Fixing "YouTube said: Unable to extract video data" Error

This error occurs when youtube-dl cannot extract video metadata from YouTube, typically because YouTube has changed its website structure or API, and the tool needs updates to handle these changes.

Recommended Solution: Use yt-dlp (Modern Alternative)

The most reliable solution is to switch to yt-dlp, an actively maintained fork of youtube-dl that regularly updates to handle YouTube's changes.

Installation

pip

python -m pip install -U yt-dlp

Homebrew (macOS)

brew install yt-dlp

Chocolatey (Windows)

choco install yt-dlp

Usage

import yt_dlp

ydl_opt = {
    "outtmpl": "/videos/%(title)s.%(ext)s",
    "format": "bestaudio/best"
}

def operation(link):
    try:
        with yt_dlp.YoutubeDL(ydl_opt) as yd:
            video = yd.download([link])
        print("Your video has been downloaded!")
    except Exception as e:
        print(f"Sorry, we got an error: {e}")

operation("https://youtube.com/watch?v=...")

Why yt-dlp?

• Actively maintained with regular updates
• Better compatibility with YouTube's frequent changes
• Improved performance and additional features
• Direct replacement for youtube-dl with the same API

Alternative Solutions for youtube-dl

If you prefer to continue using youtube-dl, try these methods:

Update youtube-dl

Outdated versions often cause this error. Update using the appropriate method:

Self-update

youtube-dl --update

pip update

pip install -U youtube-dl
# or
pip3 install -U youtube-dl

Ubuntu/Debian .deb package

wget http://ftp.de.debian.org/debian/pool/main/y/youtube-dl/youtube-dl_latest_all.deb
sudo apt install ./youtube-dl_latest_all.deb

Complete Reinstallation (Ubuntu/Debian)

Sometimes a clean reinstall resolves the issue:

sudo apt purge youtube-dl
sudo pip3 uninstall youtube-dl
# Then install using one of the methods above

Use Cookies for Age-Restricted Content

Some videos require authentication via cookies:

1. Install a browser extension like "Get cookies.txt" for Chrome
2. Export your YouTube cookies to a file
3. Use the cookies with youtube-dl:

youtube-dl --cookies /path/to/cookies.txt VIDEO_URL

Prevention and Best Practices

• Regular updates: YouTube changes frequently, so keep your download tool updated
• Error handling: Implement robust error handling in your code:

try:
    # Download logic
except Exception as e:
    print(f"Error: {e}")
    # Consider automatic update logic here

• Check for updates programmatically: Consider adding automatic update checks to your application

Legal Considerations

Always respect YouTube's Terms of Service and copyright laws when downloading content. These tools should only be used for personal use or content you have rights to download.

Troubleshooting Tips

If you continue to experience issues:

1. Check the yt-dlp GitHub issues for similar problems
2. Verify your Python version compatibility (Python 3.7+ recommended)
3. Try different video formats or quality settings
4. Test with various YouTube videos to isolate the problem

The "Unable to extract video data" error is typically resolved by keeping your download工具 updated or switching to the more actively maintained yt-dlp fork.