How to Download Live Streams from YouTube with youtube-dl
Live streaming is a popular way of sharing and consuming content online. You can watch live events, games, news, shows, and more on platforms like YouTube. But what if you want to save a live stream for offline viewing or editing? In this article, we will show you how to download live streams from YouTube with youtube-dl, a powerful command-line tool that can handle various video sources.
What is youtube-dl and why use it?
youtube-dl is a free and open-source program that can download videos from YouTube and hundreds of other websites. It works on Windows, Mac, Linux, and other operating systems. You can use it to download videos in different formats, resolutions, qualities, and sizes. You can also use it to extract audio, subtitles, thumbnails, metadata, and more from videos.
youtube-dl download live stream
One of the features of youtube-dl is that it can download live streams from YouTube and other platforms. Live streams are video broadcasts that are happening in real time. They can be public or private, scheduled or spontaneous, interactive or passive. Live streams can be fun and engaging, but they can also be ephemeral and hard to access later. With youtube-dl, you can capture live streams as they happen and save them as video files on your device.
youtube-dl has many features and options to customize the download process. You can choose the output format, quality, filename, location, and more. You can also use filters, selectors, post-processors, hooks, and other advanced options to fine-tune your downloads. You can even write your own scripts and plugins to extend the functionality of youtube-dl.
How to install and update youtube-dl?
youtube-dl can be installed from the official website or using a package manager. The official website provides executable files for Windows and Mac users, as well as source code for Linux users. You can download the file that matches your system and run it from your terminal or command prompt. Alternatively, you can use a package manager like pip, brew, apt, or yum to install youtube-dl with a single command.
youtube-dl can be updated by running the command "youtube-dl -U". This will check for the latest version of youtube-dl and install it if available. You should update youtube-dl regularly to ensure that it works with the latest changes in video websites.
How to download live streams from YouTube with youtube-dl?
To download live streams from YouTube with youtube-dl, you need to follow these steps:
youtube-dl save live stream to mp4
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Find the URL of the live stream on YouTube
The first step is to find the URL of the live stream that you want to download. You can search for live streams on YouTube using keywords or filters. You can also browse the live channels or categories that interest you. You can also find live streams from your subscriptions, recommendations, notifications, or history. Once you find the live stream that you want to download, copy the URL from the address bar or the share button.
List the available formats and choose the preferred one
The next step is to list the available formats for the live stream that you want to download. You can do this by running the command "youtube-dl -F URL", where URL is the URL of the live stream. This will display a table of formats with information such as format code, extension, resolution, bitrate, and size. For example, here is a sample output for a live stream:
youtube-dl -F [youtube] xxxxxxxxxxx: Downloading webpage [youtube] xxxxxxxxxxx: Downloading m3u8 information [info] Available formats for xxxxxxxxxxx: format code extension resolution note 91 mp4 256x144 197k , avc1.42c00b, 30.0fps, mp4a.40.5@ 48k (22050Hz), 1.77MiB 92 mp4 426x240 338k , avc1.4d4015, 30.0fps, mp4a.40.5@ 48k (22050Hz), 3.04MiB 93 mp4 640x360 829k , avc1.4d401e, 30.0fps, mp4a.40.2@128k (44100Hz), 7.46MiB 94 mp4 854x480 1386k , avc1.4d401f, 30.0fps, mp4a.40.2@128k (44100Hz), 12.47MiB 95 mp4 1280x720 2471k , avc1.4d401f, 30.0fps, mp4a.40.2@256k (44100Hz), 22.23MiB 96 mp4 1920x1080 4336k , avc1.640028, 30.0fps, mp4a.40.2@256k (44100Hz), 38.99MiB (best)
You can choose the format that suits your needs and preferences based on the information in the table. You can also use the keyword "best" to download the best quality format available, or "worst" to download the worst quality format available.
