Top Related Projects
A feature-rich command-line audio/video downloader
Command-line program to download videos from YouTube.com and other video sites
A libre lightweight streaming front-end for Android.
Quick Overview
youtubedl-android is an Android library that provides a wrapper for youtube-dl, allowing developers to easily integrate YouTube video downloading functionality into their Android applications. It offers a convenient way to extract video and audio information from YouTube and other supported platforms.
Pros
- Easy integration into Android projects
- Supports downloading from multiple platforms, not just YouTube
- Regular updates to keep up with changes in YouTube's infrastructure
- Provides both synchronous and asynchronous download options
Cons
- Depends on youtube-dl, which may face legal challenges
- Potential performance issues on low-end devices
- May require frequent updates to maintain compatibility with YouTube changes
- Limited documentation and examples
Code Examples
- Initializing the library:
YoutubeDLOptions youtubeDLOptions = new YoutubeDLOptions();
YoutubeDL.getInstance().init(context, youtubeDLOptions);
- Downloading video information:
String videoUrl = "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ";
VideoInfo videoInfo = YoutubeDL.getInstance().getInfo(videoUrl);
String title = videoInfo.getTitle();
String thumbnail = videoInfo.getThumbnail();
- Downloading a video:
String videoUrl = "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ";
File downloadPath = new File(getExternalFilesDir(null), "downloads");
YoutubeDLRequest request = new YoutubeDLRequest(videoUrl);
request.addOption("-o", downloadPath.getAbsolutePath() + "/%(title)s.%(ext)s");
YoutubeDL.getInstance().execute(request, (progress, etaInSeconds) -> {
System.out.println(progress + "% (ETA " + etaInSeconds + " seconds)");
});
Getting Started
To use youtubedl-android in your Android project:
- Add the JitPack repository to your project's build.gradle file:
allprojects {
repositories {
...
maven { url 'https://jitpack.io' }
}
}
- Add the dependency to your app's build.gradle file:
dependencies {
implementation 'com.github.yausername.youtubedl-android:library:0.14.+'
}
- Initialize the library in your application's onCreate method:
YoutubeDL.getInstance().init(getApplicationContext());
Now you can use the YoutubeDL class to download video information and content from YouTube and other supported platforms.
Competitor Comparisons
A feature-rich command-line audio/video downloader
Pros of yt-dlp
- More comprehensive support for various video platforms beyond YouTube
- Actively maintained with frequent updates and bug fixes
- Supports advanced features like SponsorBlock integration and video chapters
Cons of yt-dlp
- Not specifically designed for Android integration
- May require more setup and configuration for mobile use
- Larger codebase, potentially leading to a bigger app size when integrated
Code Comparison
yt-dlp (Python):
ydl_opts = {'format': 'bestaudio/best'}
with yt_dlp.YoutubeDL(ydl_opts) as ydl:
ydl.download(['https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ'])
youtubedl-android (Java):
YoutubeDLRequest request = new YoutubeDLRequest("https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ");
request.addOption("-f", "bestaudio/best");
YoutubeDL.getInstance().execute(request, callback);
The code snippets show that yt-dlp uses Python and is more concise, while youtubedl-android provides a Java wrapper for easier Android integration. youtubedl-android offers a more native Android development experience, but yt-dlp provides more flexibility and features for video downloading across platforms.
Command-line program to download videos from YouTube.com and other video sites
Pros of youtube-dl
- More comprehensive support for various websites and video platforms
- Extensive command-line options for customization
- Actively maintained with frequent updates and bug fixes
Cons of youtube-dl
- Not specifically designed for Android integration
- Requires additional setup and configuration for mobile use
- May have performance limitations on mobile devices
Code Comparison
youtube-dl (Python):
ydl_opts = {'format': 'bestaudio/best'}
with youtube_dl.YoutubeDL(ydl_opts) as ydl:
ydl.download(['https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ'])
youtubedl-android (Java):
YoutubeDLRequest request = new YoutubeDLRequest("https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ");
request.addOption("-f", "bestaudio/best");
YoutubeDL.getInstance().execute(request, callback);
Summary
youtube-dl is a versatile and powerful tool for downloading videos from various platforms, offering extensive customization options and broad website support. However, it's not specifically designed for Android integration.
youtubedl-android, on the other hand, is tailored for Android use, providing a more streamlined experience for mobile applications. It may have limitations in terms of supported websites and features compared to youtube-dl, but it offers better integration with Android development workflows.
The code comparison shows that while youtube-dl uses Python and is more straightforward for command-line use, youtubedl-android provides a Java interface that's more suitable for Android app development.
A libre lightweight streaming front-end for Android.
Pros of NewPipe
- Full-featured YouTube client with a wide range of functionalities
- Open-source and ad-free, respecting user privacy
- Supports background playback and picture-in-picture mode
Cons of NewPipe
- Requires separate installation, not available on Google Play Store
- May break occasionally due to YouTube API changes
- Limited to YouTube content, unlike youtubedl-android's broader support
Code Comparison
NewPipe uses a custom extractor for YouTube content:
public class YoutubeStreamExtractor extends StreamExtractor {
// Custom implementation for YouTube extraction
}
youtubedl-android utilizes youtube-dl as a backend:
YoutubeDLRequest request = new YoutubeDLRequest(youtubeLink);
YoutubeDL.getInstance().execute(request, callback);
NewPipe offers a more integrated Android experience, while youtubedl-android provides a flexible library for developers to incorporate YouTube downloading functionality into their apps. NewPipe is a standalone app focused on YouTube, whereas youtubedl-android is a library that can be integrated into other applications and supports multiple platforms beyond YouTube.
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youtubedl-android
Android library wrapper for yt-dlp (formerly youtube-dl) executable
Credits
- youtubedl-java by sapher, youtubedl-android adds android compatibility to youtubedl-java.
