How To Update Yt-dlp

6 min read Oct 07, 2024

How to Update yt-dlp: A Comprehensive Guide

yt-dlp is a powerful command-line program for downloading videos and audio from YouTube and other websites. It's a fork of the original youtube-dl and constantly gets updated with new features and improvements. Keeping your yt-dlp installation up-to-date ensures you have access to the latest features, bug fixes, and support for new websites.

But how do you update yt-dlp? This guide will walk you through the process, step by step, regardless of your operating system.

Understanding the Update Process

Before we dive into the specifics, let's understand how updating yt-dlp works. There are two main methods:

Using a package manager: If you installed yt-dlp using a package manager like pip or apt, the package manager will handle the updates for you.
Manually updating: If you installed yt-dlp directly from the source, you'll need to manually update it.

Updating yt-dlp with Pip

Pip is the most common way to install and manage Python packages. If you used pip to install yt-dlp, you can update it with the following command:

pip install --upgrade yt-dlp

This command will check for a newer version of yt-dlp and install it automatically, replacing your existing version.

Updating yt-dlp on Ubuntu and Debian

Ubuntu and Debian users can use the apt package manager to update yt-dlp. First, update the package list:

sudo apt update

Then, upgrade yt-dlp with the following command:

sudo apt upgrade yt-dlp

This will ensure your yt-dlp installation is up-to-date.

Updating yt-dlp on macOS with Homebrew

If you installed yt-dlp with Homebrew on your Mac, you can update it with the following command:

brew upgrade yt-dlp

Homebrew will automatically download and install the latest version of yt-dlp, replacing your existing installation.

Manually Updating yt-dlp

If you didn't use a package manager to install yt-dlp, you can manually update it by following these steps:

Download the latest source code: Go to the yt-dlp repository on GitHub and download the latest source code as a zip file.
Extract the archive: Unzip the downloaded archive and navigate to the extracted folder.
Uninstall the previous version: If you have an older version of yt-dlp installed, uninstall it.
Run the setup script: Navigate to the extracted folder and run the setup script. For example, if you're on Linux, you'd typically run:
```
./yt-dlp-setup.sh 
```
Test the update: After installing the latest version, run yt-dlp with the --version flag to verify it's running the updated version.

Tips for Staying Up-to-Date

Set up a cron job: If you use yt-dlp frequently, consider setting up a cron job to automatically check for updates on a regular basis.
Follow the official channels: Stay up-to-date with the latest news and announcements by following the official yt-dlp repository on GitHub and their official channels.

Conclusion

Keeping your yt-dlp installation up-to-date is essential for taking advantage of the latest features, bug fixes, and website support. Whether you use a package manager or manually update, make sure you follow the steps outlined in this guide to ensure you're always using the latest version of yt-dlp.

How To Update Yt-dlp