp https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIDEO_ID, replacing VIDEO_ID with the actual ID from the video's URL. Press Enter and yt-dlp will download the video to that folder.

By default, yt-dlp downloads the highest quality available. If you want to control the format or quality, you can add flags. For example, yt-dlp -f best[ext=mp4] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIDEO_ID downloads the best quality in MP4 format. The -o flag lets you specify a filename: yt-dlp -o "my_video.mp4" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIDEO_ID.

Troubleshooting common problems

If you get a "command not found" error on Mac or Linux, yt-dlp isn't in your system's path. Try typing the full path to the executable, or reinstall using your package manager. On Windows, make sure you're in the same folder as the .exe file, or add that folder to your PATH environment variable.

If yt-dlp says it can't download a video, YouTube may have changed its blocking method and yt-dlp needs an update. Type pip install --upgrade yt-dlp (if you used pip) or brew upgrade yt-dlp (if you used Homebrew) or sudo apt upgrade yt-dlp (if you used apt). If you're using the standalone Windows executable, download the newest version from the GitHub releases page.

Some videos are age-restricted or private and cannot be downloaded without logging in. yt-dlp can handle login with the -u and -p flags, but this is advanced and carries risk — never share your password with anyone or type it into untrusted scripts.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it legal to use yt-dlp?

The tool itself is legal. What matters is whether you have the right to download the specific video. You can legally download videos you own, videos from creators who allow downloads, or videos in the public domain. Downloading copyrighted content without permission is not legal, regardless of the tool you use.

Will yt-dlp work if YouTube blocks it?

yt-dlp is actively maintained, so when YouTube changes its blocking methods, volunteers update the code to work around them. This is why it's more reliable than abandoned tools. However, there's always a lag between YouTube's change and the fix, so updates may be needed periodically.

Can I download entire playlists or channels?

Yes. Use yt-dlp https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLAYLIST_ID for a playlist or yt-dlp https://www.youtube.com/@CHANNEL_NAME/videos for a channel. yt-dlp will download all videos in that list or channel. Be aware this can take a long time and use a lot of disk space.

What if I want to download only the audio?

Use the -x flag to extract audio and the --audio-format flag to choose a format. For example, yt-dlp -x --audio-format mp3 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIDEO_ID downloads the audio as an MP3 file. You'll need ffmpeg installed on your system for this to work.

How do I update yt-dlp?

If you installed through a package manager (Homebrew, apt, pip), use that manager's update command. If you're using the standalone Windows executable, download the newest version from github.com/yt-dlp/yt-dlp/releases and replace the old file.

This guide is for general information only and is not medical, financial, legal, or other professional advice. For decisions specific to your situation, consult a qualified professional. See our Editorial Policy.