NOTICE; this is not revelant any longer; replaced by a nifty utility yt-dlp/yt-dlp: A youtube-dl fork with additional features ... - GitHub
I just installed the latest Ubuntu 21.04 OS on my 3+ year old dell precision 7520;
When I tried to go to the original URL I had for youtube-dl app, it didn't work, page not found;
It appears that is is now hosted on github here: http://ytdl-org.github.io/youtube-dl/download.html
This download page is where I got 3 of these 4 cmdlines that install and configure youtube-dl to work properly on my new Ubuntu 21.04 OS install.
These 4 cmds worked for me:
$ sudo apt install curl
$ sudo curl -L https://yt-dl.org/downloads/latest/youtube-dl -o /usr/local/bin/youtube-dl
$ sudo chmod a+rx /usr/local/bin/youtube-dl
$ sudo ln -s /usr/bin/python3 /usr/local/bin/python ;not specifically mentioned on this webpage; but without it, I only get an error for python.
$ sudo apt install curl ;not installed by default;
... <output deleted> ...
$ sudo curl -L https://yt-dl.org/downloads/latest/youtube-dl -o /usr/local/bin/youtube-dl
... <output deleted> ...
$ sudo chmod a+rx /usr/local/bin/youtube-dl
$ sudo ln -s /usr/bin/python3 /usr/local/bin/python
Without this 4th cmdline, I get this error on running youtube-dl app:
$ youtube-dl -F https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FnVnIKTWhNs
/usr/bin/env: ‘python’: No such file or directory
Browse to youtube.com and search for <artist/songOfYourChoice>".
Select the video of the song you want to download from the search results list.
Copy the URL for that video and use the "youtube-dl -F <someURL>" cmdline to see the various options for downloading the mp4 video desired:
$ youtube-dl -F https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FnVnIKTWhNs
... <output deleted> ...
$ youtube-dl -F https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FnVnIKTWhNs | grep \(best\)
18 mp4 640x360 360p 228k , avc1.42001E, 24fps, mp4a.40.2 (44100Hz), 6.70MiB (best)
I can see that number 18 is the mp4 video I want;
$ cd Videos ;so the mp4 file will go where I want and expect to find it;
$ youtube-dl -f 18 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FnVnIKTWhNs
... <output deleted> ...
Use "Ubuntu Software" to search for and install VLC, my favorite media player; this is a snap install.
Or just use the default video player; VLC is not required.
Now cd to the folder that contains this mp4 file and play it; I right-click the mp4 file and select "play with VLC".
NOTE: I own the original CD that this song was originally released on and I also have purchased this song from Apple iTunes/music; cost about $1.29 as I recall.
I include this post to help others get this utility installed and working with the minimum amount of frustration, which I encountered years ago until I discovered this website with the "CORRECT" install/configure steps.
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Here is all of the screen output from this install, performed on 26 April 2021.
NOTE: I have removed the hostname from this output;
$ sudo apt install curl
[sudo] password for Gladys:
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree... Done
Reading state information... Done
The following NEW packages will be installed: curl
0 upgraded, 1 newly installed, 0 to remove and 1 not upgraded.
Need to get 170 kB of archives.
After this operation, 430 kB of additional disk space will be used.
Get:1 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu hirsute/main amd64 curl amd64 7.74.0-1ubuntu2 [170 kB]
Fetched 170 kB in 1s (309 kB/s)
Selecting previously unselected package curl.
(Reading database ... 151576 files and directories currently installed.)
Preparing to unpack .../curl_7.74.0-1ubuntu2_amd64.deb ...
Unpacking curl (7.74.0-1ubuntu2) ...
Setting up curl (7.74.0-1ubuntu2) ...
Processing triggers for man-db (2.9.4-2) ...
