The fundamental issue is that he's looking for someone to provide a free service instead of for someone to provide free software.
The latter happens so much more often because it doesn't create ongoing costs for the developer.
this post was submitted on 01 Mar 2025
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What's the best free software?
Yt-dlp
I haven't tried enough of the options to tell you that.
Personally I use Smooth Video Project anyway, so it's conveniet to also use their SVPtube tool. It just wraps youtube-dl and provides a little GUI for it.
There are a bunch of other GUIs for youtube-dl too
If you are into docker use tubearchivist as it lets you host the videos as well.
This was legit me untill I learnt about yt-dlp. I remember I used some random ass website for downloading yt vids, since I didn't have mobile data back then, and I wanted to listen to some tunes while I was going to school. The site would completely mess up file names every single time. Yt-dlp is the reason that pushed me to use cli apps more.
Yt-dlp my beloved
Yeah yt-dlp is an amazing software, unfortunately it no longer works for nsfw without cookies.
yt-dlp
You can add it as a right-click option to Firefox:
- Install: https://webextension.org/listing/external-application-button.html
- In the Extension options, add an application
- Name it something like “Open in YT-DLP: mp4”
- Set the exe name to the path of a local copy of yt-dlp
- Set the arguments to be -S res,ext:mp4:m4a --recode mp4 [HREF]
- Under the Placement options -> Context Menu -> select “All Contexts”
You should now be able to right click on a YouTube page and choose “External Application launcher -> Open in YT-DLP: mp4”
If you want audio only, add another application in the extension settings and use the arguments -f ba[ext=m4a] [HREF] for m4a files.
I love you
I was surprised at how well it works but anything command line is not for normies
Anyone who’s done “/gamemode creative” is smart enough to figure out “yt-dlp ”. Seriously people need to stop acting like typing the most basic commands that you can find tutorials about is some kinda level 9 magic
It's not that peoplecan't figure it out, it's that they won't. As soon as you mention the terminal they stop listening or thinking
/gamemode creative doesn't have that problem because it's not a terminal, it's a chat window
I think saying “anything command line isn’t for normies” would only worsen the problem
I think you've defined the problem rather well there..
It's not that Normies couldn't use it, it's that Normies won't use it.
Which generally helps it fly under the radar so us nerds can have nice things for longer.
I’m not for gate keeping, but I kinda like having tricky things if it means they don’t get ruined/stopped as fast.
Thats why I run it in docker with a web ui (On my server behind a reverse proxy, so I could get HTTPS working)
Shut up, im not a nerd
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If you are on an android phone you should check the F-Droid pages for Seal. No commandline, a nice GUI, works great.
+1 for Seal, Newpipe and Tubular both work fine too
Nah I'm sorry. There is a point where it's unreasonable to expect someone to learn something, but that isn't it.
Using yt-dlp is extremely straightforward.
Being ignorant and proud of it is a horrid personality trait. The average person knows how to drive a car, how to call others using their phone and how to use an ATM.
Typing 7 characters and copy-pasting a link is well within their abilities.
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You can use the OpenWith extensions to add it as a right click option.
I have this setup for my non-technical family members, so they just right click on the page choose open with -> ytdlp and it saves it to their downloads folder.
You can set up different options for example video or audio only.
- In Firefox install: https://webextension.org/listing/external-application-button.html
- In the Extension options, add an application
- Name it something like "Open in YT-DLP: mp4"
- Set the exe name to the path of a local copy of yt-dlp
- Set the arguments to be
-S res,ext:mp4:m4a --recode mp4 [HREF] - Under the Placement options -> Context Menu -> select "All Contexts"
You should now be able to right click on a YouTube page and choose "External Application launcher -> Open in YT-DLP: mp4"
If you want audio only, add another application in the extension settings and use the arguments -f ba[ext=m4a] [HREF] for m4a files.
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jdownloader includes yt-dlp and is generally good if you want to download things that you might or might not be supposed to download
Pro tip to teach people to fish instead of giving them a fish:
Whenever you're looking for a new software tool to do something, especially something "sketchy" like this, add something like "GPL" or "open source" to the end of your search string. It might not be quite enough to raise the official site of the best tool all the way to the first search result, but it cuts way, way down on the scam sites.
Or perhaps even better yet, go straight to checking AlternativeTo.net.
Or add "reddit" and check what people recommend Though you would have to use Google or perhaps Startpage
This worked a few years ago, but half of reddit is just bots and guerilla marketers now :(
Hence why reading comprehension is important. You need to assume that people are out to screw you on the internet, so look for their motivations. Someone pushing a paid service could be getting a kickback, whereas someone pushing a FOSS service probably just wants it to get attention so it sticks around.
Yes, but eww.
How dare you.
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yt-dlp
The screenshot is an old version of MacOS. Either install yt-dlp (at the command line) or, and this is better by far, get the Downie app. I've been downloading videos all morning.
yes yt-dlp,
no to random app that’s probably just a wrapper for yt-dlp with spyware and ads bundled in
There are no ads and not everyone can utilize the command line (I actually taught someone that they could double-click to do something super basic that you'd think everyone knows by now just last week). The developer (Charlie Monroe) makes quality software and I gladly paid for a license. Don't shit on things you haven't investigated.
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If on Android, use Seal, a FOSS app that uses yt-dlp and allows you to download the video in a shit ton of format and stuff. Apparently can even embed subtitles and metadata into the files, although I never do that.
I really like Seal. Clean UI, FOSS, transparent about the fact that it's "just" a yt-dlp frontend
EDM mixes, downloaded as audio only, split by YouTube chapters, thumbnail embedded as cover and the single parts named by the chapter names, 5/5. I usually do an extra step where I embed fideo name and file name splits as Album, Artist and Track and then they're good to go into my Jellyfin instance.
Cobalt.tools
yt-dlp
Jdownloader 2 is the most straightforward.
It's an unholy Java monster
If you’re technically inclined, you can selfhost metube for your friends/family
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Same thing when I use to want to download photos from instagram for... uh... personal research.
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