Do I need admin rights to install yt-dlp on Windows?

No. yt-dlp.exe is fully portable. Admin rights are only needed if you want to add its folder to the system PATH for all users.

How do I add yt-dlp to PATH on Windows?

Open Start, search Environment Variables, click Edit environment variables, open Path under User variables, click New and paste your folder path (e.g. C:\Tools\yt-dlp), then click OK. Restart your terminal.

How do I update yt-dlp on Windows?

Run yt-dlp -U in PowerShell. This downloads and replaces the executable with the latest release automatically.

Why do I need FFmpeg with yt-dlp?

YouTube delivers 4K and 8K video as separate video and audio streams. FFmpeg merges them into one file. It is also required for MP3 and other audio conversions.

PowerShell says yt-dlp is not recognized?

Either run yt-dlp from the same folder as yt-dlp.exe, or add that folder to your PATH. After adding to PATH, close and reopen the terminal.

Download & Install yt-dlp on Windows — Step-by-step Guide 2026

Step-by-step install

How to install yt-dlp on Windows in 6 steps

Works on Windows 11 and Windows 10 (64-bit). No installation wizard, no admin rights required.

Step 01

Download yt-dlp.exe

Go to the download page and save yt-dlp.exe from the official GitHub release.

Step 02

Save to a dedicated folder

Move the file to a permanent location, e.g. C:\Tools\yt-dlp\. Avoid Downloads — files there sometimes get cleaned up.

Step 03

Open PowerShell in that folder

In Explorer, click the address bar, type powershell and press Enter. This opens PowerShell already in the right folder.

Step 04

Verify it works

Run yt-dlp --version. You should see a version number like 2025.xx.xx. If so, it's working.

Step 05

Update to latest version

Run yt-dlp -U. It downloads and replaces itself with the newest release. Do this regularly.

Step 06

Install FFmpeg (recommended)

Download ffmpeg.exe and place it in the same folder. Required for 4K/8K merges and MP3. Full guide →

Optional but recommended

How to add yt-dlp to PATH on Windows

Adding yt-dlp to PATH lets you run yt-dlp from any folder in PowerShell or CMD — you don't need to navigate to the yt-dlp folder every time.

GUI method (recommended)

Press Win and search Environment Variables
Click Edit the system environment variables
Under User variables, select Path → Edit
Click New and paste your folder path, e.g. C:\Tools\yt-dlp
Click OK on all dialogs, then restart your terminal

PowerShell method

Run this once in PowerShell — sets PATH for your user only, no admin needed:

setx PATH "%PATH%;C:\Tools\yt-dlp"

Close and reopen PowerShell after running this. Then test with yt-dlp --version from any directory.

Note: If you see "yt-dlp is not recognized" after adding to PATH, close all terminal windows and reopen — PATH changes only take effect in new sessions.

Post-install checks

Verify install and keep yt-dlp updated

Run these commands after setup to confirm everything is working.

Check installed version

yt-dlp --version

Update to the latest release

yt-dlp -U

Test with a real download (best quality)

yt-dlp "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIDEO_ID"

If yt-dlp is not in PATH — run from its folder directly

C:\Tools\yt-dlp\yt-dlp.exe --version

Strongly recommended

FFmpeg setup for yt-dlp on Windows

FFmpeg is a free tool that yt-dlp uses to merge video and audio streams. Without it, 4K/8K downloads and MP3 conversion will not work.

What FFmpeg enables

4K and 8K video downloads (separate streams merged)
MP3, AAC, FLAC, Opus audio extraction
HDR video format handling
Embedding subtitles into MKV files

Quick setup

Download ffmpeg.exe from the FFmpeg guide
Place ffmpeg.exe in the same folder as yt-dlp.exe
yt-dlp detects it automatically — no config needed

Full FFmpeg setup guide for Windows →

Common issues

Troubleshooting yt-dlp install on Windows

Windows SmartScreen warning when running yt-dlp.exe

Click More info → Run anyway. SmartScreen flags new executables by default. yt-dlp.exe is the unmodified official open-source release from GitHub.

"yt-dlp is not recognized" in PowerShell

Two options: either run yt-dlp directly from its folder, or add the folder to your PATH (see the section above). After adding to PATH, close all terminal windows and reopen.

"Access is denied" or file is blocked

Right-click yt-dlp.exe → Properties → at the bottom check Unblock if the checkbox appears → click OK. This removes the Windows "downloaded from internet" restriction.

4K/8K download gives only video or only audio

FFmpeg is not installed or not found. Place ffmpeg.exe in the same folder as yt-dlp.exe. yt-dlp will detect it automatically and merge streams.

yt-dlp -U says "already up to date" but I'm on an old version

Run PowerShell as administrator and try again. Or download the latest yt-dlp.exe manually from the download page and replace the old file.

More issues? Full yt-dlp troubleshooting guide →

How to Download and Install yt-dlp on Windows — Step-by-step Guide 2026