Backup YouTube channels

run-backup.sh

#!/bin/bash

# Change to the directory for this script.
cd "$(dirname "$(realpath "$0")")"

if ! [ -d ve ]; then
    python3 -m venv ve
fi

ve/bin/pip install -q -U youtube-dl

# This one liner, with comments, will archive YouTube channels for you.
# You have to list channel links, line-by-line in download.list
# Completed video downloads will be saved to complete.list.
# You can run this in cron every night.

# -q does things quietly.

# -a <file> is list of things to grab.
# For a list of users use 'ytuser:<usename>' for each line.

# -f bestvideo+bestaudio/best gets you the best stuff. You need ffmpeg.

# --download-archive <filename> names a file to save completed downloads in.
# --write-info-json --write-thumbnail --add-metadata will preserve as much
# information about a video as possible, except subtitles and comments.

# the -o format specifies where to output files and with what names.


ve/bin/youtube-dl \
    -q \
    -a ./download.list \
    -f 'bestvideo[ext!=webm]+bestaudio[ext!=webm]/best[ext!=webm]' \
    --no-warnings \
    --ignore-errors \
    --download-archive ./complete.list \
    --write-info-json --write-thumbnail --add-metadata \
    -o "./video/%(uploader)s/%(title)s {%(id)s}.%(ext)s"