Step-by-step setup guide for Windows, macOS, and Linux.
yt-dlp is a powerful command-line media downloader (an actively maintained fork of youtube-dl) that allows you to download video and audio from thousands of websites. Since it runs in the terminal, it has no native graphical interface.
To download high-quality videos (1080p, 4K, etc.) or extract MP3 audio, you must install FFmpeg. Additionally, installing a JavaScript runtime like Deno is highly recommended to bypass YouTube's speed throttling and bot blocks. Below is the complete guide to set up these tools on your device.
Don't want to install software? You can run any command directly in our online console with zero configuration.
Windows 10 (1809+) and Windows 11 include the Windows Package Manager (winget) by default. It manages installation, paths, and updates automatically.
winget install yt-dlpFor power users using command-line package managers on Windows.
scoop install yt-dlpchoco install yt-dlpDownload the standalone executable binary directly.
C:\yt-dlp\, and move the downloaded yt-dlp.exe into it.
C:\yt-dlp, then click OK on all dialog windows.Homebrew is the standard package manager for macOS. It resolves all dependencies, including Python and FFmpeg, automatically.
brew install yt-dlpAlternatively, you can install yt-dlp using MacPorts package manager.
sudo port install yt-dlpDownload the compiled binary directly into your local execution path.
sudo curl -L https://github.com/yt-dlp/yt-dlp/releases/latest/download/yt-dlp -o /usr/local/bin/yt-dlp && sudo chmod a+rx /usr/local/bin/yt-dlpUsing Python's pip manager ensures you get the absolute latest updates for video extractor scripts directly.
python3 -m pip install -U yt-dlpInstall yt-dlp via your Linux distribution package manager.
sudo apt update && sudo apt install yt-dlpsudo pacman -S yt-dlpsudo dnf install yt-dlpDownload the standalone Linux binary directly into your local executable binary path.
sudo wget https://github.com/yt-dlp/yt-dlp/releases/latest/download/yt-dlp -O /usr/local/bin/yt-dlp && sudo chmod a+rx /usr/local/bin/yt-dlpFFmpeg is an open-source media library that yt-dlp uses under the hood to merge separate high-definition video track (1080p, 4K) and audio track downloads, or to extract audio as MP3. Without FFmpeg, yt-dlp will only download 720p or lower quality streams with built-in audio.
Use winget to install FFmpeg in one command:
winget install Gyan.FFmpegAlternatively, download builds from Gyan.dev, unzip, and add the bin directory to your PATH environment variable.
If you use Homebrew, it installs automatically. Install manually with:
brew install ffmpegInstall via your system package manager:
Debian / Ubuntu:sudo apt install ffmpegsudo pacman -S ffmpegDeno is a modern JavaScript runtime. yt-dlp uses Deno under the hood to execute YouTube's JavaScript-based signature decryption algorithms. Installing Deno helps bypass YouTube's download speed throttling and "n-challenge" bot detection blocks.
Use winget to install Deno in one command:
winget install DenoLand.DenoAlternatively, use Scoop: scoop install deno
Install Deno via Homebrew:
brew install denoInstall Deno using the official shell script:
curl -fsSL https://deno.land/install.sh | shEnsure unzip and curl are installed before running this script.
Once installed, open your terminal (PowerShell, Command Prompt, or Terminal.app) and verify that everything is working by running the version check command.
Execute the version query command in your terminal:
yt-dlp --versionIf successfully installed, it will print a release date version number like:
2026.06.18If you get "Command not found", make sure to restart your terminal or verify that the folder containing yt-dlp is correctly added to your system environment PATH.
Running into issues? Here are fixes for the most common yt-dlp errors on Windows, macOS, and Linux.
yt-dlp is not in your system PATH. If you installed via winget, Homebrew, or pip, simply close and reopen your terminal — the PATH is updated only for new sessions.
yt-dlp.exe manually, you need to add its folder to your PATH environment variable. See the detailed PATH setup steps above.
yt-dlp --cookies-from-browser chrome "URL"winget install ffmpegyt-dlp -Uwinget upgrade yt-dlp or brew upgrade yt-dlp).
yt-dlp -U), as throttle bypass methods are frequently updated.
yt-dlp.exe is built using PyInstaller, which bundles a Python interpreter into a single executable. Antivirus software often flags PyInstaller bundles because the same packaging technique is used by some malware — but yt-dlp itself is completely safe.
winget install yt-dlp (Microsoft-verified packages are not flagged).
YouTube and other video platforms update their streaming protocols frequently, which can cause older versions of yt-dlp to stop working. Keep your local installation up to date to resolve extraction errors automatically.
If you downloaded the binary directly or installed via pip, run the built-in update command in your terminal:
yt-dlp -UWindows (winget): winget upgrade yt-dlp
macOS (Homebrew): brew upgrade yt-dlp
Python (pip): python3 -m pip install --upgrade yt-dlp
Get started with these basic commands in your terminal:
| Goal | Command | Actions |
|---|---|---|
| Download Video (Best Quality) | yt-dlp "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oHg5SJYRHA0" |
|
| Extract MP3 Audio | yt-dlp -x --audio-format mp3 "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oHg5SJYRHA0" |
|
Yes, yt-dlp is safe. It is a 100% open-source project licensed under the Unlicense, hosted on GitHub with 100,000+ stars and hundreds of active contributors. Every line of code is publicly auditable.
winget to avoid this.If you prefer not to run executables locally, our online console runs yt-dlp on our servers — nothing is installed on your device.
100K+ ⭐
Open Source on GitHub
Run your yt-dlp commands directly on our server. Use our web UI to download playlists, record streams, and extract audio instantly.