YouTube throttling download through yt-dl

[pococito]

Checklist

• I'm reporting a broken site support
• I've verified that I'm running youtube-dl version 2021.06.06
• I've checked that all provided URLs are alive and playable in a browser
• I've checked that all URLs and arguments with special characters are properly quoted or escaped
• I've searched the bugtracker for similar issues including closed ones

Verbose log

PASTE VERBOSE LOG HERE

Description

Videos on YouTube play normally through a browser, but YouTube seems to be discovering yt-dl and throttling download speed to several KB/s instead of MB/s, like it used to work a few days ago. I get the same consistent throttling since a few days. Does anyone else experience this?

[MobyGamer]

Yes, I noticed that too just now. Throttling between 50-70KB/s.

[pococito]

Yes, I noticed that too just now. Throttling between 50-70KB/s.

I get the same numbers.

[pukkandan]

Duplicate of #29326

[fastily]

youtube-dl isn't being actively maintained. This is a fixed issue in the spiritual successor to youtube-dl, yt-dlp

[pococito]

@fastily - thanks, dlp works well

[onionware-github]

youtube-dl isn't being actively maintained. This is a fixed issue in the spiritual successor to youtube-dl, yt-dlp

Is yt-dlp legal? I'm not completely sure, but I saw the output "Downloading android player API JSON" on the console. Isn't the use of the Youtube API prohibited by downloader programs? I don't know my way around that well.

[triplesixman]

Is yt-dlp legal? I'm not completely sure, but I saw the output "Downloading android player API JSON" on the console. Isn't the use of the Youtube API prohibited by downloader programs? I don't know my way around that well.

How could it be prohibited? If you start from this principle, youtube-dl is illegal because youtube forbids downloading their videos. But you have to remember that google/youtube is not above the law and the fact that they forbid it doesn't necessarily mean it's illegal.

[kapilbhosale]

Yep, Facing the same issue.

[rautamiekka]

Is yt-dlp legal? I'm not completely sure, but I saw the output "Downloading android player API JSON" on the console. Isn't the use of the Youtube API prohibited by downloader programs? I don't know my way around that well.

How could it be prohibited? If you start from this principle, youtube-dl is illegal because youtube forbids downloading their videos. But you have to remember that google/youtube is not above the law and the fact that they forbid it doesn't necessarily mean it's illegal.

Amen to all of that, it had to be said and glad someone did.

While, maybe, probly, possibly, someone could make their argument in court barely outlaw something like ytdl through the all-binding contract side of the law, it's a rather huge stretch even in American court system, so I 100% agree with you.

[speaknowpotato]

thanks @fastily , yt-dlp works!

[NipLars]

Sorry, I just filed a new report on this, did not read properly and associate this thread with my issue.
Is it just youtube-dl or general download limitation now?

Thinking if identified by Google, that Http User-Agent can be changed or let us assign the text for it ourselves so not trackable by Google?
Many browser has this kind of plugin to alter user agent and works very well to fix that a site does not work so well.

[3unjee]

I'm facing throttling too both on youtube-dl and the video player I'm maintaining.

If it's fixed on yt-dlp would anyone give details on what causes the stream to be throttled technically on YouTube side ?

[triplesixman]

If it's fixed on yt-dlp would anyone give details on what causes the stream to be throttled technically on YouTube side ?

Hi, the problem is detailed here as well as its solution: #29326 (comment)

Now someone needs to work on this fix and apply it to youtube-dl. But I guess it won't be done before several months, or even next year (considering the workload and the inactivity of the current owner of youtube-dl).

[3unjee]

I believe yt-dlp is solving throttling through the Android API at the moment. Am I right ?

[chris-short]

After downloading yt-dlp on the same system, it sure does look like youtube-dl is being throttled.

[dirkf]

Closed in af9e725.

[melMass]

I had no idea youtube-dl was behind, yt-dlp indeed solves the throttling issue.
Thanks