Download YouTube Playlists Easily with yt-dlp

After testing many tools, I landed on a tiny script that makes downloading YouTube videos and whole playlists effortless. With a single paste-and-run step, you can pull an entire playlist into a local folder - perfect for offline study, archiving your own uploads, or working with open-license content. The script uses the yt-dlp library and is intentionally simple so you can read, tweak, and extend it fast.

Install the dependency​

Install yt-dlp using pip. On systems with package isolation policies, you might need --break-system-packages (Debian/Ubuntu with restricted pip settings):

pip install yt-dlp --break-system-packages

If you prefer a user install, try:

pip install --user yt-dlp

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The full, minimal Python script (playlist-ready) ​

This is the exact script I use. It’s intentionally straightforward so it’s easy to understand and customize:

import yt_dlp
import os

playlist_url = input("Enter Your Playlist: ")

output_folder = "YouTube_Downloads"
if not os.path.exists(output_folder):
    os.makedirs(output_folder)

ydl_opts = {
    'format': 'best[ext=mp4]',
    'outtmpl': f'{output_folder}/%(playlist_index)02d_%(title)s.%(ext)s',
    'merge_output_format': 'mp4',
    'quiet': False,
    'no_warnings': False,
}

try:
    with yt_dlp.YoutubeDL(ydl_opts) as ydl:
        ydl.download([playlist_url])
    print("Done!")
except Exception as e:
    print(f"ُError: {str(e)}")

What this does:

• Prompts you for a playlist URL.
• Creates a local folder (YouTube_Downloads) if needed.
• Downloads each item using the best MP4 format available.
• Names files with the playlist index so ordering is preserved.

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Why this approach works (and is safe for learning) ​

• Simplicity: Fewer lines means fewer surprises. You can see every step and easily change the naming, format, or download behavior.
• yt-dlp power: yt-dlp supports many sites, formats, DASH streams, and playlist logic - so you aren’t reinventing the wheel.
• Customizable: Want subtitles, audio-only, or a different filename template? Add a few ydl_opts keys.
• Repeatable: The numbering (%(playlist_index)02d) guarantees a readable sorted folder.

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Quick customizations you might want ​

• Download audio-only (MP3-like):

ydl_opts['format'] = 'bestaudio'
ydl_opts['postprocessors'] = [{'key': 'FFmpegExtractAudio', 'preferredcodec': 'mp3', 'preferredquality': '192'}]

• Include subtitles (if available):

ydl_opts['writesubtitles'] = True
ydl_opts['subtitleslangs'] = ['en']

• Change output naming:

'outtmpl': f'{output_folder}/%(uploader)s_%(upload_date)s_%(title)s.%(ext)s'

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Troubleshooting tips ​

• If downloads fail, run the script with quiet: False (as shown) so you see the yt-dlp logs.
• For permission issues on Linux, ensure pip is run with the proper user or virtual environment.
• If a video is geo-restricted or age-restricted, yt-dlp supports cookies/auth options - use them responsibly.
• For large playlists, be patient - network and source site rate limits can slow things down.