Download the live stream using the format code and the URL
The final step is to download the live stream using the format code and the URL that you have chosen. You can do this by running the command "youtube-dl -f FORMAT URL", where FORMAT is the format code of the format that you want to download, and URL is the URL of the live stream. For example, if you want to download the best quality format of a live stream, you can run this command:
youtube-dl -f best [youtube] xxxxxxxxxxx: Downloading webpage [youtube] xxxxxxxxxxx: Downloading m3u8 information [download] Destination: Live Stream Title-xxxxxxxxxxx.mp4 [download] 0.0% of 39.01MiB at Unknown speed ETA Unknown ETA
This will start downloading the live stream as a video file with the name "Live Stream Title-xxxxxxxxxxx.mp4". You can see the progress and speed of the download in the terminal or command prompt.
Optionally, use other options to modify the download behavior
If you want to modify the download behavior of youtube-dl, you can use other options that are available in youtube-dl's documentation. For example, you can use these options:
-o OUTPUT to specify a custom output filename or template
-a FILE to download a list of URLs from a file
-i to ignore errors and continue downloading
--no-part to disable writing .part files
--write-thumbnail to write thumbnail image to disk
--write-sub to write subtitle file to disk
--embed-subs to embed subtitles in video file
--retries N to retry downloading N times
--limit-rate RATE to limit download speed
--proxy URL to use a proxy server for downloading
--verbose to print detailed debugging information
These are just some of the options that you can use with youtube-dl. You can find more options and examples in the youtube-dl documentation or by running the command "youtube-dl --help".
Conclusion
In this article, we have shown you how to download live streams from YouTube with youtube-dl. We have explained what youtube-dl is and why use it, how to install and update it, how to find the URL and format of the live stream, how to download the live stream, and how to use other options to modify the download behavior. We hope that you have found this article helpful and informative.
Downloading live streams from YouTube with youtube-dl can be a useful skill for various purposes. You can save live streams for offline viewing, editing, archiving, or sharing. You can also enjoy live streams without interruptions, buffering, or ads. You can also learn more about video formats, codecs, resolutions, and quality. You can also explore other features and options of youtube-dl that can enhance your video downloading experience.
If you want to learn more about youtube-dl, you can visit the official website or the GitHub repository. You can also check out the online community forums, chat rooms, and social media pages. You can also watch tutorials, reviews, and demos on YouTube or other video platforms. You can also read blogs, articles, and books on youtube-dl or related topics.
FAQs
How to download live streams that are separated into audio and video streams?
Some live streams on YouTube are separated into audio and video streams. This means that youtube-dl will download two files: one for the audio and one for the video. To merge them into one file, you can use the option "--merge-output-format FORMAT", where FORMAT is the output format that you want to use. For example, if you want to merge the audio and video streams into an MP4 file, you can run this command:
youtube-dl -f best --merge-output-format mp4
How to download live streams that are longer than one hour?
Some live streams on YouTube are longer than one hour. This means that youtube-dl will download the live stream in segments of one hour each. To download the whole live stream as one file, you can use the option "--hls-prefer-native". This will use the native HLS downloader instead of the ffmpeg downloader. For example, if you want to download a long live stream as one file, you can run this command:
youtube-dl -f best --hls-prefer-native
How to download live streams that are not available on YouTube?
youtube-dl can download live streams from other platforms besides YouTube. You can find a list of supported websites on the official website or by running the command "youtube-dl --list-extractors". To download a live stream from another platform, you just need to find the URL of the live stream and use it with youtube-dl. For example, if you want to download a live stream from Twitch, you can run this command:
youtube-dl -f best
How to download live streams that are DRM-protected?
Some live streams on YouTube are DRM-protected. This means that they have encryption or other mechanisms that prevent unauthorized copying or downloading. youtube-dl cannot download DRM-protected live streams directly. However, you may be able to use other tools or methods to bypass or remove the DRM protection. For example, you may be able to use screen recording software, video capture devices, or browser extensions to record or download DRM-protected live streams.
How to download live streams that are geo-restricted?
Some live streams on YouTube are geo-restricted. This means that they are only available in certain regions or countries. youtube-dl cannot access geo-restricted live streams directly. However, you may be able to use a proxy server or a VPN service to change your IP address and location. This may allow you to access geo-restricted live streams and download them with youtube-dl. 44f88ac181
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