MCP.so
Sign In

MCP YouTube-DLP

@yorickchan

Basic information

Category

Media & Design

Transports

stdio

Author

yorickchan

About MCP YouTube-DLP

A Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that provides tools for downloading YouTube videos and audio using yt-dlp.

MCP YouTube-DLP config

Add this server to your MCP-compatible client using the configuration below.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "mcp_youtube_dlp": {
      "command": "uv",
      "args": [
        "pip",
        "install",
        "-e",
        "."
      ]
    }
  }
}

MCP YouTube-DLP tools

Tool list not available yet

This listing does not currently have a tool list to display. This does not mean the server has no tools; check its documentation for supported capabilities.

We auto-extract tools from the README. The maintainer can list them under a ## Tools heading to populate this section.

Overview

What is MCP YouTube-DLP?

MCP YouTube-DLP is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that provides tools for downloading YouTube videos and audio using yt-dlp, designed for integration with AI assistants.

How to use MCP YouTube-DLP?

Clone the repository, install dependencies with pip install -e ., and start the server with python main.py. Configure the MCP client with the provided JSON block, setting the YT_DLP_PATH and DEFAULT_DOWNLOAD_DIR environment variables as needed.

Key features of MCP YouTube-DLP

  • Download YouTube videos in MP4 format
  • Download YouTube audio in MP3 format
  • Integration with MCP for AI assistant access
  • Configurable download directory via environment variable
  • Adjustable path to yt-dlp executable

Use cases of MCP YouTube-DLP

  • Allow an AI assistant to download a YouTube video for offline viewing
  • Enable an AI assistant to extract audio from a YouTube video as MP3
  • Automate media downloading workflows through natural language commands

Frequently asked questions

1

What does this server do and how does it differ from alternatives?

This MCP server provides tools for downloading YouTube videos and audio using yt-dlp, exposed to any MCP-compatible AI assistant. It relies on yt-dlp as its underlying download engine.

2

What are the system requirements to run it?

Python 3.13 or higher and yt-dlp must be installed on the system.

3

Where are downloaded files stored?

By default, files are saved to `~/Downloads/youtube_downloads`. This can be changed by setting the `DEFAULT_DOWNLOAD_DIR` environment variable.

4

What transport or authentication does the server use?

The server runs in stdio mode with debug enabled by default. No authentication mechanism is described.

5

Are there any known limitations?

The server only provides two tools — one for video download (MP4) and one for audio download (MP3) — and requires both Python 3.13+ and yt-dlp to be pre-installed.

Comments

More Media & Design MCP servers