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✨ YouTube Video Downloader - Optimized for Automation

Professional YouTube video downloader designed for workflow automation, API integrations, and cloud-based applications.

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🚀 Overview

Download YouTube videos programmatically with three flexible modes optimized for different use cases. Perfect for automation workflows, API integrations, content archiving, and cloud-based applications.

🌟 UNIQUE ADVANTAGE: Unlike other actors that max out at 360p files, our Apify Storage mode delivers up to 1080p for long videos and 1920p for YouTube Shorts - High Quality Video with Sound (Video+Sound🎧)!

Built for professionals using n8n, AWS Lambda, Make.com, Zapier, Integromat, and custom automation pipelines.

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✨ Key Features

• Three Download Modes: Choose between redirect links, direct URLs, or cloud storage
• 🔥 Industry-Leading Quality in Storage Mode: Get 1080p for long videos and 1920p for Shorts High Quality Video with Sound (Video+Sound🎧) (other actors max out at 360p!)
• High-Quality Direct Links: Support for resolutions up to 8K (4320p) in Direct and Redirect modes
• All-in-One Files: Video with embedded audio in single MP4 - no separate audio merging needed
• Separate Audio Extraction: Bonus high-quality MP3 audio (320kbps) in storage mode for audio-only use
• YouTube Shorts Support: Optimized handling for YouTube Shorts with automatic quality selection
• Automation-First Design: JSON output optimized for n8n, AWS Lambda, Make.com, Zapier
• Comprehensive Metadata: Optional detailed video and channel information
• Reliable & Fast: Built-in retry mechanisms and optimized for speed

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📋 Use Cases

Automation & Integration

• n8n workflows: Integrate video downloads into complex automation sequences
• AWS Lambda functions: Serverless video processing and archiving
• Make.com/Zapier: Connect YouTube downloads to thousands of apps
• Custom APIs: Build video download services for your applications
• Webhook triggers: Automated downloads when new videos are published

Content Management

• Video archiving: Permanent storage of important content
• Content backup: Automated backup of YouTube channels
• Media libraries: Build searchable video collections
• Training materials: Download educational content for offline use
• Marketing assets: Archive promotional videos and ads

Development

• Testing environments: Download sample videos for application testing
• Data pipelines: Extract video content for analysis
• Machine learning: Collect training data for ML models
• Content analysis: Process videos through custom algorithms

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🎯 Download Modes

1️⃣ Direct Download Links 🔗

Best for: Custom download managers and direct integration

• Raw YouTube server URLs without any wrapper
• Direct connection to content delivery network
• Supports up to 8K (4320p) resolution for regular videos
• Supports up to 1920p for Shorts (auto-optimized to highest available)
• Perfect for integration with download tools

Output includes:

• Direct video URL
• Direct audio URL
• Direct combined video+audio URL
• Direct thumbnail URL

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2️⃣ Quick Redirect Links ⚡

Best for: Immediate playback and temporary sharing

• Fast Redirect URLs Via Key‑Value Store
• Points to YouTube servers for compatibility
• Supports up to 8K (4320p) resolution for regular videos
• Supports up to 1920p for Shorts (auto-optimized to highest available)
• Ideal for quick sharing

Output includes:

• Video redirect URL
• Audio redirect URL
• Combined video+audio redirect URL
• Thumbnail redirect URL

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3️⃣ Apify Storage Upload 📦 ⭐ RECOMMENDED FOR AUTOMATION

Best for: Workflow automation and long-term storage

🔥 UNIQUE ADVANTAGE - Industry-Leading Quality:

• Long Videos: Up to 1080p with audio embedded (other actors max at 360p!)
• Shorts: Up to 1920p with audio embedded (highest quality available!)
• All-in-one MP4 files - no audio merging required
• PLUS: Separate MP3 audio file (320kbps) for audio-only use cases

Cloud Storage Benefits:

• Files uploaded to Apify cloud storage
• Optimized for automation platforms: n8n, AWS Lambda, Make.com, Zapier, Integromat
• Perfect for webhooks and API integrations
• Thumbnail image included
• Designed for cloud servers and serverless functions

Output includes:

• Video file URL (MP4 with embedded audio) - 1080p for long videos, 1920p for Shorts
• Audio file URL (MP3, 320kbps high quality)
• Thumbnail file URL (JPEG)
• File size information
• Format details

Why choose Storage mode?

• ✅ Highest quality available (1080p/1920p vs 360p from other actors)
• ✅ Audio already embedded in video (no separate merging needed)
• ✅ Reliable cloud storage optimized for automation
• ✅ Separate audio file PLUS video with audio
• ✅ Perfect for webhooks, n8n, AWS Lambda, serverless functions
• ✅ Designed for long-term projects and cloud workflows

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📊 Resolution Support

Regular Videos (Long-form content)

Resolution	Quick Redirect	Direct Download	Storage Upload
8K (4320p)	✅ Yes	✅ Yes	❌ No
4K (2160p)	✅ Yes	✅ Yes	❌ No
2K (1440p)	✅ Yes	✅ Yes	❌ No
1920p	✅ Yes	✅ Yes	❌ No
1080p	✅ Yes	✅ Yes	✅ Max
720p	✅ Yes	✅ Yes	✅ Yes
480p	✅ Yes	✅ Yes	✅ Yes
360p	✅ Yes	✅ Yes	✅ Yes

