yt-dlp

yt-dlp downloads video and audio from thousands of sites using a command line interface. You provide the URL, and it handles format selection, playlist downloading, and metadata embedding automatically.

Yes, you can download entire playlists or channels with yt-dlp. It provides format control options to manage batch downloads efficiently, ensuring all media within the playlist or channel is retrieved in a single run.

yt-dlp supports embedding subtitles, thumbnails, and metadata into downloaded video files during its post-processing phase. This ensures your media library remains organized with all relevant information attached to the output files.

You need Python and pip installations to use yt-dlp, or you can use a standalone binary. It supports cross-platform usage in CLI or via the Python API, offering flexibility depending on your environment setup.

The best way to automate batch video downloads is by integrating yt-dlp via its Python API or configuration files. This allows you to build reproducible batch workflows for fetching and processing media automatically.

FFmpeg is required for post-processing when downloading video because it handles merging separate audio and video streams and embedding metadata. yt-dlp relies on FFmpeg to complete these format conversions and output a single media file.