Skills

advanced-video-downloader

Installation
SKILL.md

Advanced Video Downloader

Overview

This skill provides comprehensive video downloading and transcription capabilities from 1000+ platforms including YouTube, Bilibili, TikTok, Twitter, Instagram, and more. It combines:

  • yt-dlp: Powerful video downloading tool
  • SiliconFlow API: Free AI-powered transcription to convert videos to Markdown

When to Use This Skill

Activate this skill when the user:

  • Explicitly requests to download a video ("download this video", "下载视频")
  • Provides video URLs from any platform
  • Mentions saving videos for offline viewing
  • Wants to extract audio from videos
  • Needs to download multiple videos or playlists
  • Asks about video quality options
  • Requests video transcription ("转录视频", "提取字幕", "视频转文字")
  • Wants to convert video/audio to text or Markdown
  • Asks to download AND transcribe a video in one workflow
  • Requests to search and download videos from Twitter/X ("在Twitter上搜XXX下载视频", "twitter下载视频")
  • Wants to batch download videos from social media platforms (批量下载Twitter视频)
  • Needs to download Twitter videos using cookies (requires cookies.txt for authentication)

Core Capabilities

1. Single Video Download

Download individual videos from any supported platform with automatic quality selection.

Example usage:

User: "Download this YouTube video: https://youtube.com/watch?v=abc123"
User: "下载这个B站视频: https://bilibili.com/video/BV1xxx"

2. Batch & Playlist Download

Download multiple videos or entire playlists at once.

Example usage:

User: "Download all videos from this playlist"
User: "Download these 3 videos: [URL1], [URL2], [URL3]"
User: "在Twitter上搜wataa，下载3个视频"

Twitter/X Search & Batch Download Workflow:

Twitter/X requires authentication (cookies) to search and download videos. Follow these steps:

# 1. Get cookies.txt file (see "Getting Twitter Cookies" below)
# Required cookies: auth_token, ct0, twid

# 2. Use the bundled script to search and download
python scripts/twitter_video_downloader.py --search "KEYWORD" --count 5 --cookies cookies.txt

# Or with quality limit (recommended for large videos)
python scripts/twitter_video_downloader.py --search "KEYWORD" --count 5 --cookies cookies.txt --quality 720

# 3. Or manually batch download extracted URLs
yt-dlp --cookies cookies.txt \
  -f "bestvideo[height<=720][ext=mp4]+bestaudio[ext=m4a]/best[height<=720][ext=mp4]/best" \
  --merge-output-format mp4 \
  -o "%(title)s.%(ext)s" \
  "URL1" "URL2" "URL3"

Getting Twitter Cookies:

  1. Install browser extension "Get cookies.txt LOCALLY"
  2. Log in to Twitter/X in your browser
  3. Click the extension icon and export cookies
  4. Save as cookies.txt in Netscape format

Note: Without valid cookies, Twitter/X search will return no results and downloads will fail.

3. Audio Extraction

Extract audio only from videos, saving as MP3 or M4A.

Example usage:

User: "Download only the audio from this video"
User: "Convert this video to MP3"

4. Quality Selection

Choose specific video quality (4K, 1080p, 720p, etc.).

Example usage:

User: "Download in 4K quality"
User: "Get the 720p version to save space"

5. Video/Audio Transcription

Convert video or audio files to Markdown text using SiliconFlow's free AI transcription API.

Example usage:

User: "Transcribe this video to text" / "转录这个视频"
User: "Download and transcribe this YouTube video"
User: "将这个音频转成文字"
User: "Extract transcript from this MP4 file"

Supported formats:

  • Audio: MP3, WAV, M4A, FLAC, AAC, OGG, OPUS, WMA
  • Video: MP4, AVI, MOV, MKV, FLV, WMV, WEBM, M4V

Response Pattern

When a user requests video download:

Step 1: Identify the Platform and URL(s)

# Extract video URL(s) from user message
# Identify platform: YouTube, Bilibili, TikTok, etc.

Step 2: Check Tool Availability

# Check if yt-dlp is installed
yt-dlp --version

Step 3: Select Appropriate yt-dlp Command

Based on platform and requirements:

  • YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok: Basic command works
  • Bilibili: Basic command works for most videos
  • Quality selection: Use -f with height filter
  • Audio only: Use -x --audio-format mp3
  • Playlists: Use playlist-specific output template

Step 4: Execute Download

Use yt-dlp directly with appropriate options:

# Basic download (best quality MP4)
yt-dlp -f "bestvideo[ext=mp4]+bestaudio[ext=m4a]/best[ext=mp4]/best" --merge-output-format mp4 -o "%(title)s.%(ext)s" "VIDEO_URL"

# Specific quality (1080p)
yt-dlp -f "bestvideo[height<=1080]+bestaudio/best[height<=1080]" --merge-output-format mp4 -o "%(title)s.%(ext)s" "VIDEO_URL"

# Audio only (MP3)
yt-dlp -x --audio-format mp3 -o "%(title)s.%(ext)s" "VIDEO_URL"

# With cookies file (for protected content)
yt-dlp --cookies cookies.txt -o "%(title)s.%(ext)s" "VIDEO_URL"

# Playlist download
yt-dlp -o "%(playlist)s/%(playlist_index)s - %(title)s.%(ext)s" "PLAYLIST_URL"

Step 5: Report Results

After download completes, report:

  • ✅ Video title and duration
  • ✅ File size and format
  • ✅ Save location
  • ✅ Download speed and time taken
  • ⚠️ Any warnings or quality limitations

Example output:

✅ Downloaded: "Video Title Here"
   Duration: 15:30
   Quality: 1080p MP4
   Size: 234 MB
   Location: ./Video Title Here.mp4
   Time: 45 seconds at 5.2 MB/s

Transcription Response Pattern

When a user requests video/audio transcription:

Step 1: Check Prerequisites

# Verify SiliconFlow API key is available
echo $SILICONFLOW_API_KEY
# Or user must provide via --api-key parameter

API Key Setup:

Step 2: Validate File

Ensure the file exists and is a supported format (audio or video).

Step 3: Execute Transcription

Use the bundled script scripts/transcribe_siliconflow.py:

# Basic transcription
python scripts/transcribe_siliconflow.py --file video.mp4 --api-key sk-xxx

# With custom output path
python scripts/transcribe_siliconflow.py --file audio.mp3 --output transcript.md --api-key sk-xxx

# Using environment variable for API key
python scripts/transcribe_siliconflow.py --file video.mp4

Step 4: Report Transcription Results

✅ Transcription complete!
   File: video.mp4
   Output: 2025-01-15-video.md
   Size: 12.5 KB

   Preview:
   --------------------------------------------------
   [First 200 characters of transcription...]
   --------------------------------------------------

Combined Workflow: Download + Transcribe

For requests like "Download and transcribe this video":

# Step 1: Download video
yt-dlp -f "bestvideo[ext=mp4]+bestaudio[ext=m4a]/best" --merge-output-format mp4 -o "%(title)s.%(ext)s" "VIDEO_URL"

# Step 2: Transcribe the downloaded file
python scripts/transcribe_siliconflow.py --file "Downloaded Video Title.mp4" --api-key sk-xxx

Platform-Specific Notes

YouTube

  • Fully supported by yt-dlp
  • No authentication needed for public videos
  • Supports all quality levels including 4K/8K

Bilibili

  • Supported by yt-dlp
  • High-quality downloads may require login cookies
  • Use --cookies with cookies.txt for member-only content

Twitter/X

  • Search & Download Workflow: For downloading multiple videos from search results
    1. Use Playwright to search with cookies authentication
    2. Extract video URLs from search results
    3. Batch download using yt-dlp with cookies

Important: Twitter/X requires authentication (cookies) to search videos. Without cookies, search will return no results.

