YouTube frequently updates its algorithms to block automated scraping mechanisms.
except VideoUnavailable: print(f" ✗ Video unavailable. Skipping.") fail_count += 1 except PytubeError as e: print(f" ✗ Pytube error: e") fail_count += 1 except Exception as e: print(f" ✗ Unexpected error: e") fail_count += 1
In the age of streaming, offline access is still crucial. Whether you're commuting, traveling, or just want a permanent archive of your favorite creators, downloading YouTube playlists is a frequent need. While many paid tools exist, Python offers a free, powerful, and customizable alternative.
print(f"Playlist: playlist.title") print(f"Number of videos: len(playlist.video_urls)") youtube playlist free downloader python script
import os import re from pytube import Playlist from pytube.exceptions import PytubeError, VideoUnavailable
# Base options ydl_opts = 'outtmpl': f'output_dir/%(playlist_title)s/%(playlist_index)02d - %(title)s.%(ext)s', 'ignoreerrors': True, 'quiet': True, # Suppress yt-dlp's own output 'no_warnings': True, 'continuedl': True, 'retries': 10, 'progress_hooks': [ProgressHook()],
Now you have a flexible downloader.
: Install via apt: sudo apt update && sudo apt install ffmpeg . Step 2: Write the Basic Playlist Downloader Script
except Exception as e: print(f" ❌ Failed to download: e\n") continue
if quality_choice == '1': # Highest return streams.order_by('resolution').last() elif quality_choice == '2': # Lowest return streams.order_by('resolution').first() elif quality_choice == '3': # 720p stream_720p = streams.filter(res='720p').first() return stream_720p if stream_720p else streams.order_by('resolution').last() else: return streams.order_by('resolution').last() except Exception as e: print(f" Error selecting stream: e") return None YouTube frequently updates its algorithms to block automated
import yt_dlp import sys
if == " main ": parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(description="Download YouTube playlists easily") parser.add_argument("url", help="YouTube playlist URL") parser.add_argument("--audio", action="store_true", help="Download only audio as MP3") parser.add_argument("--quality", type=int, choices=[144, 240, 360, 480, 720, 1080], help="Video quality (height in pixels)") parser.add_argument("--output", default="./downloads", help="Output directory")
You can set a preferred codec (e.g., h265): Whether you're commuting, traveling, or just want a
import time time.sleep(2) # 2 seconds delay between videos