Every lyt command, ready to copy.
The yt-dlp jobs people search for most, from YouTube to MP3 to 1080p video and clips, as one-line lyt commands grouped by task. Search, copy, run. Use lyt only for media you own, have permission or a licence to download, public-domain media, or where an applicable exception applies.
Audio & MP3
Download audio, convert it to MP3, and set the bitrate or loudness.
lyt "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=..."
Download the audio stream. This is the default mode; --native keeps the native stream explicitly.
lyt --mp3 -q 192K "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=..."
Convert the audio to MP3 at a fixed 192K bitrate. Also accepts 128K or 320K.
lyt --mp3 -q 0 "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=..."
Convert to MP3 at the best variable bitrate. VBR levels run from 0 (best) to 10.
lyt --normalize "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=..."
Loudness-normalize to EBU R128. Implies --mp3.
lyt --profile music "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=..."
Apply a preset bundle. The presets are music, podcast, and voice.
yt3 "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=..."
Short alias for lyt with audio defaults.
Video & quality
Choose a resolution for video downloads. Video is muxed to mp4.
lyt --video -q 1080p "URL"
Download video at 1080p, with the best audio, muxed to mp4.
lyt --video -q 4k "URL"
Request 4k video. Also accepts 720p, 8k, or best.
lyt --video --max-height 720p "URL"
Cap the video resolution. Alias of -q in video mode.
lyt -L "URL"
List the qualities available for each URL, then exit without downloading.
lyt --video --embed-metadata --embed-thumbnail "URL"
Embed metadata and the thumbnail in the file. This may add time.
yt4 "URL"
Short alias for lyt with video defaults.
Clips & chapters
Cut one section, several slices, or one file per chapter.
lyt --clip 1:10-2:45 "URL"
Download only the section from 1:10 to 2:45.
lyt --clip 1:10- "URL"
Download from 1:10 to the end of the video.
lyt --clip -2:45 "URL"
Download from the start of the video to 2:45.
lyt --clip 90-180 "URL"
Plain seconds work too: 90 to 180 seconds.
lyt --clip 0:30-1:00 --clip 5:00-5:20 "URL"
Repeat --clip to save several slices.
lyt --split-chapters "URL"
Save one file per chapter, named by chapter.
Playlists, channels & Spotify
Playlists are opt-in. Spotify tracks are matched on YouTube and saved as MP3 files.
lyt --playlist "URL"
Allow a playlist, channel, set, or profile. Files go into a numbered folder.
lyt --no-playlist "URL"
Download only the single video, even when the URL points into a playlist. This is the default.
lyt "https://open.spotify.com/playlist/..."
Save each track as an MP3 matched on YouTube, with tags and cover art. Albums, tracks, and artists also work.
lyt --sync "https://open.spotify.com/playlist/..."
Renumber saved songs to the current order and move removed songs to a removed folder.
lyt config set spotify-client-id <id>
Set Spotify API keys for playlists over 100 songs. Also set spotify-client-secret.
lyt --batch-file urls.txt
Read URLs from a file, one per line. Use - to read from stdin.
lyt -j 4 --batch-file urls.txt
Download up to 4 URLs in parallel.
lyt --paste
Add the media URL from the clipboard.
lyt --watch
Watch the clipboard and download each link you copy.
Subtitles & SponsorBlock
Subtitles are saved as .srt files. SponsorBlock cuts sponsor and self-promotion segments.
lyt --subs "URL"
Save subtitles as .srt. Manual subtitles are used first, then automatic ones.
lyt --sub-langs "en.*,de" "URL"
Choose subtitle languages. The default is en. Implies --subs.
lyt --video --subs --embed-subs "URL"
Embed the subtitles in the video file. Video mode only.
lyt --no-subs "URL"
Turn off subtitles that your config turns on.
lyt --sponsorblock "URL"
Cut sponsor, self-promo, and interaction segments.
lyt --no-sponsorblock "URL"
Turn off SponsorBlock that your config turns on.