Sample app
Debug apk for testing can be downloaded from the releases page
If you wish to use config file in the download option by using this command --config-location
you must create a file named config.txt
inside youtubedl-android
directory and add the commands for example.
--no-mtime
-o /sdcard/Download/youtubedl-android/%(title)s.%(ext)s
-f "bestvideo[ext=mp4]+bestaudio[ext=m4a]/best[ext=mp4]/best"
Checkout dvd, a video downloader app based on this library.
Also take a look at Seal, another video/audio downloader app which demonstrates a more advanced and customized use of this library.
Installation
Gradle
repositories {
mavenCentral()
}
dependencies {
implementation("io.github.junkfood02.youtubedl-android:library:0.16.0")
implementation("io.github.junkfood02.youtubedl-android:ffmpeg:0.16.0")
implementation("io.github.junkfood02.youtubedl-android:aria2c:0.16.0") // optional
}
- Set
android:extractNativeLibs="true"
in your app's manifest. - Use
abiFilters 'x86', 'x86_64', 'armeabi-v7a', 'arm64-v8a'
in app/build.gradle, see sample app. - Use abi splits to reduce apk size, see sample app.
- On Android 10 (API 29), set
android:requestLegacyExternalStorage="true"
. - On Android 10+ (API 30 or higher), due to Android's Scoped Storage changes, apps only have the direct access to
Download/
andDocuments/
. And you can only download the videos into these two directories, see related issue.
Usage
- yt-dlp executable and python 3.8 are bundled in the library.
- Initialize library, preferably in
onCreate
.
try {
YoutubeDL.getInstance().init(this);
} catch (YoutubeDLException e) {
Log.e(TAG, "failed to initialize youtubedl-android", e);
}
- Downloading / custom command (A detailed example can be found in the sample app)
File youtubeDLDir = new File(Environment.getExternalStoragePublicDirectory(Environment.DIRECTORY_DOWNLOADS), "youtubedl-android");
YoutubeDLRequest request = new YoutubeDLRequest("https://vimeo.com/22439234");
request.addOption("-o", youtubeDLDir.getAbsolutePath() + "/%(title)s.%(ext)s");
YoutubeDL.getInstance().execute(request, (progress, etaInSeconds) -> {
System.out.println(String.valueOf(progress) + "% (ETA " + String.valueOf(etaInSeconds) + " seconds)");
});
- Stopping a previously started download process
YoutubeDLRequest request = new YoutubeDLRequest("https://vimeo.com/22439234");
final String processId = "MyProcessDownloadId";
YoutubeDL.getInstance().execute(request, (progress, etaInSeconds) -> {
System.out.println(String.valueOf(progress) + "% (ETA " + String.valueOf(etaInSeconds) + " seconds)");
}, processId);
...
YoutubeDL.getInstance().destroyProcessById(processId);
- Get stream info (equivalent to
--dump-json
of yt-dlp)
VideoInfo streamInfo = YoutubeDL.getInstance().getInfo("https://vimeo.com/22439234");
System.out.println(streamInfo.getTitle());
- Get a single playable link containing video+audio
YoutubeDLRequest request = new YoutubeDLRequest("https://youtu.be/Pv61yEcOqpw");
request.addOption("-f", "best");
VideoInfo streamInfo = YoutubeDL.getInstance().getInfo(request);
System.out.println(streamInfo.getUrl());
-
yt-dlp supports myriad different options which be seen here
-
yt-dlp binary can be updated from within the library (A example can be found in the sample app)
YoutubeDL.getInstance().updateYoutubeDL(this, updateChannel); // UpdateChannel.NIGHTLY or UpdateChannel.STABLE
FFmpeg
If you wish to use ffmpeg features of yt-dlp (e.g. --extract-audio), include and initialize the ffmpeg library.
try {
YoutubeDL.getInstance().init(this);
FFmpeg.getInstance().init(this);
} catch (YoutubeDLException e) {
Log.e(TAG, "failed to initialize youtubedl-android", e);
}
Aria2c
This library can make use of aria2c as the external downloader. include and initialize the aria2c
library.
try {
YoutubeDL.getInstance().init(this);
FFmpeg.getInstance().init(this);
Aria2c.getInstance().init(this);
} catch (YoutubeDLException e) {
Log.e(TAG, "failed to initialize youtubedl-android", e);
}
and options for the request as below:
request.addOption("--downloader", "libaria2c.so");
request.addOption("--external-downloader-args", "aria2c:\"--summary-interval=1\"");
Docs
- Though not required for just using this library, documentation on building python for android can be seen here. Same for ffmpeg here. Alternatively, you can use pre-built packages from here (android5+) or here (android7+).
- youtubedl-android uses lazy extractors based build of yt-dlp - ytdlp-lazy (formerly youtubedl-lazy)
- To build
aria2
you needlibc++, c-ares, openssl, libxml2, zlib, ibiconv
it can be found in here (android5+) or here (android7+). then follow the method used to build python or ffmpeg.
Donate
You can support the project by donating to below addresses.
Type | Address |
---|---|
bc1qw3g7grh6dxk69mzwjmewanj9gj2ycc5mju5dc4 | |
49SQgJTxoifhRB1vZGzKwUXUUNPMsrsxEacZ8bRs5tqeFgxFUHyDFBiUYh3UBRLAq355tc2694gbX9LNT7Ho7Vch2XEP4n4 |
Top Related Projects
A feature-rich command-line audio/video downloader
Command-line program to download videos from YouTube.com and other video sites
A libre lightweight streaming front-end for Android.
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Introducing Visual Copilot: A new AI model to turn Figma designs to high quality code using your components.
Try Visual Copilot