README.md

YouTube Streaming Experiments (YTSE)

Experimental YouTube streaming features for yt-dlp.

Caution

These features are experimental. They may change without notice.

• YouTube Streaming Experiments (YTSE)
  • Features
  • Installing
    • pip/pipx
  • Usage
    • UMP Downloader
    • SABR Downloader
  • Acknowledgements

Features

• UMP Downloader
• SABR Downloader

Installing

Requires yt-dlp 2025.01.26 or above.

If yt-dlp is installed through pip or pipx, you can install the plugin with the following:

pip/pipx

pipx inject yt-dlp yt-dlp-ytse

or

python3 -m pip install -U yt-dlp-ytse

If installed correctly, you should see the YTSE YouTubeIE plugin override in yt-dlp -v output:

[debug] Extractor Plugins: YTSE (YoutubeIE)

Usage

UMP Downloader

Enable UMP formats:

--extractor-args youtube:formats=ump

Prioritize UMP formats:

-S proto:ump

Debug UMP messages:

--extractor-args "youtube:ump_debug=1;formats=ump"

SABR Downloader

Enable SABR formats:

--extractor-args youtube:formats=sabr

Debug SABR messages:

--extractor-args "youtube:sabr_debug=1;formats=sabr"

Supports:

• Standard video downloading
  • Note: SABR does not natively support downloading only video stream, so an audio stream is always downloaded (but discarded)
• Livestreams (including --live-from-start)

Not supported:

• --download-sections
• --concurrent-fragments/-N
• Resume downloads

See also:

• mitmproxy SABR parser script
• Read SABR Request Python script
• Read SABR Response Python script

Acknowledgements

• googlevideo by @LuanRT