$ sudo curl -L https://yt-dl.org/downloads/latest/youtube-dl -o /usr/local/bin/youtube-dl
% Total % Received % Xferd Average Speed Time Time Time Current
Dload Upload Total Spent Left Speed
100 3 100 3 0 0 3 0 0:00:01 --:--:-- 0:00:01 3
100 3 100 3 0 0 2 0 0:00:01 0:00:01 --:--:-- 2
100 614 100 614 0 0 393 0 0:00:01 0:00:01 --:--:-- 393
100 1795k 100 1795k 0 0 986k 0 0:00:01 0:00:01 --:--:-- 8511k
$ sudo chmod a+rx /usr/local/bin/youtube-dl
$ sudo ln -s /usr/bin/python3 /usr/local/bin/python
$ youtube-dl -F https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FnVnIKTWhNs
[youtube] FnVnIKTWhNs: Downloading webpage
[youtube] FnVnIKTWhNs: Downloading player fa244a41
[info] Available formats for FnVnIKTWhNs:
format code extension resolution note
249 webm audio only tiny 51k , webm_dash container, opus @ 51k (48000Hz), 1.50MiB
250 webm audio only tiny 68k , webm_dash container, opus @ 68k (48000Hz), 2.01MiB
140 m4a audio only tiny 129k , m4a_dash container, mp4a.40.2@129k (44100Hz), 3.79MiB
251 webm audio only tiny 134k , webm_dash container, opus @134k (48000Hz), 3.95MiB
160 mp4 256x144 144p 8k , mp4_dash container, avc1.4d400c@ 8k, 24fps, video only, 247.02KiB
278 webm 256x144 144p 20k , webm_dash container, vp9@ 20k, 24fps, video only, 628.23KiB
394 mp4 256x144 144p 22k , mp4_dash container, av01.0.00M.08@ 22k, 24fps, video only, 676.89KiB
133 mp4 426x240 240p 12k , mp4_dash container, avc1.4d4015@ 12k, 24fps, video only, 376.35KiB
395 mp4 426x240 240p 27k , mp4_dash container, av01.0.00M.08@ 27k, 24fps, video only, 814.30KiB
242 webm 426x240 240p 36k , webm_dash container, vp9@ 36k, 24fps, video only, 1.06MiB
134 mp4 640x360 360p 20k , mp4_dash container, avc1.4d401e@ 20k, 24fps, video only, 604.38KiB
396 mp4 640x360 360p 63k , mp4_dash container, av01.0.01M.08@ 63k, 24fps, video only, 1.86MiB
243 webm 640x360 360p 71k , webm_dash container, vp9@ 71k, 24fps, video only, 2.10MiB
135 mp4 854x480 480p 28k , mp4_dash container, avc1.4d401e@ 28k, 24fps, video only, 852.37KiB
244 webm 854x480 480p 76k , webm_dash container, vp9@ 76k, 24fps, video only, 2.23MiB
397 mp4 854x480 480p 95k , mp4_dash container, av01.0.04M.08@ 95k, 24fps, video only, 2.78MiB
136 mp4 1280x720 720p 43k , mp4_dash container, avc1.4d401f@ 43k, 24fps, video only, 1.27MiB
398 mp4 1280x720 720p 129k , mp4_dash container, av01.0.05M.08@ 129k, 24fps, video only, 3.79MiB
247 webm 1280x720 720p 238k , webm_dash container, vp9@ 238k, 24fps, video only, 6.99MiB
137 mp4 1920x1080 1080p 152k , mp4_dash container, avc1.640028@ 152k, 24fps, video only, 4.47MiB
399 mp4 1920x1080 1080p 201k , mp4_dash container, av01.0.08M.08@ 201k, 24fps, video only, 5.89MiB
248 webm 1920x1080 1080p 442k , webm_dash container, vp9@ 442k, 24fps, video only, 12.94MiB
18 mp4 640x360 360p 228k , avc1.42001E, 24fps, mp4a.40.2 (44100Hz), 6.70MiB (best)
Here's an alternate output showing only the "best" video in this output list
$ youtube-dl -F https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FnVnIKTWhNs |grep \(best\)
$ cd Videos
$ youtube-dl -f 18 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FnVnIKTWhNs[youtube] FnVnIKTWhNs: Downloading webpage
[download] Destination: Van Morrison - Someone Like You (Audio)-FnVnIKTWhNs.mp4
[download] 100% of 6.70MiB in 00:00
~/Videos/Apr2012a$ cd ..
~/Videos$
