| name | video-downloader |
| description | Downloads videos from YouTube and other platforms for offline viewing, editing, or archival. Handles various formats and quality options. |
Video Downloader
This skill downloads videos from YouTube and other platforms directly to your computer.
Prerequisites
- Python 3.7+: Required for video download scripts
- yt-dlp or yt-dlp: Video download utility (install via pip)
- FFmpeg: For video format conversion (optional but recommended)
When to Use This Skill
- Downloading YouTube videos for offline viewing
- Saving educational content for reference
- Archiving important videos
- Getting video files for editing or repurposing
- Downloading your own content from platforms
- Saving conference talks or webinars
What This Skill Does
- Downloads Videos: Fetches videos from YouTube and other platforms
- Quality Selection: Lets you choose resolution (480p, 720p, 1080p, 4K)
- Format Options: Downloads in various formats (MP4, WebM, audio-only)
- Batch Downloads: Can download multiple videos or playlists
- Metadata Preservation: Saves title, description, and thumbnail
How to Use
Basic Download
Download this YouTube video: https://youtube.com/watch?v=...
Download this video in 1080p quality
Audio Only
Download the audio from this YouTube video as MP3
Playlist Download
Download all videos from this YouTube playlist: [URL]
Batch Download
Download these 5 YouTube videos:
1. [URL]
2. [URL]
...
Example
User: "Download this YouTube video: https://youtube.com/watch?v=abc123"
Output:
Downloading from YouTube...
Video: "How to Build Products Users Love"
Channel: Lenny's Podcast
Duration: 45:32
Quality: 1080p
Progress: ████████████████████ 100%
✓ Downloaded: how-to-build-products-users-love.mp4
✓ Saved thumbnail: how-to-build-products-users-love.jpg
✓ Size: 342 MB
Saved to: ~/Downloads/
Inspired by: Lenny's workflow from his newsletter
Important Notes
⚠️ Copyright & Fair Use
- Only download videos you have permission to download
- Respect copyright laws and platform terms of service
- Use for personal, educational, or fair use purposes
- Don't redistribute copyrighted content
Tips
- Specify quality if you need lower file size (720p vs 1080p)
- Use audio-only for podcasts or music to save space
- Download to a dedicated folder to stay organized
- Check file size before downloading on slow connections
Common Use Cases
- Education: Save tutorials and courses for offline learning
- Research: Archive videos for reference
- Content Creation: Download your own content from platforms
- Backup: Save important videos before they're removed
- Offline Viewing: Watch videos without internet access
