As a Linux user, downloading YouTube videos can be quite challenging, especially if you have limited knowledge of the various tools needed for the process. However, with the yt-dlp tool – an improved version of the popular youtube-dl tool – Linux users can easily download any YouTube video with minimal hassle.

In this guide, we will show you how to download YouTube videos on Linux using the yt-dlp tool.

Step 1: Install Python

Before downloading the yt-dlp tool, you need to install Python on your Linux machine. Python is a free, versatile, and powerful programming language that is widely used in the development of various applications.

To install Python, open the terminal and type the following command:

sudo apt-get install python3

Step 2: Install yt-dlp

Once you have installed Python, you can install yt-dlp using the following command:

sudo apt-get install -y yt-dlp

Step 3: Download YouTube videos

With the yt-dlp tool installed, downloading YouTube videos is straightforward. Simply copy the link to the video you want to download from the YouTube website, open the terminal, paste the link and hit Enter.

yt-dlp will automatically download the video and save it to your local machine. You can also specify the quality of the video you want to download using the following command:

yt-dlp -f [Quality Code] [Paste the video link here]

For example, to download a video in 720p quality, use the following command:

yt-dlp -f 22 [Paste the video link here]

Step 4: Convert videos to different formats

Once you have downloaded the video, you might want to convert it to a different format that is compatible with your devices. To do this, you can use the FFmpeg tool, a free and powerful multimedia framework that allows you to convert videos to various formats.

To install FFmpeg, use the following command:

sudo apt-get install ffmpeg

To convert a downloaded video to a specific format, use the following command:

ffmpeg -i [video_input_file] -c:v libx264 -c:a aac -ar 44100 -ab 192k -f mp4 [video_output_file]

For example, to convert a video to the MP4 format, use the following command:

ffmpeg -i [video_input_file] -c:v libx264 -c:a aac -ar 44100 -ab 192k -f mp4 [video_output_file].mp4

Conclusion

Downloading YouTube videos on Linux is no longer a challenge thanks to the yt-dlp tool. With this tool, Linux users can easily download and save any video from YouTube to their local machines.

By following the simple steps outlined above, you can easily download YouTube videos on your Linux machine using yt-dlp. Additionally, converting videos to different formats is also easy using the FFmpeg tool.