Multi-Platform Video Downloader

Video Downloader for macOS in TERMINAL

Download Videos from YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and More as MP4 on macOS in Terminal

Download one or multiple videos from YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, X, Vimeo and other supported websites with yt-dlp directly from Terminal.
Choose between two download methods depending on the website:
Standard Download – for public videos that can be accessed without logging in.
Download with Browser Login – for websites or videos that require an active browser session or browser cookies.
Some websites use additional anti-bot or browser verification systems. If yt-dlp reports that no impersonation target is available, install the curl_cffi dependency shown in Step 1 and try again.
Both methods can be used to download either one video or multiple videos.
ffmpeg merges video and audio into a single MP4 file when needed.
Finished files are saved in Desktop/convert-videos/converted_target.
Suitable for offline viewing and video editing.

Notes

Integration

◉ Step 1 Install yt-dlp, ffmpeg and browser impersonation support once. If everything is already installed, skip this step.
Install or update yt-dlp with browser impersonation support:
/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/3.13/bin/python3 -m pip install -U "yt-dlp[default,curl-cffi]"
Install ffmpeg with Homebrew:
brew install ffmpeg
◉ Step 2 Create the destination folder on your Desktop: convert-videos/converted_target.
◉ Step 3 Choose either Standard Download or Download with Browser Login. Add one or more full video URLs inside urls=(...). Keep the rest of the command unchanged.
◉ Step 4 Paste the complete command into Terminal and press Enter. Your downloaded MP4 files will appear in Desktop/convert-videos/converted_target.

Standard Download

For websites and public videos that can normally be accessed without logging in.
Examples: YouTube, Vimeo, Dailymotion, Reddit and other publicly accessible video websites.
Download One, or Multiple Videos:

urls=(
  'PASTE_FULL_VIDEO_URL_HERE_1'
  'PASTE_FULL_VIDEO_URL_HERE_2'
)
/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/3.13/bin/python3 -m yt_dlp -t mp4 -P "$HOME/Desktop/convert-videos/converted_target" "${urls[@]}"

Download with Browser Login

For websites or videos that may require an active browser session.
Examples: Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, X / Twitter and other websites that require login or browser cookies.
Download One, or Multiple Videos:

urls=(
  'PASTE_FULL_VIDEO_URL_HERE_1'
  'PASTE_FULL_VIDEO_URL_HERE_2'
)

/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/3.13/bin/python3 -m yt_dlp \
  --cookies-from-browser chrome \
  -t mp4 \
  -P "$HOME/Desktop/convert-videos/converted_target" \
  "${urls[@]}"

Supported Video Platforms

This guide can be used with yt-dlp to download videos from many supported websites, including:

  • YouTube Video Downloader
  • Instagram Video Downloader
  • Facebook Video Downloader
  • TikTok Video Downloader
  • X / Twitter Video Downloader
  • Vimeo Video Downloader
  • Reddit Video Downloader
  • Dailymotion Video Downloader
  • Twitch Video Downloader
  • Pinterest Video Downloader
  • Flickr Video Downloader
  • 9GAG Video Downloader
  • Facebook Reels Downloader
  • Instagram Reels Downloader
  • YouTube Shorts Downloader
  • TikTok Video Downloader
  • Vimeo Video Downloader
  • Reddit Video Downloader
  • Social Media Video Downloader
  • Streaming Video Downloader
  • Age-Restricted Video Downloader
  • Video Hosting Platform Downloader
  • Public Video Downloader
  • Private Video Downloader
  • Login Required Video Downloader
  • Browser Login Video Downloader
  • Browser Cookies Video Downloader
  • Online Video Downloader
  • MP4 Video Downloader
  • Multi-Platform Video Downloader
  • Multi-Site Video Downloader
  • Supported Website Video Downloader
  • yt-dlp Video Downloader

yt-dlp supports many additional websites, video platforms and embedded video services. Website compatibility may change over time as platforms update their systems.

Support depends on the individual website and video. Some websites or videos may require an active browser session, account login, age verification or browser cookies.

If a specific URL does not work with the Standard Download method, try the Download with Browser Login method when you are authorized to access that content.

Only download content that you are legally permitted to access and save.

Note: The Python path used in these commands is specific to the Mac used to create this guide. It may differ on another Mac.

NEED TO DOWNLOAD MORE OR FEWER VIDEOS?

Add or remove URL lines inside urls=(...).
For one video, keep only one URL line.
For multiple videos, add as many URL lines as needed.

Put each URL in its own pair of quotes, with no commas. The command below the URLs stays the same.