What's Best Quality Audio Download from Youtube?

[abrogard]

I wonder what's the best quality audio I can get from Youtube? Using such as youtubedl ?

There is a site I like to download (tiffany poon) and I'd like to get the highest possible audio file.

I suppose it depends on what Tiffany uploads to Youtube?

And on how I download? Does youtubedl set for 'best quality' (the default I think?) get wav if it can and that will be in the resulting mp4 I get?

If wav was uploaded could a lossless compression be downloaded 'on the fly' cutting the download time?

What should I do at my end?
What should I advise/ask Tiffany to do at her end?

[davexnet]

Wav? Youtube audio is compressed using Opus or aac

[zing269]

Use the -F parameter to have youtube-dl list the available formats, it will also indicate which it considers best. You can then use the -f parameter to choose the audio / video you want.

> youtube-dl -F https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SQE823HGcgc
[youtube] SQE823HGcgc: Downloading webpage
[info] Available formats for SQE823HGcgc:
format code  extension  resolution note
249          webm       audio only tiny   63k , opus @ 50k (48000Hz), 6.32MiB
250          webm       audio only tiny   81k , opus @ 70k (48000Hz), 8.33MiB
140          m4a        audio only tiny  131k , m4a_dash container, mp4a.40.2@128k (44100Hz), 15.08MiB
251          webm       audio only tiny  155k , opus @160k (48000Hz), 16.16MiB
160          mp4        256x144    144p   99k , avc1.4d400c, 30fps, video only, 8.30MiB
278          webm       256x144    144p  100k , webm container, vp9, 30fps, video only, 10.74MiB
133          mp4        426x240    240p  147k , avc1.4d4015, 30fps, video only, 12.68MiB
242          webm       426x240    240p  224k , vp9, 30fps, video only, 22.01MiB
134          mp4        640x360    360p  291k , avc1.4d401e, 30fps, video only, 24.25MiB
243          webm       640x360    360p  411k , vp9, 30fps, video only, 41.86MiB
135          mp4        854x480    480p  443k , avc1.4d401f, 30fps, video only, 36.37MiB
244          webm       854x480    480p  745k , vp9, 30fps, video only, 67.91MiB
298          mp4        1280x720   720p60 1014k , avc1.4d4020, 60fps, video only, 68.28MiB
247          webm       1280x720   720p 1515k , vp9, 30fps, video only, 165.60MiB
136          mp4        1280x720   720p 1831k , avc1.4d401f, 30fps, video only, 153.21MiB
302          webm       1280x720   720p60 2653k , vp9, 60fps, video only, 197.66MiB
299          mp4        1920x1080  1080p60 3482k , avc1.64002a, 60fps, video only, 297.38MiB
303          webm       1920x1080  1080p60 4464k , vp9, 60fps, video only, 497.38MiB
18           mp4        640x360    360p  706k , avc1.42001E, 30fps, mp4a.40.2@ 96k (44100Hz), 82.27MiB (best)

To get the 160k opus with the 1080p vp9 video you would use -f 251,303

> youtube-dl -f 251,303 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SQE823HGcgc

If you just want the audio you leave out the video format id.

[abrogard]

Very excellent. Thank you.

So we cannot get uncompressed audio download from Youtube? Even if they uploaded wav we can't bring it down?

And what is the audio in what youtube-dl has listed as 'best' there?

And did you pick the 160k opus with 1080 vp9 simply as an example for me or would you consider it better than youtube-dl's pick?

[manono]

So we cannot get uncompressed audio download from Youtube?

That's right, you can't.

And what is the audio in what youtube-dl has listed as 'best' there?

zing269 already told you. Number 251, the 4th one down.

And did you pick the 160k opus with 1080 vp9 simply as an example for me or would you consider it better than youtube-dl's pick?

What? Start making sense. The 160k Opus is the best available in that video.

[abolibibelot]

So we cannot get uncompressed audio download from Youtube? Even if they uploaded wav we can't bring it down?

No. Maybe the uploader can, but even that is not guaranteed, and complicated, and if it's possible today it could be removed tomorrow because the powers-that-be decided so.

And what is the audio in what youtube-dl has listed as 'best' there?

It reads : mp4a 96k, i.e. AAC audio at 96kbps (that's the bitrate in kilobits per seconds in case you don't know — after all it's the newbie section). So it's lower quality than the m4a audio obtained with code “140”, at 128kbps.
It's called “best” because it's the best format that is available as already merged video + audio streams in a single file, so if you type “-f best” that's what you get (although it's far from the best possible quality in this case since the video is only 640x360 at 706kbps) ; all other formats are either video only or audio only, and they have to be merged accordingly. It's a bit confusing admittedly.

And did you pick the 160k opus with 1080 vp9 simply as an example for me or would you consider it better than youtube-dl's pick?

You asked for the best possible audio, in this case it seems to be the OPUS 160kbps, so that seems like the best option indeed (and in this case, the “303” WEBM/VP9 video stream also seems to have the highest bitrate, 4464kbps, compared with the best available MP4/H.264 stream, 3482kbps, which is not always the case — it should be noted that those bitrates reported by youtube-dl aren't always accurate). I've read conflicting statements regarding the compared quality of AAC and OPUS compression, but at 160kbps vs. 128kbps the former is definitely better.


@manono

zing269 already told you. Number 251, the 4th one down.

No, the O.P. wrote and meant : the one listed by youtube-dl as “(best)”. See above.

What? Start making sense.

Relax, it's the newbie section! Whatever happened to “there are no dumb questions” ?

[zing269]

And did you pick the 160k opus with 1080 vp9 simply as an example for me or would you consider it better than youtube-dl's pick?

I chose the 160k opus mainly for the higher sample rate, 48kHz vs 44.1kHz for the aac@128k, id 140. You should try both and see which you prefer. Opus was designed for speech, not music.

