Download from Video Platforms
Download videos, audio, and captions from YouTube and 1000+ video platforms using yt-dlp.
Confirmation Required
IMPORTANT: Before executing any download, you MUST confirm with the user using AskUserQuestion:
- Show the URL to download
- Show the quality setting (audio/video)
- Show the output directory
- Ask for confirmation
Example confirmation:
Ready to download:
- URL: https://youtube.com/watch?v=xxx
- Type: Audio only / Video (1080p)
- Save to: Current directory
Confirm download?
Only proceed with the download command after user confirms.
When to Use
- Download YouTube videos/audio for offline use
- Extract captions from video platforms
- Get audio for local transcription or editing
When NOT to Use
- Just need transcription (use
/omnicaptions:transcribe- Gemini handles URLs directly) - Converting existing caption formats (use
/omnicaptions:convert)
Setup
pip install omni-captions-skills --extra-index-url https://lattifai.github.io/pypi/simple/
CLI Usage
Note: By default, files are saved to the current working directory. Do not specify -o unless the user explicitly requests a different location.
# Download audio only (default, saves to current directory)
omnicaptions download "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIDEO_ID"
# Supports bare YouTube video ID (auto-validates via yt-dlp)
omnicaptions download e882eXLtwkI
# Download video (1080p recommended)
omnicaptions download "https://youtube.com/watch?v=VIDEO_ID" -q 1080p
# Only use -o when user explicitly requests a different location
omnicaptions download "https://youtube.com/watch?v=VIDEO_ID" -o ./downloads/
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
-o, --output | Output directory (default: current) |
-q, --quality | Quality: audio (default), best, 1080p, 720p, 480p, 360p |
-v, --verbose | Verbose output |
Quality Presets
| Preset | Description |
|---|---|
audio | Audio only (m4a/mp3), smallest size |
1080p | 1080p video + audio (recommended for video) |
720p | 720p video + audio |
480p | 480p video + audio |
360p | 360p video + audio |
best | Best available quality (may be 4K+, very large) |
Output
Downloads produce:
- Audio/Video file:
.m4a,.mp4, etc. - Captions (if available):
.vttor.srt - Metadata:
.meta.json(video resolution, title, etc. for ASS font scaling)
Video: ./VIDEO_ID.mp4
Audio: ./VIDEO_ID.m4a
Caption: ./VIDEO_ID.en.vtt
Metadata: ./VIDEO_ID.meta.json # Used by convert for auto font size
Title: Video Title Here
The .meta.json file stores video resolution, which omnicaptions convert uses to auto-calculate font size for ASS karaoke output.
Supported Platforms
YouTube, Bilibili, Vimeo, Twitter/X, and 1000+ sites.
Related Skills
| Skill | Use When |
|---|---|
/omnicaptions:transcribe | Transcribe downloaded audio/video |
/omnicaptions:translate | Translate captions with Gemini |
/omnicaptions:translate | Translate captions with Claude (no API) |
/omnicaptions:convert | Convert caption format |
Workflow Examples
Important: Generate bilingual captions AFTER LaiCut alignment. Preserve language tag in filename.
# Has caption: download → LaiCut align (JSON) → convert → translate
omnicaptions download "https://youtube.com/watch?v=xxx"
# → xxx.en.vtt
omnicaptions LaiCut xxx.mp4 xxx.en.vtt
# → xxx.en_LaiCut.json
omnicaptions convert xxx.en_LaiCut.json -o xxx.en_LaiCut.srt
# → xxx.en_LaiCut_Claude_zh.srt (after translate)
# No caption: download → transcribe → LaiCut align (JSON) → convert → translate
omnicaptions download "https://youtube.com/watch?v=xxx"
omnicaptions transcribe xxx.mp4
# → xxx_GeminiUnd.md
omnicaptions LaiCut xxx.mp4 xxx_GeminiUnd.md
# → xxx_GeminiUnd_LaiCut.json
omnicaptions convert xxx_GeminiUnd_LaiCut.json -o xxx_GeminiUnd_LaiCut.srt
# → xxx_GeminiUnd_LaiCut_Claude_zh.srt (after translate)