YouTube Shorts

Resolution	Quick Redirect	Direct Download	Storage Upload
1920p	🔄 Auto-optimized	🔄 Auto-optimized	🔄 Auto-optimized*
1280p	✅ Typical	✅ Typical	✅ Typical

*Shorts are automatically optimized to the highest available quality (typically 1280-1920p)

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🏆 Competitive Advantage - Storage Mode Comparison

See why our Apify Storage mode is superior to other YouTube downloader actors:

Feature	This Actor	Other Actors
Long Video Quality	✅ Up to 1080p	❌ Max 360p
Shorts Quality	✅ Up to 1920p	❌ Max 360p
Audio Embedded in Video	✅ Yes - all-in-one MP4	❌ No - separate files
Separate MP3 Audio	✅ Yes (320kbps)	⚠️ Sometimes
Ready for Automation	✅ Optimized for n8n, AWS	⚠️ Limited
File Merging Required	✅ No - ready to use	❌ Yes - manual merging

Bottom Line: Get 3-5x higher quality (1080p/1920p vs 360p) High Quality Video with Sound (Video+Sound🎧) - perfect for automation workflows!

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🔧 Configuration

Input Parameters

YouTube URLs (Required)

• Type: Array of URLs
• Format: Standard YouTube video URLs or Shorts URLs
• Examples:
  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIDEO_ID
  • https://youtube.com/shorts/SHORT_ID
  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIDEO_ID&list=PLAYLIST_ID

Video Quality/Resolution (Required)

• Type: Select dropdown
• Options: 8K, 4K, 2K, 1920p, 1080p, 720p, 480p, 360p
• Default: 1080p (recommended for compatibility)
• Auto-adjustment: Higher selections automatically adjust based on mode limits

Download Mode (Required)

• Type: Select dropdown
• Options:
  • redirect_url - Quick Redirect Links
  • direct_download - Direct Download Links
  • apify_storage_upload - Apify Storage Upload (recommended)
• Default: redirect_url

Include Additional Metadata (Optional)

• Type: Boolean checkbox
• Default: true
• Description: Include comprehensive video and channel information in output

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📤 Output Format

Common Fields (All Modes)

Every download includes these essential fields:

• Video Information: Original URL, video type, title, channel name, duration, thumbnail URL
• Resolution Details: Requested quality vs. actual provided resolution
• Engagement Metrics: View count, categories, channel subscribers
• File Information: Video and audio file sizes
• Metadata Fields: Description, availability status, live status

Mode-Specific Fields

Quick Redirect Links Output

Receives temporary HTML redirect URLs for:

• Video file (video-only stream)
• Audio file (audio-only stream)
• Merged video with audio (combined file)
• Thumbnail image

Direct Download Links Output

Receives raw YouTube CDN URLs for:

• Video stream (direct YouTube server link)
• Audio stream (direct YouTube server link)
• Merged video with audio (combined stream)
• Thumbnail image (YouTube CDN)

Apify Storage Upload Output

Receives cloud-hosted files with detailed information:

• Video File: MP4 with embedded audio (1080p for long videos, 1920p for Shorts), includes download URL, format, and file size
• Audio File: Separate MP3 audio (320kbps), includes download URL and format
• Thumbnail Image: High-quality thumbnail with download URL

Additional Metadata (Optional)

When enabled, you'll receive comprehensive analytics and technical details:

• Engagement Stats: Like count, comment count, view count
• Video Technical Details: Format, codec, resolution, FPS, bitrate
• Audio Technical Details: Format, codec, bitrate
• Channel Information: Subscriber count, channel ID, upload date
• Content Data: Keywords/tags, categories, video type, availability status

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⚠️ Important Notes

🌟 Why This Actor is Different

Storage Mode Quality Advantage:

• ✅ This actor: 1080p for long videos, 1920p for Shorts - with audio embedded
• ❌ Other actors: Maximum 360p - with separate audio files requiring merging
• ✅ This actor: All-in-one MP4 files ready for immediate use
• ✅ This actor: PLUS separate MP3 for audio-only use cases

Download Modes

• Direct Download and Quick Redirect provide links with up to 8K quality
• Storage Upload provides cloud-hosted files optimized for automation workflows
• For n8n, AWS Lambda, Make.com, Zapier: Always use Storage Upload mode for reliable, high-quality results

Resolution Limits

• Storage mode is limited to 1080p (regular videos) and 1920p (Shorts)
• Higher resolutions require Quick Redirect or Direct Download modes
• Shorts are automatically optimized regardless of selection

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📞 Support

Need Help?

• Email: scrapearchitect@gmail.com
• Response Time: Quick response guaranteed

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Made with ❤️ for automation professionals

Professional YouTube video downloader optimized for n8n, AWS Lambda, Make.com, Zapier, and custom automation workflows

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• 👨‍💻 Content Creators & Marketers: Download reference videos, competitors' content, or your own Shorts for repurposing on other social platforms.
• 🎓 Educators & Trainers: Build offline video libraries for classrooms or courses with reliable, high-quality downloads.
• 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Parents: Safely download content from YouTube Kids for offline viewing during travel.
• 📊 Data Analysts: Extract rich metadata (views, likes, keywords) for market research and trend analysis.
• 🌍 Travelers & Commuters: Save videos for offline entertainment without needing an internet connection.

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