youtube-dl: Download Playlist to Specific Directory?

[Adithya]

I'm trying to achieve this, I have a variable 'loc' with the path set to "%userprofile%\Documents\Folder" and I want Youtube-dl to download a complete playlist to that folder.

I've tried many ways, but still can't find a way to make this work.

Since what I am downloading is a playlist, there is no point in specifying the output file name, but is there a way to specify the output directory?

I still can't get templates to work either.

This is the command I used:

yt -f 18 -o "%loc%/%(title)s.%(ext)s" "URL TO PLAYLIST"
It just downloads the first video as (ext)s.mp4 and the second with the same name again overwriting the first. It doesn't consider itself as a template.

[sneaker]

Are the titles of all playlist items identical? That would explain why youtube-dl is always trying to save to the same file name with your template. Tried including e.g. %(id)s or %(track)s wildcards? There is a huge list of wildcards.

[Adithya]

Are the titles of all playlist items identical? That would explain why youtube-dl is always trying to save to the same file name with your template. Tried including e.g. %(id)s or %(track)s wildcards? There is a huge list of wildcards.

They are similar. I will try your suggestions, Thanks.

[Adithya]

Fixed it, Posting this to help anyone else if they face the same problem again.

In windows, you have to use %%(title)s.%%(ext)s rather than %(title)s.%(ext)s

Source: Youtube-dl Page

[Elhombresombra]

Pardon me folks for reviving the thread, I have a very similar problem, perhaps simpler.

I work under Windows.

I need to indicate the destination folder EACH TIME I invoke youtube-dl, for example from a batch file.

If I write C:\programs\youtube-dl\youtube-dl.exe -f best https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oV3MXD7pzkw

then the best version (option -f best) of the video will be saved to the same directory where youtube-dl is located.
But, if I wish to save the video to C:\MYVIDEOS\ , what that line should look like?

I read and re-read the documentation page many times, but there is always something unclear (also because the most part of the example is Linux-oriented).
Thank you very much!

[sneaker]

Use a configuration file if you always want the same output folder. Otherwise use e.g. -o "c:\myvideos\%(title)s-%(id)s.%(ext)s"

Or put youtube-dl's folder into %PATH% and start the terminal where you want the files. (In explorer hold Shift + Right Click > "open command window here".)

https://github.com/rg3/youtube-dl/blob/master/README.md#configuration
https://github.com/rg3/youtube-dl/blob/master/README.md#output-template
http://adaptivesamples.com/how-to-install-ffmpeg-on-windows/ (how to install ffmpeg with %PATH% method. You can put ffmpeg.exe and youtube-dl.exe together. youtube-dl needs ffmpeg for some operations anyways.)

[Elhombresombra]

Use a configuration file if you always want the same output folder. Otherwise use e.g. -o "c:\myvideos\%(title)s-%(id)s.%(ext)s"

Or put youtube-dl's folder into %PATH% and start the terminal where you want the files. (In explorer hold Shift + Right Click > "open command window here".)

https://github.com/rg3/youtube-dl/blob/master/README.md#configuration
https://github.com/rg3/youtube-dl/blob/master/README.md#output-template
http://adaptivesamples.com/how-to-install-ffmpeg-on-windows/ (how to install ffmpeg with %PATH% method. You can put ffmpeg.exe and youtube-dl.exe together. youtube-dl needs ffmpeg for some operations anyways.)

Waitwaitwaitwait a second!...

So if I want to save to a different folder for each video, when using a batch file, my original line

C:\programs\youtube-dl\youtube-dl.exe -f best https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oV3MXD7pzkw

would become... what? Could you please make your suggestion an usable line using the C:\MYVIDEOS\ destination? Please?...

[sneaker]

youtube-dl.exe -o "c:\myvideos\%%(title)s-%%(id)s.%%(ext)s" -f best https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oV3MXD7pzkw

[Elhombresombra]

youtube-dl.exe -o "c:\myvideos\%%(title)s-%%(id)s.%%(ext)s" -f best https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oV3MXD7pzkw

That's the part I could not understand when I read the documentation page!

(title)s-
(id)s.
(ext)s

What should I replace for title, id and ext???

[sneaker]

You don't replace them. youtube-dl will automatically replace them.

[Elhombresombra]

You don't replace them. youtube-dl will automatically replace them.

That easy??? Now I got it! THANK YOU so much!