videodl

Project Overview

VideoDL (installed as the videofetch package) is a lightweight video downloader written entirely in Python. It can parse and download videos from a large number of streaming platforms such as Douyin, Kuaishou, Xiaohongshu, Bilibili, TikTok and YouTube, aiming for high-quality, watermark-free results. It works both as a command-line tool and as a Python library that can be embedded into your own scripts. The project is intended for learning and research only, and commercial use is prohibited.

A pure-Python video parser and downloader that covers more than a hundred streaming platforms

Key Features

• Broad platform support: A large set of platform-specific clients covers Douyin, Kuaishou, Xiaohongshu, Bilibili, Youku, Tencent, iQiyi, MGTV, Migu, YouTube, TikTok, Twitter and more
• Generic parsers: Many general-purpose parsers let you attempt sites that are not in the dedicated list
• Two usage modes: Ships both the videodl command-line tool and the videodl.VideoClient Python API
• Parse then download: Parse a URL into video info, inspect it, and download afterwards
• Download acceleration: Works with FFmpeg, N_m3u8DL-RE and aria2c for HLS streams, encrypted streams and resumable downloads
• Flexible configuration: Supports custom headers, proxies, cookies, output directories and per-client thread counts

Target Audience

• Developers: who need to integrate URL parsing and downloading into their own programs
• Researchers: who need to collect and organize video data for dataset construction
• Enthusiasts: who want to save online videos they are permitted to access for offline viewing

Quick Start

1. Install the package: run pip install videofetch
2. Install FFmpeg (required for HLS streams); optionally add N_m3u8DL-RE, aria2c, Node.js and Bento4 for extra capability
3. Download a video directly: run videodl -i "https://www.acfun.cn/v/ac36491489"
4. Run videodl without -i to enter interactive mode and paste a link at the prompt
5. Or use Python: videodl.VideoClient().download(video_client.parsefromurl("URL"))

Core Advantages

• Pure Python: No compilation step and clear dependencies make it easy to read, modify and embed
• Wide coverage: Dedicated clients plus generic parsers handle more unconventional sites
• Programmable: Parsing and downloading are decoupled, so workflows can be customized
• Optional acceleration: External tools can speed up large files and streaming downloads

System Requirements

Item	Requirement
OS	Windows, macOS or Linux
Runtime	Python 3
Architecture	Cross-platform (x64 and ARM)
External tools	FFmpeg recommended; N_m3u8DL-RE, aria2c, Node.js and Bento4 optional

Notes

• Learning only: This project is for learning and exchange only; commercial use is prohibited
• Respect copyright: Make sure you hold a valid membership before downloading paid videos
• API sources: All APIs come from public networks; contact the author if any content infringes
• Dependency availability: Without FFmpeg and similar tools, some platforms may fail to parse or download