YouTube Media Downloader

Download audio (MP3) and video (MP4) files from YouTube URLs. Use when users want to convert YouTube videos to files, extract music/songs, download videos fo...

Security Scan

The skill matches its stated purpose (downloading YouTube audio/video) but the included scripts auto-download and execute binaries from the network without integrity checks and write into the user's $HOME, which is a notable risk.

Purpose & Capability

Name/description align with implementation: scripts use yt-dlp and ffmpeg to download/convert YouTube URLs, support playlists and batch files, and expose the flags described in SKILL.md.

Instruction Scope

SKILL.md and scripts stay within the downloader scope (accept URLs/files, set quality, output paths). They instruct the agent to run bundled shell scripts that create directories in $HOME and download remote binaries (yt-dlp, ffmpeg). No instructions to read unrelated system files or to transmit data to unexpected endpoints.

Install Mechanism

The scripts auto-install yt-dlp and ffmpeg by curling files from GitHub releases (yt-dlp) and BtbN/FFmpeg-Builds and extracting into $HOME. While GitHub is a common source, the scripts use 'latest' redirects and perform no checksum/signature verification — they download and write executables to disk and mark them executable, which increases supply-chain and tampering risk.

Credentials

No environment variables, credentials, or config paths are requested. The resources accessed (yt-dlp, ffmpeg) are appropriate for the task; no unrelated secrets are requested.

Persistence & Privilege

Skill is not always-enabled and does not modify other skills or system-wide settings. It installs binaries into the user's home directory only, which is expected for a portable downloader, but still changes local filesystem state.

What to consider before installing

This skill appears to do what it claims (download/convert YouTube media), but review and consider the following before installing or running it: - The bundled scripts download executables at runtime (yt-dlp and ffmpeg) via curl and extract them into $HOME without verifying checksums or signatures — this can be a supply-chain/tampering risk if network or upstream sources are compromised. Prefer installing yt-dlp and ffmpeg yourself from trusted package managers or verified releases, or modify the scripts to verify checksums/signatures. - The scripts write files into your home directory and make binaries executable; run them in a sandbox/container or as a limited user if you are concerned about filesystem changes. - There are no unexpected environment variables or secret accesses, and the behavior matches the description (playlist support, batch files, audio/video options). - If you plan to use this, inspect the scripts line-by-line and consider replacing the 'latest' download links with pinned versioned releases and adding integrity checks. Also be mindful of copyright and YouTube terms when downloading content.

Download high-quality audio and video files from YouTube for offline use, music conversion, and content archiving.

Overview

This skill provides comprehensive YouTube downloading capabilities with quality control, batch processing, and format options. Perfect for music extraction, video archiving, educational content, and playlist processing.

Quick Start

Single Video/Audio

# Download as MP3 (default)
scripts/download_media.sh "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIDEO_ID"

# Download as MP4 video
scripts/download_media.sh -v "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIDEO_ID"

# Custom filename and directory
scripts/download_media.sh -o ~/Downloads "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIDEO_ID" "my_song"

Playlist/Batch Download

# Entire playlist as MP3
scripts/batch_download.sh "https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLAYLIST_ID"

# Playlist items 5-10 as 720p video
scripts/batch_download.sh -v -q 720p -s 5 -e 10 "PLAYLIST_URL"

# From file list of URLs
scripts/batch_download.sh -f urls.txt

Core Capabilities

Audio Extraction

• Format: High-quality MP3
• Quality: Best available audio automatically selected
• Use cases: Music, podcasts, lectures, interviews
• Command: Default behavior (no flags needed)

Video Download

• Format: MP4 (maximum compatibility)
• Quality options: best, 720p, 480p, 360p, worst
• Use cases: Offline viewing, archiving, educational content
• Command: Use -v/--video flag

Batch Processing

• Playlists: Full playlist support with range selection
• URL files: Process text files with multiple URLs
• Organization: Auto-numbered for playlists
• Control: Start/end positions, max downloads

Quality Selection Guide

Audio (MP3)

• Best quality: Automatic selection from source
• File size: ~3-10MB per song
• Compatibility: Universal MP3 support

Video Quality Options

• best: Highest available (1080p+, large files)
• 720p: HD quality, balanced size (~50-200MB)
• 480p: SD quality, mobile-friendly (~20-80MB)
• 360p: Low quality, minimal size (~10-30MB)

Advanced Usage

Organization Options

# Specific output directory
-o ~/Downloads/Music

# Date-based folders
-o ~/Downloads/$(date +%Y-%m-%d)

Playlist Range Control

# Specific range (items 10-20)
-s 10 -e 20

# From specific item to end
-s 25

# Limit total downloads
-m 50

File Input Processing

Create urls.txt with one URL per line:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=video1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=video2

Then: batch_download.sh -f urls.txt

Script Reference

download_media.sh

Purpose: Single video/audio downloads Key flags:

• -a/--audio: MP3 extraction (default)
• -v/--video: MP4 video download
• -q/--quality: Quality selection
• -o/--output: Output directory

batch_download.sh

Purpose: Playlist and bulk downloads Key flags:

• -s/--start, -e/--end: Range selection
• -m/--max-downloads: Limit downloads
• -f/--file: Process URL file
• All single download flags supported

Best Practices & Patterns

For detailed usage patterns, quality guidelines, and troubleshooting, see download-patterns.md.

Technical Notes

• Auto-installation: Scripts install yt-dlp and ffmpeg automatically if needed
• Portable setup: Downloads portable binaries, no system admin required
• Resume support: Interrupted downloads can be resumed
• Error handling: Batch processing continues despite individual failures
• Format preference: Always attempts MP4 for video, MP3 for audio
• Naming: Auto-generated from video titles unless specified

Legal & Ethical Use

• Personal use: Download content for your own offline viewing
• Respect copyrights: Don't redistribute copyrighted material
• Terms compliance: Follow YouTube's terms of service
• Fair use: Consider fair use guidelines for educational content