[manono]

No, the O.P. wrote and meant : the one listed by youtube-dl as “(best)”. See above.

Obviously "mp4 640x360 360p 706k , avc1.42001E, 30fps, mp4a.40.2@ 96k (44100Hz), 82.27MiB (best)" isn't the best. As near as I can tell, it's the only one that includes both video and audio. It's both the best and the worst. It's the only. The best is what zing269 provided.

Relax, it's the newbie section! Whatever happened to “there are no dumb questions” ?

So, you leave your brain in a box when proclaiming yourself a newbie? I've never used YTDownload in my life but can understand what was written in that list. A little common sense can work wonders. You used a whole lot of words to repeat what I said earlier, and mine is much more easily understood. Until you began your gratuitous attacks.

[abrogard]

So we cannot get uncompressed audio download from Youtube? Even if they uploaded wav we can't bring it down?

No. Maybe the uploader can, but even that is not guaranteed, and complicated, and if it's possible today it could be removed tomorrow because the powers-that-be decided so.

And what is the audio in what youtube-dl has listed as 'best' there?

It reads : mp4a 96k, i.e. AAC audio at 96kbps (that's the bitrate in kilobits per seconds in case you don't know — after all it's the newbie section). So it's lower quality than the m4a audio obtained with code “140”, at 128kbps.
It's called “best” because it's the best format that is available as already merged video + audio streams in a single file, so if you type “-f best” that's what you get (although it's far from the best possible quality in this case since the video is only 640x360 at 706kbps) ; all other formats are either video only or audio only, and they have to be merged accordingly. It's a bit confusing admittedly.

And did you pick the 160k opus with 1080 vp9 simply as an example for me or would you consider it better than youtube-dl's pick?

You asked for the best possible audio, in this case it seems to be the OPUS 160kbps, so that seems like the best option indeed (and in this case, the “303” WEBM/VP9 video stream also seems to have the highest bitrate, 4464kbps, compared with the best available MP4/H.264 stream, 3482kbps, which is not always the case — it should be noted that those bitrates reported by youtube-dl aren't always accurate). I've read conflicting statements regarding the compared quality of AAC and OPUS compression, but at 160kbps vs. 128kbps the former is definitely better.


@manono

zing269 already told you. Number 251, the 4th one down.

No, the O.P. wrote and meant : the one listed by youtube-dl as “(best)”. See above.

What? Start making sense.

Relax, it's the newbie section! Whatever happened to “there are no dumb questions” ?

I'd like to thank you for your post. Very informative. Very pleasant. Heartening. I learned from it.
And I would like to apologise for being the cause of exposing you to fairly disgraceful ad hominem attack. I suppose you already know it but if you don't then know that we just have to ignore them, there's literally no sensible communicating with them.

More power to your elbow. Thanks again.

[abolibibelot]

[manono]

Obviously "mp4 640x360 360p 706k , avc1.42001E, 30fps, mp4a.40.2@ 96k (44100Hz), 82.27MiB (best)" isn't the best. As near as I can tell, it's the only one that includes both video and audio. It's both the best and the worst. It's the only. The best is what zing269 provided.

No it's not the worst, it goes down to 256x144. If you wanna stay grumpy, at least try to be accurate.

So, you leave your brain in a box when proclaiming yourself a newbie? I've never used YTDownload in my life but can understand what was written in that list. A little common sense can work wonders. You used a whole lot of words to repeat what I said earlier, and mine is much more easily understood. Until you began your gratuitous attacks.

1) Wow... where did I “attack” you ? What word are you gonna employ if you get raped by some crack addicted, AIDS infected pitbul on your way home tomorrow night ?
2) Please consider that not everyone is as enlightened as you are... you've been a member here since 2003, while “abrogard” has only been a member since... wait... 2002 ? O_o Hem, scratch that !
3) Your post hadn't yet appeared when I posted mine (it happens). Sorry to have foolishly diluted its laconic magnificence with my therefore redundant reply, which, I apologize, used more words, of which I should know that resources are scarce on this planet.
4) You, sir, seem to have serious anger management issues. Perhaps try meditation. Or shooting at stuff bare chested with an AK47. (Accept no substitute.) If all else fails, try this.


[abrogard]

More power to your elbow.

Is that a common saying in Australia ? My elbow's kinda dirty after almost a year of coughing and sneezing at it... é_è (*joking*)
In all fairness, it's a bit puzzling in retrospect that you asked such basic questions as an 18 years member on this forum. But who knows, perhaps you're a clever kangaroo ! (In the marvelous movie Arrival by Denis Villeneuve, the main protagonist, a high level linguist, tells a military officer a story about how european explorers who “discovered” Australia tried to communicate with the natives, asking them how they called those weird animals, and the reply was “kangaroo”, but later it was found out that it in fact meant “I don't understand” — then she tells her physicist partner in attempting to communicate with “heptapod” aliens that it was all b.s. to get her point across that extra time was required to build the foundations of a sensible communication between vastly different intelligences.)

[manono]

No it's not the worst, it goes down to 256x144. If you wanna stay grumpy, at least try to be accurate.

And there's the pot calling the kettle black. Obviously, I was referring to the number of videos available that included both audio and video. There was only one and it was both the best and the worst. And you know it.

[El Heggunte]

..........................
4) You, sir, seem to have serious anger management issues. Perhaps try meditation. Or shooting at stuff bare chested with an AK47. (Accept no substitute.) If all else fails, try this.

Well, FWIW, manono is one of the moderators of Doom9's forum, and as everybody already knows, some Doom9 mods love to strike and to ban other members for NO good reason at all...
You get the idea 😉

[4kblurayguru]

FLAC would be the next option.