Universal Media Extractor: Video, Audio and Metadata from Any Link

This actor turns a video or audio link from YouTube, TikTok, Twitter/X, Instagram, Vimeo and 1000+ other sites into structured metadata, direct format URLs, or a downloaded file in your own storage. Extract mode reads the page and returns titles, descriptions, stats and direct links without downloading anything. Download mode saves the file to Apify storage or your own bucket. Stream mode sends the file straight to your S3 or Google Cloud Storage bucket without saving it in Apify storage. Export what you get to JSON, CSV or Excel, or read it through the API.

Why This Scraper?

• One input field, 1000+ sites. Paste almost any video or audio page link, no separate setup for each platform.
• Three modes for three jobs. Pull metadata and direct URLs only, save the file to Apify storage, or send it straight to your own S3 or Google Cloud Storage bucket.
• Format control. Pick the best available quality, audio only, or a resolution cap, with a plain format string.
• Playlist and channel aware for listings. Flatten a playlist or channel link into its video URLs in one call, without opening every video.
• Metadata before you commit to storage. Extract mode returns titles, descriptions, view counts and direct format URLs without downloading the file, so you can decide what is worth saving.
• Optional proxy routing. Route requests through Apify Proxy for sites that block direct connections, or run without a proxy by default.
• Built for automation. Call it from your own code, a schedule, or a no-code tool through the Apify API.

Use Cases

• Content archiving: save a copy of a video or audio file to your own S3 or Google Cloud Storage bucket for backup or compliance records.
• Media processing pipelines: get direct format URLs and metadata to feed into transcription, captioning or machine learning workflows without storing the file yourself.
• Catalog and research: collect titles, descriptions, view counts and other metadata across many links for analysis or reporting, without downloading anything.
• App and bot integrations: pull thumbnails, durations and direct URLs to reference media inside your own product.
• Playlist triage: flatten a playlist or channel link into its video URLs first, then process only the ones you need.

Data You Get

Sample shape: values are illustrative placeholders, not from a live record.

Field	Example
id	"sample123abc"
title	"Sample Video Title"
description	"A short sample description of the video."
duration	212
view_count	1500000
like_count	42000
upload_date	"20240115"
uploader	"Sample Channel"
channel	"Sample Channel"
thumbnail	"https://example.com/thumbnail.jpg"
thumbnails	list of thumbnail URLs at different sizes
webpage_url	"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sample123abc"
ext	"mp4"
extractor	"youtube" (name of the site handler that read the link)
tags	["music", "sample"]
is_live	false
formats	list of available formats, each with a format id, extension, resolution and direct URL
storage_url	link to the saved file (download and stream modes only)
storage_type	"apify", "s3", or "gcs" (download and stream modes only)
filename	"sample123abc.mp4" (download and stream modes only)

Extract mode returns the fields above at the top level of the record, with no storage_url, storage_type or filename since nothing is downloaded. Download and stream mode records carry storage_url, filename and storage_type at the top level, with the rest of the metadata nested under an info object.

How to Use

1. Paste the video, audio, or playlist link into url.
2. Pick a mode: extract for metadata and direct links only, download to save the file to Apify storage or your bucket, or stream to send the file straight to your S3 or GCS bucket.
3. Set format to control quality, and fill storage_type plus storage_config when you choose download or stream to your own bucket.
4. Click Start, then read the result from the dataset, or open the link it contains to get the stored file.

Extract metadata only:

{
  "url": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ",
  "mode": "extract"
}

Download up to 1080p to Apify storage:

{
  "url": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ",
  "mode": "download",
  "format": "best[height<=1080]"
}

Stream audio only to Google Cloud Storage:

{
  "url": "https://soundcloud.com/artist/track",
  "mode": "stream",
  "format": "bestaudio",
  "storage_type": "gcs",
  "storage_config": {
    "bucket": "my-audio-bucket",
    "credentials_json": "{...service account JSON...}"
  }
}

Flatten a playlist into its video URLs, routed through Apify Proxy:

{
  "url": "https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLsample0000000000",
  "mode": "extract",
  "extract_flat": true,
  "proxy": { "useApifyProxy": true }
}

Run it from your code

Python:

from apify_client import ApifyClient

client = ApifyClient("<YOUR_APIFY_TOKEN>")
run = client.actor("abotapi/universal-media-extractor").call(run_input={"url": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ", "mode": "extract"})
for item in client.dataset(run["defaultDatasetId"]).iterate_items():
    print(item["title"], item["duration"])

JavaScript:

import { ApifyClient } from 'apify-client';

const client = new ApifyClient({ token: '<YOUR_APIFY_TOKEN>' });
const run = await client.actor('abotapi/universal-media-extractor').call({ url: 'https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ', mode: 'extract' });
const { items } = await client.dataset(run.defaultDatasetId).listItems();

Or connect it to Make, Zapier, n8n, Google Sheets or webhooks from the Integrations tab.

About playlists and channels

This actor reads one link per run. extract mode with extract_flat turned on is the reliable way to turn a playlist or channel link into a list of video URLs. To save more than one video, run the actor again per URL with mode set to download or stream; a playlist link passed directly to download or stream mode is not looped over item by item.