Quick Start - Using the bundled script:

# Search and download 5 videos with cookies
python scripts/twitter_video_downloader.py --search "KEYWORD" --count 5 --cookies cookies.txt

# With quality limit (720p)
python scripts/twitter_video_downloader.py --search "KEYWORD" --count 5 --cookies cookies.txt --quality 720

Manual Workflow Example:

# Step 1: Search and extract URLs using Playwright with cookies
from playwright.sync_api import sync_playwright

def search_twitter_videos(keyword, cookies_file, count=5):
    # Read cookies from Netscape format file
    cookies = []
    with open(cookies_file, "r") as f:
        for line in f:
            line = line.strip()
            if line.startswith("#") or not line:
                continue
            parts = line.split("\t")
            if len(parts) >= 7:
                cookies.append({
                    "domain": parts[0],
                    "path": parts[2],
                    "secure": parts[3] == "TRUE",
                    "expires": int(parts[4]) if parts[4].isdigit() else None,
                    "name": parts[5],
                    "value": parts[6],
                    "httpOnly": parts[0].startswith("#HttpOnly"),
                })

    with sync_playwright() as p:
        browser = p.chromium.launch(headless=True)
        context = browser.new_context()
        context.add_cookies(cookies)  # Add auth cookies
        
        page = context.new_page()
        page.goto(f"https://x.com/search?q={keyword}&f=video", wait_until="domcontentloaded")
        page.wait_for_timeout(8000)
        
        # Extract video URLs
        video_links = page.evaluate("""() => {
            const links = [];
            document.querySelectorAll('article').forEach(article => {
                const hasVideo = article.querySelector('[data-testid="videoPlayer"]') || 
                                 article.querySelector('video');
                if (hasVideo) {
                    const timeLink = article.querySelector('time');
                    if (timeLink) {
                        const link = timeLink.closest('a');
                        if (link && link.href) links.push(link.href);
                    }
                }
            });
            return links.slice(0, """ + str(count) + """);
        }""")
        
        browser.close()
        return video_links

# Step 2: Download with yt-dlp using cookies
# yt-dlp --cookies cookies.txt -f "bestvideo[height<=720][ext=mp4]+bestaudio[ext=m4a]/best" \
#   --merge-output-format mp4 -o "%(title)s.%(ext)s" "URL1" "URL2" ...

Required Twitter Cookies:

  • auth_token - Authentication token
  • ct0 - CSRF token
  • twid - User ID

Get these by exporting cookies from your browser after logging into Twitter/X.

Other Platforms

  • Most platforms work well with yt-dlp
  • Check references/supported_platforms.md for full list

Handling Cookies for Protected Content

For platforms requiring authentication (Bilibili VIP, member-only content, etc.):

Method 1: Export Cookies File (Recommended)

# Use browser extension "Get cookies.txt LOCALLY"
# Export cookies.txt, then:
yt-dlp --cookies cookies.txt "VIDEO_URL"

Method 2: Manual Cookies File

# Create cookies.txt in Netscape format
# Use browser extension "Get cookies.txt LOCALLY"
# Then use with yt-dlp
yt-dlp --cookies cookies.txt "VIDEO_URL"

Troubleshooting

Issue: Video quality lower than expected

Solution:

  1. Check if platform requires login for HD
  2. Use --cookies cookies.txt for authenticated access
  3. Explicitly specify quality with -f parameter

Issue: Download very slow

Solution:

  1. Check internet connection
  2. Try different time of day (peak hours affect speed)
  3. Use --concurrent-fragments for faster downloads

Issue: "Video unavailable" or geo-restricted

Solution:

  1. Video may be region-locked
  2. Use proxy/VPN if legally permitted
  3. Check if video is still available on platform

Issue: Transcription API key error

Solution:

  1. Verify API key starts with sk-
  2. Get free key from: https://cloud.siliconflow.cn/account/ak
  3. Set environment variable: SILICONFLOW_API_KEY=sk-xxx

Issue: Transcription returns empty text

Solution:

  1. Check if audio/video has clear speech
  2. Verify file format is supported
  3. File may be too short or contain only music

