# YouTube Audio Downloader (`utils/youtube-link`) Actor Extract high-quality audio from any YouTube video in seconds. Choose MP3, M4A, or WAV with custom bitrate. Built with smart fallback strategies and proxy rotation for reliable extraction as YouTube's detection evolves. Batch-ready, fast, actively maintained. - **URL**: https://apify.com/utils/youtube-link.md - **Developed by:** [Oliver Queen](https://apify.com/utils) (community) - **Categories:** Social media, Videos, Developer tools - **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks - **User rating**: No ratings yet ## Pricing from $1.50 / 1,000 results This Actor is paid per event. You are not charged for the Apify platform usage, but only a fixed price for specific events. Learn more: https://docs.apify.com/platform/actors/running/actors-in-store#pay-per-event ## What's an Apify Actor? Actors are a software tools running on the Apify platform, for all kinds of web data extraction and automation use cases. In Batch mode, an Actor accepts a well-defined JSON input, performs an action which can take anything from a few seconds to a few hours, and optionally produces a well-defined JSON output, datasets with results, or files in key-value store. In Standby mode, an Actor provides a web server which can be used as a website, API, or an MCP server. Actors are written with capital "A". ## How to integrate an Actor? If asked about integration, you help developers integrate Actors into their projects. You adapt to their stack and deliver integrations that are safe, well-documented, and production-ready. The best way to integrate Actors is as follows. In JavaScript/TypeScript projects, use official [JavaScript/TypeScript client](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js.md): ```bash npm install apify-client ``` In Python projects, use official [Python client library](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python.md): ```bash pip install apify-client ``` In shell scripts, use [Apify CLI](https://docs.apify.com/cli/docs.md): ````bash # MacOS / Linux curl -fsSL https://apify.com/install-cli.sh | bash # Windows irm https://apify.com/install-cli.ps1 | iex ```bash In AI frameworks, you might use the [Apify MCP server](https://docs.apify.com/platform/integrations/mcp.md). If your project is in a different language, use the [REST API](https://docs.apify.com/api/v2.md). For usage examples, see the [API](#api) section below. For more details, see Apify documentation as [Markdown index](https://docs.apify.com/llms.txt) and [Markdown full-text](https://docs.apify.com/llms-full.txt). # README ## YouTube Audio Extractor Extract and download audio from YouTube videos. Supports residential proxy for reliable access and configurable audio quality. ### Features - Extract audio from any public YouTube video - Residential proxy support with optional country selection for region-locked content - Multiple audio quality options (best, high, medium, low) - Anonymous guest cookies — no login required, no sensitive data stored - Impersonation rotation (Chrome, Firefox, Safari) to bypass bot detection - Delivers audio file via Apify Key-Value Store with a shareable download URL ### Input | Field | Type | Description | |-------|------|-------------| | `url` | string | Full YouTube video URL (required) | | `audioQuality` | string | Audio quality: `best`, `high`, `medium`, or `low` | | `timeframe` | string | Download only a portion. Format: `MM:SS-MM:SS` or `HH:MM:SS-HH:MM:SS` (e.g. `1:30-3:00`). Leave empty for full audio. | | `proxyConfiguration` | object | Residential proxy with optional country group for region-locked videos | ### Output The actor pushes a dataset record and stores the audio file in the Key-Value Store: ```json { "title": "Video Title", "duration": 247, "thumbnail": "https://i.ytimg.com/vi/.../hqdefault.jpg", "url": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=...", "streams": ["https://...audio-stream-url..."], "downloadUrl": "https://api.apify.com/v2/key-value-stores/.../records/...", "filename": "video-title.mp3" } ```` ### Audio Quality Options | Setting | yt-dlp format | Typical bitrate | |---------|---------------|-----------------| | `best` | `bestaudio` | Highest available | | `high` | `bestaudio[abr<=192]` | ~192 kbps | | `medium` | `bestaudio[abr<=128]` | ~128 kbps | | `low` | `bestaudio[abr<=64]` | ~64 kbps | ### Why Use This Actor? - **No cookies required** — anonymous guest cookies are generated automatically; you don't need to export browser cookies or risk leaking session data - **Residential proxy** — use Apify's RESIDENTIAL proxy groups to access region-locked content and reduce bot detection - **Simple output** — get a playable audio download URL directly from the Key-Value Store - **One-shot execution** — runs once and exits; no servers to manage # Actor input Schema ## `url` (type: `string`): Full YouTube video URL (e.g. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ) ## `audioQuality` (type: `string`): Audio bitrate preference. 'best' uses the highest available. ## `timeframe` (type: `string`): Download only a portion of the audio. Format: MM:SS-MM:SS or HH:MM:SS-HH:MM:SS (e.g. 1:30-3:00). Leave empty for full audio. ## `proxyConfiguration` (type: `object`): Select RESIDENTIAL proxy to avoid bot detection and optionally pick your country for region-locked content. ## Actor input object example ```json { "url": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ", "audioQuality": "best", "proxyConfiguration": { "useApifyProxy": true, "apifyProxyGroups": [ "RESIDENTIAL" ] } } ``` # API You can run this Actor programmatically using our API. Below are code examples in JavaScript, Python, and CLI, as well as the OpenAPI specification and MCP server setup. ## JavaScript example ```javascript import { ApifyClient } from 'apify-client'; // Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token // Replace the '' with your token const client = new ApifyClient({ token: '', }); // Prepare Actor input const input = { "url": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ", "timeframe": "", "proxyConfiguration": { "useApifyProxy": true, "apifyProxyGroups": [ "RESIDENTIAL" ] } }; // Run the Actor and wait for it to finish const run = await client.actor("utils/youtube-link").call(input); // Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if any) console.log('Results from dataset'); console.log(`💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/${run.defaultDatasetId}`); const { items } = await client.dataset(run.defaultDatasetId).listItems(); items.forEach((item) => { console.dir(item); }); // 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs ``` ## Python example ```python from apify_client import ApifyClient # Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token # Replace '' with your token. client = ApifyClient("") # Prepare the Actor input run_input = { "url": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ", "timeframe": "", "proxyConfiguration": { "useApifyProxy": True, "apifyProxyGroups": ["RESIDENTIAL"], }, } # Run the Actor and wait for it to finish run = client.actor("utils/youtube-link").call(run_input=run_input) # Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if there are any) print("💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/" + run["defaultDatasetId"]) for item in client.dataset(run["defaultDatasetId"]).iterate_items(): print(item) # 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs/quick-start ``` ## CLI example ```bash echo '{ "url": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ", "timeframe": "", "proxyConfiguration": { "useApifyProxy": true, "apifyProxyGroups": [ "RESIDENTIAL" ] } }' | apify call utils/youtube-link --silent --output-dataset ``` ## MCP server setup ```json { "mcpServers": { "apify": { "command": "npx", "args": [ "mcp-remote", "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=utils/youtube-link", "--header", "Authorization: Bearer " ] } } } ``` ## OpenAPI specification ```json { "openapi": "3.0.1", "info": { "title": "YouTube Audio Downloader", "description": "Extract high-quality audio from any YouTube video in seconds. Choose MP3, M4A, or WAV with custom bitrate. Built with smart fallback strategies and proxy rotation for reliable extraction as YouTube's detection evolves. Batch-ready, fast, actively maintained.", "version": "0.0", "x-build-id": "hHWc1YGp5yGDREecU" }, "servers": [ { "url": "https://api.apify.com/v2" } ], "paths": { "/acts/utils~youtube-link/run-sync-get-dataset-items": { "post": { "operationId": "run-sync-get-dataset-items-utils-youtube-link", "x-openai-isConsequential": false, "summary": "Executes an Actor, waits for its completion, and returns Actor's dataset items in response.", "tags": [ "Run Actor" ], "requestBody": { "required": true, "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/inputSchema" } } } }, "parameters": [ { "name": "token", "in": "query", "required": true, "schema": { "type": "string" }, "description": "Enter your Apify token here" } ], "responses": { "200": { "description": "OK" } } } }, "/acts/utils~youtube-link/runs": { "post": { "operationId": "runs-sync-utils-youtube-link", "x-openai-isConsequential": false, "summary": "Executes an Actor and returns information about the initiated run in response.", "tags": [ "Run Actor" ], "requestBody": { "required": true, "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/inputSchema" } } } }, "parameters": [ { "name": "token", "in": "query", "required": true, "schema": { "type": "string" }, "description": "Enter your Apify token