How do I download in 4K?

Use yt-dlp -f "bestvideo[height>=2160]+bestaudio/best" "URL" and ensure ffmpeg.exe is next to yt-dlp.exe for merging.

Why are video and audio separate?

YouTube often provides video-only and audio-only streams for high resolutions. yt-dlp downloads both and uses FFmpeg to merge them.

How do I keep it at 1080p or lower?

Use yt-dlp -f "bestvideo[height<=1080]+bestaudio/best" "URL" to cap the resolution.

Do I need FFmpeg for 4K?

Yes, FFmpeg is required to merge separate video+audio streams at 4K/8K and to handle many audio conversions.

What if my device can't play AV1 or WebM?

Select H.264/MP4 formats for better compatibility, for example: -f "bestvideo[ext=mp4][vcodec*=h264]+bestaudio[ext=m4a]/best[ext=mp4]".

Download 4K/8K (HDR) with yt-dlp

Q: Do I need FFmpeg for 4K?

Yes, FFmpeg is required to merge separate video+audio streams at 4K/8K and to handle many audio conversions.

Q: What if my device can't play AV1 or WebM?

Select H.264/MP4 formats for better compatibility, for example: -f "bestvideo[ext=mp4][vcodec*=h264]+bestaudio[ext=m4a]/best[ext=mp4]".

Choose the right formats for AV1/VP9/H.264, ensure bestvideo+bestaudio merges with FFmpeg, cap resolution at 1080p when needed, and optimize performance.

⬇️ Download yt-dlp.exe FFmpeg setup

Note: Not every video has 4K/8K or HDR variants. yt-dlp can only download what's available from the source.

• Works on Windows 11/10

Quick start for 4K/8K

Let yt-dlp pick the best separate video+audio streams and merge with FFmpeg:

yt-dlp -f "bestvideo+bestaudio/best" "URL"

For 4K (2160p) or higher: yt-dlp will choose the highest available by default.
Ensure ffmpeg.exe is next to yt-dlp.exe to merge the streams.

Cap resolution (1080p or lower)

yt-dlp -f "bestvideo[height<=1080]+bestaudio/best" "URL"

Use this when your device or editor struggles with 4K/8K.

Prefer H.264/MP4 for compatibility

yt-dlp -f "bestvideo[ext=mp4][vcodec*=h264]+bestaudio[ext=m4a]/best[ext=mp4]" "URL"

Helpful for older players, TVs, and editors that dislike WebM/AV1.

Prefer newer codecs (AV1/VP9)

Let yt-dlp choose modern codecs when available and fall back gracefully:

yt-dlp -f "bestvideo[vcodec^=av01]/bestvideo[vcodec^=vp9]/bestvideo"+bestaudio/best "URL"

This tries AV1 first, then VP9, then any best video, merged with best audio.

About HDR

HDR availability depends on the upload (e.g., VP9 Profile 2 or AV1 10‑bit). Some devices can't display HDR correctly.

If playback issues occur, try the H.264/MP4 command above.
For editing, you may prefer SDR (non‑HDR) formats for compatibility.

Performance & reliability

Concurrency for fragments: -N 4 (try 4–8)
Rate limit (if throttled): --limit-rate 5M
Retry on failures: --retries 10 --fragment-retries 10

Troubleshooting

No audio: Ensure you used bestvideo+bestaudio rather than video‑only.
Merge errors: Confirm ffmpeg.exe is present and up to date.
No 4K option: The source may not provide it; yt-dlp cannot upscale.

See more: Troubleshooting

Legal & safety

yt-dlp is open source and safe. Only download content you have rights to and comply with each website's Terms of Service.

Next steps: FFmpeg setup • Commands cheatsheet • Convert to MP3