youtube-downloader
npx machina-cli add skill ComposioHQ/awesome-claude-skills/video-downloader --openclawYouTube Video Downloader
Download YouTube videos with full control over quality and format settings.
Quick Start
The simplest way to download a video:
python scripts/download_video.py "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIDEO_ID"
This downloads the video in best available quality as MP4 to /mnt/user-data/outputs/.
Options
Quality Settings
Use -q or --quality to specify video quality:
best(default): Highest quality available1080p: Full HD720p: HD480p: Standard definition360p: Lower qualityworst: Lowest quality available
Example:
python scripts/download_video.py "URL" -q 720p
Format Options
Use -f or --format to specify output format (video downloads only):
mp4(default): Most compatiblewebm: Modern formatmkv: Matroska container
Example:
python scripts/download_video.py "URL" -f webm
Audio Only
Use -a or --audio-only to download only audio as MP3:
python scripts/download_video.py "URL" -a
Custom Output Directory
Use -o or --output to specify a different output directory:
python scripts/download_video.py "URL" -o /path/to/directory
Complete Examples
- Download video in 1080p as MP4:
python scripts/download_video.py "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ" -q 1080p
- Download audio only as MP3:
python scripts/download_video.py "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ" -a
- Download in 720p as WebM to custom directory:
python scripts/download_video.py "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ" -q 720p -f webm -o /custom/path
How It Works
The skill uses yt-dlp, a robust YouTube downloader that:
- Automatically installs itself if not present
- Fetches video information before downloading
- Selects the best available streams matching your criteria
- Merges video and audio streams when needed
- Supports a wide range of YouTube video formats
Important Notes
- Downloads are saved to
/mnt/user-data/outputs/by default - Video filename is automatically generated from the video title
- The script handles installation of yt-dlp automatically
- Only single videos are downloaded (playlists are skipped by default)
- Higher quality videos may take longer to download and use more disk space
Source
git clone https://github.com/ComposioHQ/awesome-claude-skills/blob/master/video-downloader/SKILL.mdView on GitHub Overview
Download YouTube videos with customizable quality and format options. It supports best, 1080p, 720p, 480p, 360p, and worst quality, and formats including mp4, webm, and mkv, plus audio-only MP3 downloads. The tool uses yt-dlp to fetch video info, select the best streams, and merge audio/video when needed, saving files to /mnt/user-data/outputs/ with filenames based on the video title.
How This Skill Works
The skill relies on yt-dlp, which it will automatically install if missing. It retrieves video metadata, then selects the best streams that match your -q and -f criteria, merging audio and video as needed. It supports a wide range of YouTube formats and writes the output to the default directory.
When to Use It
- You want to download a YouTube video in a specific quality (e.g., 1080p) for offline viewing.
- You need an audio-only MP3 version for music, podcasts, or ringtones.
- You want to save in a particular container (MP4, WebM, or MKV) for compatibility or editing.
- You want to download to a custom directory for a project workflow.
- You want to avoid playlists and download only a single video (playlists are skipped by default).
Quick Start
- Step 1: Run the script with a YouTube URL: python scripts/download_video.py "URL"
- Step 2: Add -q, -f, or -a to tailor quality, format, or audio-only output
- Step 3: Use -o to set a custom output directory, or omit for the default /mnt/user-data/outputs/
Best Practices
- Verify the YouTube URL before starting to avoid failed downloads.
- Choose a quality that matches your device and bandwidth (best, 1080p, 720p, 480p, 360p).
- Use -a for audio-only MP3 when you need smaller files or audio-focused content.
- Prefer mp4 for broad compatibility across players and platforms.
- Rely on yt-dlp installation being automatic to keep the setup simple.
Example Use Cases
- Download 1080p video as MP4: python scripts/download_video.py "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ" -q 1080p
- Download audio only as MP3: python scripts/download_video.py "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ" -a
- Download 720p WebM to a custom directory: python scripts/download_video.py "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ" -q 720p -f webm -o /custom/path
- Download best available quality as MP4 (default): python scripts/download_video.py "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ" -q best
- Use default settings to save to the standard output directory: python scripts/download_video.py "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ"
