Bulk YouTube Video Metadata Scraper & API

Extract full metadata from YouTube videos and Shorts in bulk without downloading the media. Paste URLs or video IDs and receive one standalone .info.json file per successful video through temporary direct links or your own cloud storage.

Pay only for successfully delivered records, from $2.50 per 1,000 videos. This Actor is built for lightweight metadata collection, cataloging, AI pipelines, and large dataset preparation.

Built on Titan Network's distributed infrastructure, used by leading AI companies and designed to support petabyte-scale dataset delivery.

What metadata you get

Each successful video produces a standalone .info.json file. Depending on what YouTube makes available, it can include:

Data group	Example fields
Identity and text	Video ID, title, description, webpage URL
Performance	View, like, and comment counts
Media details	Duration, available formats, thumbnails, chapters
Channel	Channel name, channel ID, and uploader details
Captions	Available caption and subtitle tracks

Standard YouTube videos, Shorts, youtu.be links, and plain 11-character video IDs are supported. Duplicate IDs are processed and charged once.

How to scrape YouTube metadata

1. Click Try for free.
2. Paste YouTube URLs or 11-character video IDs into Start URLs.
3. Choose temporary direct links or configure Amazon S3, Google Cloud Storage, or DigitalOcean Spaces.
4. Optionally adjust concurrency and the per-item timeout.
5. Click Run, then open the Dataset to collect the .info.json links.

How much does it cost?

One successful video produces one billable metadata record. Platform usage is included in the event price, with no separate start or proxy fee charged by this Actor.

Apify plan	Price per 1,000 successful videos
Free	$4.00
Starter	$3.50
Scale	$3.00
Business	$2.50

At the Free-plan rate, $5 of prepaid usage covers about 1,250 successful metadata records when the credit is otherwise unused. Failed lookups, timeouts, cancellations, duplicates, and missing output files do not trigger a success charge.

Check the live Pricing tab before a large run; it is the authoritative source for the price that applies.

Input configuration

Parameter	Type	Required	Default	Description
startUrls	Array of strings	Yes	-	YouTube URLs or plain 11-character video IDs. Duplicates are processed once.
storageType	String	No	"apify"	apify for temporary direct links, or aws, gcp, or digitalocean for external storage.
s3Bucket	String	External storage	-	Bucket or container name.
s3Region	String	No	-	Storage region, such as us-east-1, auto, or nyc3. Required for DigitalOcean.
s3AccessKeyId	String	External storage	-	Access key ID for the target storage.
s3SecretAccessKey	String	External storage	-	Secret access key for the target storage.
maxWaitSec	Integer	No	Mode default	Maximum processing time per item.
maxConcurrency	Integer	No	20	Number of concurrent worker units, from 1 to 50.

Azure Blob Storage is not currently supported.

Example input

{
  "startUrls": [
    "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ",
    "9bZkp7q19f0"
  ],
  "maxConcurrency": 5
}

Output dataset

Each requested video produces one Dataset row. Completed rows include the video ID and title, processing status, the .info.json download link or storage key, and a downloadFiles array containing the delivered metadata file.

The downloadFiles array is the authoritative delivery record. Failed items include a machine-readable error code and do not trigger a success charge.

Use cases

• Build searchable video catalogs without transferring media files.
• Prepare YouTube metadata for AI, RAG, recommendation, or analytics pipelines.
• Archive .info.json records for authorized video collections.
• Inspect available formats and caption tracks before launching media jobs.
• Deliver large metadata batches directly to your own cloud bucket.

Integrations and API

Run the Actor from the Apify API using ready-made Python, JavaScript, or cURL snippets in the API tab. You can also schedule runs in Apify Console, trigger them from n8n, Make, or Zapier, receive completion webhooks, or call the Actor through the Apify MCP server.

FAQ

Does this Actor download video or audio files?

No. It delivers a standalone .info.json metadata file for each successful video without downloading or delivering the media.

Am I charged for failed lookups?

No. A success event is triggered only after the Gateway reports completion, the metadata file is present, and the Dataset row has been written. Failures, timeouts, cancellations, duplicates, and missing outputs are not charged.

How many videos can I process in one run?

You can submit a batch of URLs or IDs. maxConcurrency is configurable from 1 to 50, and maxWaitSec limits processing time for each item. For very large jobs, start with a smaller batch to validate the output and storage configuration.

How long are direct links valid?

Titan platform links are retained for approximately 24 hours. Use your own S3, GCS, or DigitalOcean bucket for persistent copies.

Is it legal to scrape YouTube metadata?

This Actor reads publicly available video metadata. Results may contain personal data; use a lawful purpose and follow applicable privacy rules, copyright law, and YouTube's Terms of Service. This is not legal advice.

Support

Open an issue on the Issues tab. We respond within one business day. If this Actor saved you time, an honest review helps other users find it. For higher volumes, custom fields, or an SLA, email titannet@titannet.io; enterprise pricing is arranged through Apify.

Other Titan YouTube Actors

• YouTube Video Downloader - 4K, MP4 & MP3
• YouTube MP3 Audio Downloader
• YouTube Transcript & Subtitles Scraper

Legal and fair use

This Actor is intended for collecting publicly available metadata for authorized, lawful purposes. Titan Network is not affiliated with YouTube or Google. You are responsible for complying with applicable law and platform terms.