Safety & output
Preview first, cap file sizes, and choose where files go. Existing files are never overwritten unless you ask.
lyt --dry-run "URL"
Print the commands without running them.
lyt --print-command "URL"
Print an inert yt-dlp argv preview before the run starts.
lyt --max-filesize 2G "URL"
Skip media larger than 2G.
lyt -o ./podcasts "URL"
Save into a different output directory. The default is downloads.
lyt --template "%(title)s.%(ext)s" "URL"
Set a custom yt-dlp output template.
lyt --force-overwrite "URL"
Replace an existing file. Opt-in only.
lyt --redownload "URL"
Download again even when the video is already in history.
lyt --no-history "URL"
Skip recording this run in the download history.
lyt -r 2M "URL"
Cap the download speed at 2M. --limit-rate does the same.
lyt --retries 5 "URL"
Retry downloads and fragments up to 5 times. Accepts 0 to 100.
lyt --downloader aria2c --downloader-args "-x16 -s16 -k1M" "URL"
Use aria2c as the external downloader. Useful on throttled hosts.
lyt --no-part "URL"
Write straight to the output file instead of a .part file.
lyt --cookies-from-browser chrome "URL"
Use your browser cookies for media your own account can access. Opt-in.
lyt --cookies cookies.txt "URL"
Use a Netscape-format cookies file. Opt-in.
lyt --no-download "URL"
Require yt-dlp and ffmpeg on PATH and skip the managed install.
Agents & JSON
Machine-readable output for terminal agents. Diagnostics go to stderr. Exit codes: 0 success, 1 runtime or download failure, 2 usage or validation error.
lyt --json "URL"
Emit one lyt.result.v1 document on stdout, with the final file paths.
lyt capabilities --json
List commands, modes, flags, and result schemas as lyt.capabilities.v1.
lyt info "URL"
Show media metadata and formats without downloading. Alias: lyt inspect.
lyt info --json "URL"
Emit the same inspection as lyt.info.v1 JSON.
lyt info --jobs 8 --json "URL"
Inspect with 8 workers. Accepts 1 to 16; the default is 3.
lyt agent install all
Install the lyt skill for both Codex and Claude Code.
lyt agent install claude
Install the lyt skill for Claude Code only.
lyt agent install codex --home <dir>
Install the skill into a custom home directory.
Setup & maintenance
Check the environment, store persistent defaults, and review download history.
lyt doctor
Check the environment.
lyt doctor --fix
Install missing tools.
lyt doctor --update
Self-update yt-dlp.
lyt doctor --network
Check that YouTube, Spotify, SoundCloud, and GitHub are reachable.
lyt -i "URL"
Prompt for options interactively.
lyt config list
Show the persistent defaults.
lyt config set update-check false
Turn off the npm update check.
lyt config path
Show where the config file lives.
lyt history
List past downloads.
lyt history "query"
Search past downloads.
lyt history --clear
Wipe the download history.
lyt --version
Show the version and any update hint.
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lyt does not bypass DRM, paywalls, or access controls. Check the rights for any media before you download it.
Frequently asked questions
How do I download a YouTube video as MP3 from the command line?
Run lyt --mp3 -q 192K with the video URL in quotes. lyt fetches the audio with yt-dlp, converts it to MP3 with ffmpeg at 192K, and saves the file in the downloads folder. Use -q 320K for a fixed high bitrate, or -q 0 for the best variable bitrate.
What does lyt --json return to an AI agent?
With --json, lyt writes one lyt.result.v1 JSON document to stdout, including the final file paths. Diagnostics go to stderr. Run lyt capabilities --json to read the commands, modes, flags, and exit codes as lyt.capabilities.v1.
Can I download only part of a YouTube video?
Yes. Use --clip with a start and end, such as --clip 1:10-2:45. Leave one side open with 1:10- for the rest of the video or -2:45 from the start. Repeat --clip for several slices, or use --split-chapters to save one file per chapter.
Does lyt download Spotify audio directly?
No. For a Spotify playlist, album, track, or artist, lyt reads the item and matches each track on YouTube, then saves it as an MP3 with tags and cover art. Re-run the same playlist to fetch only songs added since the last run. Playlists over 100 songs need Spotify API keys.