The script will automatically create a new folder named after the playlist and start downloading every video inside it. How to Download Audio Only (MP3 Mode)
import yt_dlp import argparse import sys
While pytube was historically popular, it frequently breaks due to constant YouTube architecture updates. The open-source command-line tool yt-dlp is actively maintained, circumvents throttling, and handles complex playlist metadata flawlessly. Prerequisites and Installation
Playlists often have private or deleted videos. Wrap the download call in a try-except block and skip gracefully. youtube playlist free downloader python script
for idx, url in enumerate(pl.video_urls, 1): print(f"[idx/len(pl.video_urls)] Processing...") success = download_video(url, output_dir, download_type) if not success: print(f" Failed: url") print("-" * 40)
To get started, you need Python installed on your system along with two core dependencies: yt-dlp and FFmpeg (required for merging high-quality video and audio streams). Step 1: Install yt-dlp
Downloading an entire YouTube playlist manually is tedious. Building your own Python script allows you to automate the process completely for free. The script will automatically create a new folder
from pytube import Playlist, YouTube import os import sys
While creating a downloader script is legal, downloading copyrighted content without permission from YouTube or the creator is against YouTube's Terms of Service. Always ensure: You have permission to download the content. The content is for personal, offline use only. You are not distributing the downloaded files.
The script we built is robust enough for daily use, yet simple enough to modify and expand. Whether you're a student saving lecture playlists, a music lover creating offline mixtapes, or a developer learning about web APIs, this project is a perfect addition to your Python portfolio. Step 1: Install yt-dlp Downloading an entire YouTube
def progress_hook(d): if d.get("status") == "downloading": eta = d.get("eta") speed = d.get("speed") downloaded = d.get("downloaded_bytes", 0) total = d.get("total_bytes") or d.get("total_bytes_estimate") pct = "" if total: pct = f"downloaded/total*100:5.1f%" print(f"Downloading: d.get('filename','') pct ETA:eta speed:speed", end="\r") elif d.get("status") == "finished": print(f"\nFinished downloading: d.get('filename')")
Or a range: 'playliststart': 5, 'playlistend': 15 .