# Install ykdl with Homebrew Video downloader that focus on China mainland video sites. Version 1.8.2 via Homebrew; verified from local package data. ## Install ```sh sudo av install brew:ykdl ``` Additional install commands: ### macOS - Homebrew (100%): ```sh brew install ykdl ``` Evidence: local Homebrew formula metadata ## Package facts - **Package key:** brew:ykdl - **Package manager:** Homebrew - **Package manager page:** - **Version:** 1.8.2 - **Source summary:** Video downloader that focus on China mainland video sites - **Homepage:** - **Repository:** - **Upstream docs:** - **License:** MIT - **Source archive:** - **Generated:** 2026-07-08T07:18:31+00:00 ## Executables - ykdl (cli) - ykdl (alias) ## Dependencies - python@3.14 ## Install behavior - Post-install hook: not defined - Caveats: To merge video slides, run `brew install ffmpeg`. - Bottle: available on arm64_linux, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, sonoma, x86_64_linux ## Freshness - Page generated: 2026-07-08 - Package-manager version: 1.8.2 - Local data: ok - Upstream repository: https://github.com/LifeActor/ykdl - info: No package-manager update timestamp was available. - info: No cached GitHub release or tag data was available. ## Project history and usage ykdl, originally YouKuDownLoader, is a Python video downloader focused on mainland China video sites. The current README describes it as a fork of you-get, with structured source code, China-mainland site focus, and newer Python support expectations. ### Project history The official README records a migration chain: the origin was zhangn1985/ykdl, later SeaHOH/ykdl, and now LifeActor/ykdl. The LifeActor repository was created in May 2016 and has continued the project under the same ykdl name. The project evolved from a Youku-oriented downloader name into a broader extractor collection. Its README highlights focus on China mainland video sites and points users to a site-status wiki, while release notes document repeated extractor updates for services such as Bilibili, Douban, DouYin, Huya, iQIYI, Weibo, and others. ### Adoption history ykdl's adoption niche is regional and practical: users who need a command-line downloader for Chinese streaming platforms and are comfortable combining Python packaging with FFmpeg and mpv. The repository has more than a thousand stars and hundreds of forks, indicating a durable user base for a specialized downloader. The README presents several package-manager routes and a PyPI/GitHub install flow, but its deeper adoption story is maintenance against changing site extractors. Releases in the 1.7 and 1.8 series show the package tracking platform-specific breakage and compatibility. ### How it is used The README documents installing Python 3, updating pip and setuptools, installing ykdl from PyPI or GitHub, and ensuring command directories are on PATH. It also names FFmpeg for merging media files and mpv as the default player for compatibility. In practice ykdl is a command-line extractor/downloader: users give it media URLs from supported sites, then rely on FFmpeg/mpv integration and the maintained extractor list to download or play streams. ### Why package nerds care ykdl is important package-nerd material because it shows the regional fork ecology around video downloaders. It descends from you-get, migrated maintainers more than once, and survives by packaging extractor knowledge for sites that global downloaders may not prioritize. It also demonstrates why some CLI packages are valuable despite simple interfaces: the hard work is not the binary shape, but keeping many site adapters working as platforms change. ### Timeline - 2016-05: LifeActor/ykdl repository created. - 2020-12: v1.7.0 release published. - 2021-08: v1.8.0 alpha releases begin. - 2022-03: v1.8.0 published with broad dependency, output, and site updates. - 2023-07: v1.8.2 published with playlist/API changes and extractor updates. ### Related projects - you-get: upstream project that ykdl forked from. - FFmpeg: documented helper for merging media files. - mpv: documented default player. - Bilibili, iQIYI, DouYin, Huya, Weibo, Douban: examples of site extractors mentioned in release notes. ### Sources - - - - - ## Security Notes broad file, network, media, or database tool signal. - **Geiger risk:** blue / medium - broad file, network, media, or database tool signal ## Source Database Details - **Source Database:** Homebrew formula API - **Tap:** homebrew/core - **Full Name:** ykdl - **Version Scheme:** 0 - **Revision:** 0 - **Bottle Stable Root URL:** - **Deprecated:** no - **Disabled:** no - **Keg Only:** no - **URL Keys:** stable ## Related links - [Source-control packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/source-control-tools/) - Belongs to a source-control command family. - [Secret-risk packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/secret-risk-packages/) - Has protected-tool coverage, approval-gate, or non-low Geiger security signals. - [Terminal utility packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/terminal-utilities/) - Matched terminal and command-line workflow metadata. - [Language runtime packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/language-runtime-packages/) - Matched language runtime, compiler, or interpreter metadata. - [python@3.14](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/python-3-14/) - Runtime dependency declared by Homebrew. - [svtplay-dl](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/svtplay-dl/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, media, python, streaming, video. - [movgrab](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/movgrab/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, media, streaming, video, video-downloader. - [streamlink](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/streamlink/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, media, python, streaming, video. - [yle-dl](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/yle-dl/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, media, python, video, video-downloader. - [animdl](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/animdl/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, media, streaming, video. - [ffmpeg](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/ffmpeg/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, media, streaming, video. - [ffmpeg-full](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/ffmpeg-full/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, media, streaming, video. - [mkclean](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/mkclean/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, media, streaming, video. - [yewtube](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/yewtube/) - Both packages touch the same language runtime or ecosystem. Shared terms: cli, downloader, media, python, python-3-14. ## Combined YAML source View the package source record on GitHub. [combined/ykdl.yml](https://github.com/automic-vault/db/blob/main/combined/ykdl.yml) ## Sources - Nucleus package database - Geiger risk classifier - package-page enrichment - curated package history - package version freshness - av.db category and tag curation - package relationship graph - cross-ecosystem install command graph