A minimalist web interface for downloading YouTube videos in MP4, MP3, or WAV formats with a sleek dark theme - just paste, pick format, and press enter
Tired of cluttered YouTube downloaders with ads, tracking, and unnecessary features? This minimalist web interface strips everything down to the essentials. Built with FastAPI and a dark terminal aesthetic, it delivers a clean, distraction-free experience that feels like using a command-line tool in your browser.
- Terminal-inspired design - dark theme with monospace fonts for that hacker aesthetic
- Three-click workflow - paste URL → select format → press enter
- Smart URL validation - automatically cleans and validates YouTube URLs
- Glowing visual feedback - subtle animations guide you through the process
- MP4 video downloads - highest quality video with audio
- MP3 audio extraction - 192kbps quality for music and podcasts
- WAV audio conversion - uncompressed audio for professional use
- Automatic format detection - handles all YouTube URL variations
- Age-restricted content - bypass restrictions with browser cookies
- Private/unlisted videos - access content requiring authentication
- Persistent cookie storage - saves cookies locally for future downloads
- Multiple format support - accepts both Netscape and JSON cookie formats
- Streaming downloads - files stream directly to browser without server storage
- Temporary processing - no files left behind on server
- Clean filename generation - removes special characters and spaces
- Chunked responses - efficient memory usage for large files
- Python 3.7+
- FFmpeg - required for audio conversion (MP3/WAV)
# Install all dependencies from requirements.txt
pip install -r requirements.txt
# Run the server
python app.pyAccess at: http://localhost:8000
- Paste YouTube URL - any YouTube URL format works
- Select format - click MP4, MP3, or WAV
- Press Enter - download starts automatically
- Click "cookies" button - top-right corner
- Export cookies from browser - use dev tools or browser extension
- Paste with Ctrl+V - cookies are saved automatically
- Go back and download - now works with restricted content
https://youtube.com/watch?v=VIDEO_ID
https://youtu.be/VIDEO_ID
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=VIDEO_ID
https://www.youtube.com/embed/VIDEO_ID
youtube.com/watch?v=VIDEO_ID (auto-adds https)
- URL normalization - converts any YouTube URL to standard format
- yt-dlp integration - leverages the most powerful YouTube downloader
- Streaming responses - files never touch server disk
- Smart error handling - graceful failure with helpful messages
- Typewriter effects - smooth text animations and transitions
- Visual state management - interface adapts to current action
- Keyboard shortcuts - Enter to download, Ctrl+V for cookies
- Responsive design - works on mobile and desktop
- URL validation - prevents injection attacks
- Temporary file cleanup - no persistent storage
- Cookie isolation - each user's cookies stay separate
- Input sanitization - safe filename generation
Audio conversion (MP3/WAV) requires FFmpeg to be installed and accessible in PATH:
# Windows (with Chocolatey)
choco install ffmpeg
# macOS (with Homebrew)
brew install ffmpeg
# Ubuntu/Debian
sudo apt install ffmpeg- Browser Dev Tools: Application → Cookies → copy values
- Browser Extensions: "Get cookies.txt" or similar
- Format Support: Both Netscape (.txt) and JSON formats work
YouTube may temporarily block requests if you download too frequently. Use cookies and reasonable delays between downloads.
Dark Terminal Theme: Monospace fonts, minimal colors, focus on functionality
Smooth Animations: Text scrambling effects, glowing selections, typewriter transitions
Smart Feedback: Visual cues for every action, loading states, error messages
Keyboard-First: Tab navigation, Enter to download, Ctrl+V for cookies
- Backend: FastAPI + yt-dlp + Python
- Frontend: Vanilla JS + CSS animations
- Processing: FFmpeg for audio conversion
- Storage: Browser localStorage for cookies, temporary server files
Perfect for self-hosting, development, or anyone who wants a clean YouTube downloader without the bloat.