here" } ], "responses": { "200": { "description": "OK", "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/runsResponseSchema" } } } } } } }, "/acts/utils~youtube-link/run-sync": { "post": { "operationId": "run-sync-utils-youtube-link", "x-openai-isConsequential": false, "summary": "Executes an Actor, waits for completion, and returns the OUTPUT from Key-value store in response.", "tags": [ "Run Actor" ], "requestBody": { "required": true, "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/inputSchema" } } } }, "parameters": [ { "name": "token", "in": "query", "required": true, "schema": { "type": "string" }, "description": "Enter your Apify token here" } ], "responses": { "200": { "description": "OK" } } } } }, "components": { "schemas": { "inputSchema": { "type": "object", "required": [ "url" ], "properties": { "url": { "title": "YouTube URL", "type": "string", "description": "Full YouTube video URL (e.g. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ)" }, "audioQuality": { "title": "Audio Quality", "enum": [ "best", "high", "medium", "low" ], "type": "string", "description": "Audio bitrate preference. 'best' uses the highest available.", "default": "best" }, "timeframe": { "title": "Timeframe (optional)", "type": "string", "description": "Download only a portion of the audio. Format: MM:SS-MM:SS or HH:MM:SS-HH:MM:SS (e.g. 1:30-3:00). Leave empty for full audio." }, "proxyConfiguration": { "title": "Proxy configuration", "type": "object", "description": "Select RESIDENTIAL proxy to avoid bot detection and optionally pick your country for region-locked content." } } }, "runsResponseSchema": { "type": "object", "properties": { "data": { "type": "object", "properties": { "id": { "type": "string" }, "actId": { "type": "string" }, "userId": { "type": "string" }, "startedAt": { "type": "string", "format": "date-time", "example": "2025-01-08T00:00:00.000Z" }, "finishedAt": { "type": "string", "format": "date-time", "example": "2025-01-08T00:00:00.000Z" }, "status": { "type": "string", "example": "READY" }, "meta": { "type": "object", "properties": { "origin": { "type": "string", "example": "API" }, "userAgent": { "type": "string" } } }, "stats": { "type": "object", "properties": { "inputBodyLen": { "type": "integer", "example": 2000 }, "rebootCount": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "restartCount": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "resurrectCount": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "computeUnits": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 } } }, "options": { "type": "object", "properties": { "build": { "type": "string", "example": "latest" }, "timeoutSecs": { "type": "integer", "example": 300 }, "memoryMbytes": { "type": "integer", "example": 1024 }, "diskMbytes": { "type": "integer", "example": 2048 } } }, "buildId": { "type": "string" }, "defaultKeyValueStoreId": { "type": "string" }, "defaultDatasetId": { "type": "string" }, "defaultRequestQueueId": { "type": "string" }, "buildNumber": { "type": "string", "example": "1.0.0" }, "containerUrl": { "type": "string" }, "usage": { "type": "object", "properties": { "ACTOR_COMPUTE_UNITS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATASET_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATASET_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 1 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_LISTS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "REQUEST_QUEUE_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "REQUEST_QUEUE_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATA_TRANSFER_INTERNAL_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATA_TRANSFER_EXTERNAL_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "PROXY_RESIDENTIAL_TRANSFER_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "PROXY_SERPS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 } } }, "usageTotalUsd": { "type": "number", "example": 0.00005 }, "usageUsd": { "type": "object", "properties": { "ACTOR_COMPUTE_UNITS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATASET_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATASET_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_WRITES": { "type": "number", "example": 0.00005 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_LISTS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "REQUEST_QUEUE_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "REQUEST_QUEUE_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATA_TRANSFER_INTERNAL_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATA_TRANSFER_EXTERNAL_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "PROXY_RESIDENTIAL_TRANSFER_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "PROXY_SERPS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 } } } } } } } } } } ```