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Youtube Downloader

  • 82 installs
  • 44 repo stars
  • Updated July 8, 2026
  • aviz85/claude-skills-library

youtube-downloader is a Claude skill that downloads YouTube videos with quality presets using yt-dlp and ffmpeg.

About

youtube-downloader downloads YouTube videos with quality presets using yt-dlp and ffmpeg through a bundled Python script. A developer uses it to fetch a video at a chosen resolution, list formats, or extract audio-only MP3, with presets tuned for sharing sizes such as WhatsApp's 16MB video limit. It requires Python 3.9+, yt-dlp, and ffmpeg.

  • Downloads YouTube videos with quality presets via yt-dlp and ffmpeg
  • Presets from 144p WhatsApp-sized to best available, plus audio-only MP3
  • Optimized for sharing on WhatsApp and other platforms

Youtube Downloader by the numbers

  • 82 all-time installs (skills.sh)
  • Ranked #891 of 2,719 Automation & Workflows skills by installs in the Skillselion catalog
  • Data as of Jul 28, 2026 (Skillselion catalog sync)
At a glance

youtube-downloader capabilities & compatibility

Free; requires local Python, yt-dlp, and ffmpeg with no API keys.

Capabilities
translate video · whatsapp · transcribe
Platforms
Windows · macOS · Linux
Pricing
Free
From the docs

What youtube-downloader says it does

Download YouTube videos with quality control, optimized for sharing on WhatsApp and other platforms.
SKILL.md
**This skill requires Python to be installed on your system.**
SKILL.md
**16MB**: Direct video sharing limit
SKILL.md
npx skills add https://github.com/aviz85/claude-skills-library --skill youtube-downloader

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Listed on Skillselion
Installs82
repo stars44
Last updatedJuly 8, 2026
Repositoryaviz85/claude-skills-library

What it does

Download a YouTube video or its audio at a chosen quality preset, optimized for sharing sizes.

Who is it for?

Downloading a YouTube video at a target quality or extracting audio-only MP3, sized for sharing.

Skip if: Downloading from platforms other than YouTube.

When should I use this skill?

User asks to download youtube, do a yt download, get a video download, youtube to whatsapp, or youtube mp3.

What you get

A downloaded video file at the chosen quality, or an audio-only MP3.

  • Downloaded video file
  • Optional audio-only MP3

By the numbers

  • Four quality presets (whatsapp/standard/high/best)
  • WhatsApp direct video limit 16MB

Files

SKILL.mdMarkdownGitHub ↗

YouTube Video Downloader

First time? If setup_complete: false above, run ./SETUP.md first, then set setup_complete: true.

Download YouTube videos with quality control, optimized for sharing on WhatsApp and other platforms.

Requirements

This skill requires Python to be installed on your system.

  • Python 3.9+ (required)
  • yt-dlp (pip install yt-dlp)
  • ffmpeg (for audio extraction)
First time setup? Read SETUP.md for detailed installation instructions for Windows, macOS, and Linux.

Quick Start

cd ~/.claude/skills/youtube-downloader/scripts

# Download for WhatsApp (144p, small file)
python download.py "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIDEO_ID" --quality whatsapp

# Download standard quality (480p)
python download.py "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIDEO_ID" --quality standard

# Download high quality (720p)
python download.py "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIDEO_ID" --quality high

# Download best quality available
python download.py "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIDEO_ID" --quality best

# List available formats
python download.py "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIDEO_ID" --list

Quality Presets

PresetResolutionMax SizeUse Case
whatsapp144p~10MBWhatsApp sharing (default)
standard480p~50MBGeneral use
high720p~100MBGood quality
bestBest availableVariesMaximum quality

Options

OptionDescription
--quality / -qQuality preset (whatsapp/standard/high/best)
--output / -oOutput directory (default: current dir)
--list / -lList available formats without downloading
--audio-only / -aExtract audio only (MP3)

Examples

# Download and send to WhatsApp
python download.py "https://youtube.com/watch?v=xxx" -q whatsapp
# Then use WhatsApp skill to send

# Download to specific folder
python download.py "https://youtube.com/watch?v=xxx" -o ~/Downloads

# Audio only (for podcasts/music)
python download.py "https://youtube.com/watch?v=xxx" --audio-only

WhatsApp Size Limits

  • 16MB: Direct video sharing limit
  • 2GB: Document sharing limit (preserves quality)

For videos over 16MB, either: 1. Use lower quality preset 2. Send as document (not video)

Related skills

FAQ

What quality presets does youtube-downloader offer?

whatsapp (144p ~10MB), standard (480p ~50MB), high (720p ~100MB), and best (best available).

What does it require?

Python 3.9+, yt-dlp, and ffmpeg for audio extraction.

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