youtubeDLFrontEnd v1.1
This application is a Windows front-end (GUI) for the amazing youtube-dl.
Youtube-dl is a command line tool that let you download videos from many sites. This front-end adds organization, multiple simultaneous downloads, and download priorities.
Usage Notes
Version 4 or better of the .net framework is recommended. Get it from Microsoft.
Make sure you have the .exe version of youtube-dl, this program is just a wrapper for that tool. It may also need ffmpeg/avconv/ffprobe for certain features. The user is assumed to have used it before.
No installation; just unpack and run. A settings file and ancillary files may be created in the program folder.
Instructions:
First go into settings (button at the bottom left) to configure the tool: Make sure the path to youtube-dl.exe is correct. Also set up any other arguments you want sent to youtube-dl. Mine look like this:
-i --write-description -o "%(extractor)s\%(uploader)s.%(upload_date)s.%(title)s-%(id)s.%(ext)s"
Those args will download a description and put downloaded items into semi-organized folders. Click the help link in the settings window to see how to use args.
Then start adding videos!
Adding items:
- Paste video page URLs in the textbox in the bottom half of the program; or enable 'capture links from clipboard' for quick collection.
- Then click 'Add URL(s)' or hit ctrl+d on the keyboard to add them to the download list. Downloading will start automatically.
- The slider beneath the Add url's button lets you change the priority newly added url's will be given. It defaults to 5.
The download list can be manipulated via a right click menu; there are also some keyboard commands:
- Enter: Tries to play the selected items in the default media player. (There's a safety check that prevents more than 10 files from being launched at once)
- Ctrl+C: Copies the URL's of the selected items to the clipboard
- Ctrl+L: shows the selected items logs.
- Delete/Backspace: Removes the selected items from the list (deleted something important? check the log)
- Digits 0-9: Changes the selected items priority to the pressed digit.
- Ctrl+R: randomizes the selected items priority.
- Pause: Pauses the selected items.
- Escape: Hides the app (send to tray)
Notes about the list columns:
- P: Priority, items with higher numbers get downloaded first. Set this by pressing a number key, or right click->'Set Priority'.
- URL: always the original url sent to youtube-dl; pressing ctrl+c on the listview will copy this value from the selected items.
- Status: The latest status from youtubeDL. View the item's log for a full list of status updates. If logs or errors are encountered, a counter will be appended, eg: [1W2E] means there is 1 warning and 2 errors in the log.
- DL'ed: The total data this item has downloaded, summing merged audio/video streams and multiple streams downloaded from lists. Destination: the last file created by youtubeDL. There may be a note appended to count how many total files have been created. Separated files that will be merged are not counted.
Final note: The windows start menu / desktop shortcuts can be used to provide hotkey functionality. If you want that: go into settings and check the 'Add Shortcut to Start Menu' box, then click the edit link. You can add a hotkey there (under 'shortcut key').
Command Line Usage:
- -startHidden If an instance of the program is not already running, starts the program and immediately hides it.
ChangeLog
-
ADDED: 'Remember Downloads' setting. This does two things when enabled: [1] It maintains a list of every url ever added. (The file 'addedURLs.txt' is created for this purpose.) If a duplicate URL is later added it will be paused with a status of 'previously added'; resuming the download will force-start it. This helps prevent downloading duplicate content. AND [2] It remembers the downloads currently in the list. (The folder 'dl_history' is populated for this purpose.) This is done to preserve downloads across program/system restarts
- ADDED: Priorities; Ctrl+r now randomizes selected downloads. Also added a 'decrementing' check-box in the 'set priority' dialog.
- ADDED: 'Date added' Column. (column order can be changed by dragging the headers, columns can be effectively hidden by sizing them to 0 - this setting is remembered)
- ADDED: Check-box in settings to control start-menu shortcut creation.
- Some minor UI tweaks.
List of all the supported sites, ordered alphabetically
Download youtubeDLFrontEnd_v1.1.zip (50 KB)
Download youtube-dl ;2016.08.10