youtube-hq-downloader

name	youtube-hq-downloader
description	Youtube Highest Quality Downloader - Download highest quality silent video and pure audio from YouTube, then merge into video with sound

YouTube Highest Quality Downloader

Download the highest quality silent video and pure audio from YouTube, then merge into a video with sound using ffmpeg. 从YouTube下载视频的最高清无声版本和纯音频，然后使用ffmpeg合并为有声视频。

Features / 功能

• 🎬 Download highest quality silent video from YouTube (bestvideo) / 下载YouTube视频最高清无声版本
• 🎵 Download pure audio from YouTube (bestaudio) / 下载YouTube视频纯音频
• 🔧 Merge video and audio using ffmpeg / 使用ffmpeg合并视频和音频
• 🖥️ Runs independently, no dependencies on other skills / 独立运行，无需依赖其他技能

Usage / 使用方法

Quick Start

# Run the download script directly
python3 ~/clawd/skills/youtube-hq-downloader/download.py "YouTube_URL" [output_directory]

Full Workflow

# 1. Enter the skill directory
cd ~/clawd/skills/youtube-hq-downloader

# 2. Create virtual environment (first run)
python3 -m venv .venv
source .venv/bin/activate
pip install yt-dlp

# 3. Run download and merge
python3 download.py "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xxxxx"

# Or run step by step manually
./download.sh "YouTube_URL"

Manual Commands

# Activate environment
cd ~/clawd/skills/youtube-hq-downloader
source .venv/bin/activate

# Download video (highest quality, silent)
yt-dlp -f "bestvideo[ext=mp4]" "YouTube_URL" -o "%(title)s_video.%(ext)s"

# Download audio
yt-dlp -x --audio-format m4a "YouTube_URL" -o "%(title)s_audio.%(ext)s"

# Merge video and audio
ffmpeg -i "*.mp4" -i "*.m4a" -c:v copy -c:a aac -shortest "output.mp4" -y

Parameters / 参数说明

yt-dlp Video Download

• -f "bestvideo": Download highest quality video format (may be WebM or MP4)
• Output template: %(title)s_video.%(ext)s

yt-dlp Audio Download

• -x: Extract audio
• --audio-format m4a: Output as M4A format

ffmpeg Merge

• -i "video.mp4" -i "audio.m4a": Input files
• -c:v copy: Copy video stream, no re-encoding
• -c:a aac: Convert audio to AAC encoding
• -shortest: Use shorter duration
• -y: Overwrite output file

Dependencies / 依赖

• ffmpeg: Video processing tool (macOS: brew install ffmpeg)
• Python 3.8+: Runtime environment
• yt-dlp: Will be auto-installed on first run

Auto Install / 自动安装

The script will automatically detect and use system-installed yt-dlp. If not found:

# Manual install yt-dlp
pip install yt-dlp

# Or use uv
pip install uv && uv pip install yt-dlp

FAQ / 常见问题

Q: Downloaded video has no sound?

A: This is normal. Using bestvideo only downloads the video track. You need to download audio separately and merge.

Q: Video resolution is too low?

A: YouTube may have regional or quality restrictions on certain videos. Try other formats like best instead of bestvideo.

Q: ffmpeg error "No such file"?

A: Make sure ffmpeg is installed: brew install ffmpeg

Q: How to specify output directory?

A: Pass the second parameter as output directory when running the script, or modify the OUTPUT_DIR variable in the script.