youtube-dl

A command‑line utility that retrieves video files from YouTube and a variety of other supported sites. It runs on any operating system with a compatible Python interpreter (2.6, 2.7, 3.2+), and can be installed via direct download, package managers, or pip. Users invoke the program with URLs and optional flags to control format selection, playlist handling, proxy usage, and error handling, among other features.

The tool is aimed at developers, power users, and scripts that need automated video downloading without a graphical interface. Its configuration files and command‑line options allow fine‑grained control over output naming, format choice, and network settings, making it suitable for batch processing and integration into larger workflows.

It is released into the public domain, permitting unrestricted modification and redistribution. The project includes a continuous‑integration build status badge and documentation covering installation, options, extractor listings, and developer instructions.