Common Commands

Quality Presets

# 4K (2160p)
yt-dlp -f "bestvideo[height<=2160]+bestaudio/best[height<=2160]" --merge-output-format mp4 "VIDEO_URL"

# 1080p (Full HD)
yt-dlp -f "bestvideo[height<=1080]+bestaudio/best[height<=1080]" --merge-output-format mp4 "VIDEO_URL"

# 720p (HD)
yt-dlp -f "bestvideo[height<=720]+bestaudio/best[height<=720]" --merge-output-format mp4 "VIDEO_URL"

# 480p (SD)
yt-dlp -f "bestvideo[height<=480]+bestaudio/best[height<=480]" --merge-output-format mp4 "VIDEO_URL"

Audio Extraction

# Extract as MP3
yt-dlp -x --audio-format mp3 -o "%(title)s.%(ext)s" "VIDEO_URL"

# Extract as M4A (better quality)
yt-dlp -x --audio-format m4a -o "%(title)s.%(ext)s" "VIDEO_URL"

Batch Downloads

# Download multiple URLs from file
yt-dlp -a urls.txt

# Download playlist with custom naming
yt-dlp -o "%(playlist)s/%(playlist_index)s - %(title)s.%(ext)s" "PLAYLIST_URL"

# Download channel's videos
yt-dlp -o "%(uploader)s/%(title)s.%(ext)s" "CHANNEL_URL"

Bundled Resources

Configuration

.env.example

Template for environment variables. Copy to .env and add your SiliconFlow API key.

Scripts

scripts/transcribe_siliconflow.py

AI-powered transcription script using SiliconFlow's free API.

Usage:

python scripts/transcribe_siliconflow.py --file <audio/video> [--api-key <key>] [--output <path>]

Parameters:

  • --file, -f: Input audio/video file (required)
  • --api-key, -k: SiliconFlow API key (or use SILICONFLOW_API_KEY env var)
  • --output, -o: Output markdown file path (default: YYYY-MM-DD-filename.md)
  • --model, -m: Model to use (default: FunAudioLLM/SenseVoiceSmall)

scripts/twitter_video_downloader.py

Search and download videos from Twitter/X in batch.

Prerequisites:

pip install playwright
playwright install chromium

Usage:

# Search and download videos
python scripts/twitter_video_downloader.py --search "KEYWORD" --count 3 --cookies cookies.txt

# Download specific URLs
python scripts/twitter_video_downloader.py --urls "URL1,URL2,URL3" --cookies cookies.txt

Parameters:

  • --search, -s: Search keyword for Twitter/X videos
  • --urls, -u: Comma-separated list of video URLs to download
  • --cookies, -c: Path to cookies.txt file (required)
  • --count, -n: Number of videos to download from search (default: 3)
  • --output, -o: Output filename template (default: %(title)s.%(ext)s)
  • --quality, -q: Maximum video height, e.g., 720 for 720p (optional)

Getting Twitter Cookies:

  1. Install browser extension "Get cookies.txt LOCALLY"
  2. Log in to Twitter/X in your browser
  3. Click the extension icon and export cookies
  4. Save as cookies.txt in Netscape format

Example Workflow:

# Download 5 videos from Twitter search with quality limit
python scripts/twitter_video_downloader.py --search "wataa" --count 5 --cookies cookies.txt --quality 720

# Download specific Twitter videos
python scripts/twitter_video_downloader.py --urls "https://x.com/user/status/123,https://x.com/user/status/456" --cookies cookies.txt

References

references/supported_platforms.md

Comprehensive list of 1000+ supported platforms with platform-specific notes and requirements.

references/quality_formats.md

Detailed explanation of video formats, codecs, and quality selection strategies.

Tips for Best Results

  1. Always specify quality if user has preference - saves bandwidth and storage
  2. Batch downloads save time - use playlist URLs when possible
  3. Audio extraction is faster - recommend for podcast/music content
  4. Check file size before downloading - warn user for very large files (>1GB)
  5. Transcription works best with clear audio - consider extracting audio first for better results

Sources

Related skills

More from naohainezha/skill

Installs
1
Repository
naohainezha/skill
First Seen
Feb 15, 2026
Security Audits
Gen Agent Trust HubFail
SocketPass
SnykFail