Quick Start

Again, if the following serves all your needs, then you’re probably better off with one of the more user-friendly yt-dlp wrappers available. If you still want to get ytdl-sub up and running quickly and without understanding, then follow these instructions to the letter.

1. Install using the official Docker GUI image variant.

2. Update the paths for your media library:

   Edit the subscriptions file. Near the top, under __preset__: and then overrides:, update the values under the *_directory: keys with the correct paths for your media library as they appear inside the container.

3. Select your media library software:

   Change the Plex TV Show by Date: key itself to the preset for your media library software. See the comment above for the available options.

4. Select the genre:

   Under the library software preset key from the previous step, change the = Documentaries key itself to the genre for this subscription prefixed with = .... When adding other subscriptions that have the same genre, place them under the same key.

5. Update the subscription name and URL:

   Under the genre key from the previous step, update the "NOVA PBS": key to the directory name the downloaded files should be placed beneath. This directory will be created under the tv_show_directory: from step #2. Then update the "https://www.youtube.com/@novapbs" value to the URL of the channel or playlist for this subscription.

6. Preview and Review the subscription.

7. Add the rest of your subscriptions:

   Repeat steps #3-6 for each of your subscriptions. Be sure to repeat the preview and review steps for each subscription. In general, move slowly and carefully review everything. It’s best to catch issues early to avoid repeating downloads and to minimize requests.

8. Automate downloads:

   Set up ytdl-sub to run periodically.