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Asked: 2024-09-25T00:29:21+05:30 In: ,

How can I go about updating youtube-dl on my system?

I could really use some help here. So, I’ve been using youtube-dl for a while now, and it’s been fantastic for downloading videos and audio from sites. However, I just found out that I’m running an old version! A friend of mine told me that the newer versions have some awesome features and fixes, and I definitely want to get in on that. But honestly, I’m feeling a bit lost on how to properly update it.

I’ve read a few things online, and it seems like there are multiple ways to do it, depending on how I initially installed it. At first, I used pip because I thought that would be the easiest way, but now I see tutorials talking about using curl or even just cloning the repo from GitHub. Doesn’t that get a bit complicated? Also, how do I know if I did it right? Sometimes I feel like these things can go sideways really quickly.

I’ve heard some people mentioning needing admin rights, and honestly, I’m not sure if I have that on my system. What if I run into some kind of permission issues? It would be a bummer if I had to go through a whole troubleshooting process just to get this one update done.

And speaking of systems, I’m on a Windows machine. I’ve seen some advice for Linux users, but I’m not sure if the same commands apply to Windows or if I need to use something different altogether. If I could just get some clear steps or even a simple rundown of what I need to type in my command line, that would be so helpful.

It would also be great if someone could share if there are any known issues after updating—like if some formats stop working or anything like that. Just trying to avoid any surprises after I hit “update.” Thanks in advance for any tips or guidance!

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    2 Answers






    1. How to Update youtube-dl on Windows

      Updating youtube-dl on Windows

      Here are some straightforward ways to update youtube-dl, especially since you’re using Windows.

      Using pip (if you installed via pip)

      1. Open Command Prompt. You can do this by typing cmd in the Windows search bar and hitting Enter.
      2. Type the following command and press Enter:
        3. pip install --upgrade youtube-dl

      This should upgrade your version to the latest one. If you run into permission issues, try running Command Prompt as an administrator by right-clicking and selecting “Run as administrator.”

      Using curl (if you want to use this method)

      1. Open Command Prompt again.
      2. Type the following command:
        3. curl -L https://yt-dl.org/download/latest/youtube-dl.exe -o "C:\Program Files (x86)\youtube-dl.exe"
      3. Make sure the path points to where you originally installed youtube-dl.

      This will download the latest version directly to your specified location. Just ensure you have curl installed, or it might not work.

      Using Git (if you prefer cloning the repo)

      1. Open Command Prompt.
      2. If you have Git installed, you can clone the repo like this:
        3. git clone https://github.com/ytdl-org/youtube-dl.git
      3. Navigate to the cloned directory and run:
        4. python setup.py install

      This method is a bit more technical but keeps you up to date with the latest changes.

      After the Update

      To check if you did it right, type this in Command Prompt:

      youtube-dl --version

      It should show you the latest version. If something seems off, try running a test download to see if everything works.

      Common Issues

      After updating, some users have reported minor issues with specific formats. If you find that a certain format isn’t working anymore, ensure you have the latest version installed or check online for any bugs mentioned in the latest release notes. You can also use the --update flag when running youtube-dl to keep it fresh.

      Don’t hesitate to ask around the community if you get stuck! Good luck with your update!



    2. To update youtube-dl on your Windows machine, the easiest and most common method is to use pip, the package installer for Python. Open the Command Prompt by searching for “cmd” in the Start menu. Once in the command prompt, you can update youtube-dl by running the following command: python -m pip install --upgrade youtube-dl. This command will check for the latest version and install it if it’s not already up to date. If you’ve installed youtube-dl through other methods, the process may vary. For example, if you used curl previously, you can update youtube-dl by running: curl -L https://yt-dl.org/download/latest/youtube-dl.exe -o "C:\path\to\your\youtube-dl.exe", making sure to replace C:\path\to\your\ with the actual path where you want to store the executable. If you’ve cloned the repo from GitHub, simply navigate to the directory and run git pull.

      Regarding your concern with admin rights, running the pip update command generally does not require administrative privileges, but in some cases, you might need to run the Command Prompt as an administrator. If you encounter permission issues, right-click on the Command Prompt icon and select “Run as administrator.” After the update, you can verify the installation and the updated version by typing youtube-dl --version into the command line. After updating, some users have reported compatibility issues with specific formats, especially if certain sites have changed their streaming protocols. It’s always a good idea to check the latest release notes on the official youtube-dl GitHub page for any known issues that might affect your usage. By keeping up with the updates and reading community feedback, you can avoid potential surprises.


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