I want to make a local backup of every video on my own YouTube channel. I've heard that yt-dlp can do this, but I'm new to the tool and need help with the correct command and common errors.
3 Answers
If you prefer not to work entirely in a terminal, a Docker-based interface such as Youtarr can provide a web front end for managing channel downloads. For a simple one-time backup, though, yt-dlp is usually enough. Since this is your channel, also consider exporting or preserving the original files separately because downloaded versions may not retain every original quality or metadata detail.
Another straightforward approach is to put all the videos into a playlist and pass the playlist URL to yt-dlp. If you see `Requested format is not available`, the format selector is too specific for that particular video. Run `yt-dlp --list-formats "VIDEO_OR_PLAYLIST_URL"` to see the formats available, or use a fallback such as `-f "bv*+ba/b"` instead of requesting a fixed format number.
Right. It generally means the exact format you requested is unavailable. Listing the formats shows the choices, and the fallback selector lets yt-dlp choose a compatible video and audio combination.
yt-dlp can download an entire channel. Use the channel’s Videos page URL, not the text `yt-dlp` itself. For example: `yt-dlp -f "bv*+ba/b" --merge-output-format mp4 -o "%(upload_date)s - %(title)s.%(ext)s" "https://www.youtube.com/@YourChannel/videos"`. The `-o` option controls the filenames, while the format option selects the best available video and audio and combines them when necessary.
I tried a command and got an error saying I asked yt-dlp to download the URL `yt-dlp`. What does that mean?
That usually means the command contains `yt-dlp` where the channel URL should go, or the URL was omitted. Put the executable first, options next, and the complete channel URL last. Running `yt-dlp --list-formats "CHANNEL_URL"` can also confirm that the URL is being read correctly.
So the format error does not necessarily mean the video cannot be downloaded?