Input Parameters

Parameter	Type	Default	Description
url	string	(none, required)	Video, audio or playlist URL to process. The Console prefills a sample YouTube link.
mode	string	extract	extract (metadata only), download (save to storage), or stream (send straight to cloud storage).
format	string	best	Format selection string, for example best, bestaudio, bestvideo+bestaudio, or best[height<=720].
storage_type	string	apify	Where to save the file for download and stream modes: apify, s3, or gcs.
storage_config	object	(none)	Cloud storage settings. For S3: bucket, region, aws_access_key, aws_secret_key, prefix, acl. For GCS: bucket, credentials_json, prefix, make_public. acl and make_public apply in stream mode only; download mode returns a signed link valid for 7 days.
proxy	object	(none, direct connection)	Apify Proxy configuration. Leave empty to connect directly; the Console suggests turning on Apify Proxy as a starting point.
extract_flat	boolean	false	For playlists, list video URLs without reading each video's full metadata.
playlist_items	string	(none)	Reserved for picking playlist items (for example 1,3,5-7). Not applied in the current version; use extract_flat and choose from the result.
write_subtitles	boolean	false	Reserved; not applied in the current version. Subtitle track links, where the site offers them, appear in the extract mode record.
subtitle_langs	array	(none)	Reserved; not applied in the current version.
geo_bypass	boolean	true	Try to read videos that are restricted to certain countries.
ignore_errors	boolean	false	Reserved; not applied in the current version. A run that hits an error stops and fails.
username	string	(none)	Reserved; not applied in the current version, so login-only content cannot be read.
password	string	(none)	Reserved; not applied in the current version.

Output Example

Sample shape: values are illustrative placeholders, not from a live record.

{
  "id": "sample123abc",
  "title": "Sample Video Title",
  "description": "A short sample description of the video.",
  "duration": 212,
  "view_count": 1500000,
  "like_count": 42000,
  "upload_date": "20240115",
  "uploader": "Sample Channel",
  "channel": "Sample Channel",
  "thumbnail": "https://example.com/thumbnail.jpg",
  "thumbnails": [
    { "url": "https://example.com/thumbnail_small.jpg", "width": 120, "height": 90 }
  ],
  "webpage_url": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sample123abc",
  "ext": "mp4",
  "extractor": "youtube",
  "tags": ["music", "sample"],
  "is_live": false,
  "formats": [
    { "format_id": "22", "ext": "mp4", "resolution": "1280x720", "url": "https://example.com/stream/720p.mp4" }
  ]
}

Plan Requirement

This actor needs an Apify plan with compute credits available. Extract mode costs less because no file is downloaded or uploaded. Download and stream mode use more compute time, roughly in proportion to file size, and stream mode's own transfer counts toward that time. The proxy field is empty by default, so requests go out directly; switching to a paid proxy group under Connection can help on sites that block direct connections from cloud IP ranges.

FAQ

How much does it cost?

You pay for the compute time the run uses. Extract mode is the cheapest since nothing is downloaded or uploaded. Download and stream mode cost more, roughly with file size. The Pricing tab shows current rates.

Is it legal to download videos and audio with this actor?

This actor reads and downloads media the same way a browser or media player would, from the link you give it, and it does not remove copy protection or DRM. Whether you may keep, use or redistribute a downloaded file depends on the content owner's rights, the source platform's terms of service, and the copyright law that applies to you. Many places allow a personal, private copy but restrict redistribution or commercial use of someone else's work. Get your own legal advice before redistributing anything, and stick to content you own, have permission for, or that carries a license allowing reuse.

Can I schedule this to catch new uploads automatically?

You can schedule the actor from the Schedules tab to re-run on a link, but it does not track state between runs: there is no built-in new-only or changed-only detection, and no resume feature. Each run reads or downloads the link fresh, every time.

Why did my download run return a link instead of a file I can open directly?

Download and stream mode save the file to storage and give you a link (storage_url) plus metadata, not the raw file bytes inside the dataset record. Open the link to get the actual video or audio file. Also, stream mode only sends data straight to S3 or GCS; with storage_type set to apify, a stream mode run automatically uses download mode instead, since direct streaming isn't offered for that storage. A format that combines separate video and audio streams, such as bestvideo+bestaudio, also makes a stream run use download mode.

Why did my run fail instead of returning an empty result?

This actor reads one link per run, so there is no partial or empty dataset outcome. If the link cannot be read at all, for example it is invalid, the content was removed or made private, or the site refuses the connection, the run stops and fails. A dataset record describing the problem is still pushed before the run fails, so you can see what went wrong without reading the logs. Try again after checking the link, or add a proxy under Connection if the site is blocking the default connection.

Can I use this with AI agents or MCP?

Yes. Call it like any other Apify actor from an AI agent, an MCP client that exposes Apify actors as tools, or your own automation, through the Apify API. This actor does not push results into a third-party app on its own; the dataset records and the direct URLs they contain are what you feed into your agent or workflow.

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