Enhanced YouTube Downloader

An enhanced, production-ready version of YouTube Downloader that surpasses the original in functionality, user experience, and code quality.

🌐 View Landing Page

 

Experience our professional landing page featuring:

• Multi-platform support (YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, Twitter, 1,800+ sites)
• Modern glassmorphism design with animated gradients
• Netflix-style burned-in subtitles
• Intelligent pause/resume and queue management

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Features

Core Features

• ✅ Cross-platform support (Windows, Linux, macOS)
• ✅ Download single videos, playlists, and channels
• ✅ Multiple quality and format options
• ✅ Subtitle support
• ✅ Metadata tagging
• ⚠️ Authentication for private content (not fully implemented - do not modify auth settings)

Enhanced Features

• 🚀 Unified Queue Management - Single pane for all download states
• 🚀 Pause/Resume Functionality - State persistence and recovery
• 🚀 Enhanced Error Handling - User-friendly messages with actions
• 🚀 Metadata Caching - SQLite-based cache with invalidation
• 🚀 Drag-and-Drop Support - URLs anywhere in UI
• 🚀 Batch Operations - Multi-select and apply settings
• 🚀 Download Scheduling - Time-based queue execution
• 🚀 Format Profiles - Quick presets for common scenarios
• 🚀 Better Feedback - Toast notifications and loading states
• 🚀 Performance Optimization - Parallel downloads, chunking, retry logic

Technology Stack

• Framework: .NET 9.0
• UI: Avalonia UI 11.x with Material Design
• YouTube API: YoutubeExplode 6.5.4+
• Media Processing: FFmpeg 7.x
• Database: SQLite for caching
• Testing: xUnit
• CI/CD: GitHub Actions

Getting Started

Installation (End Users)

Windows

Download and run the installer:

1. Download EnhancedYoutubeDownloader-Setup-v0.4.4.exe (~83 MB)
2. Run the installer and follow the setup wizard

⚠️ Windows SmartScreen Warning

You may see a red warning screen saying "Windows protected your PC".

 

 

This is normal and safe! The warning appears because the installer isn't digitally signed (signing costs $200-500/year). To proceed:

1. Click "More info" on the warning screen

2. Click "Run anyway" button that appears

3. The installer is safe - all code is open-source and can be reviewed on GitHub

4. Choose installation options:

   • ✅ Create desktop shortcut (default: checked)
   • ✅ Launch after installation (default: checked)

5. Click Install and you're ready to download!

Features:

• Professional Windows installer with desktop shortcut
• Start Menu integration with uninstall shortcut
• Add/Remove Programs integration
• Custom uninstaller (uninstall.exe) in install folder
• Smart uninstaller with optional data cleanup
• FFmpeg + yt-dlp bundled for video download and conversion (80 MB total)
• Dependency validation on startup with download links

Mac & macOS

Currently, Mac support is experimental. To run Enhanced YouTube Downloader on Mac:

1. Install .NET 9.0 Runtime:

   • Download from dotnet.microsoft.com/download/dotnet/9.0
   • Choose "macOS" → "x64" or "ARM64" (for M1/M2 Macs)
   • Run the installer package

2. Download and Run:

   # Clone the repository
   git clone https://github.com/JrLordMoose/EnhancedYoutubeDownloader.git
   cd EnhancedYoutubeDownloader
   
   # Restore dependencies
   dotnet restore
   
   # Run the application
   dotnet run --project src/Desktop/EnhancedYoutubeDownloader.csproj

Note: Full Mac installer coming soon!

Linux

To run on Linux:

1. Install .NET 9.0 Runtime:

   # Ubuntu/Debian
   wget https://packages.microsoft.com/config/ubuntu/22.04/packages-microsoft-prod.deb -O packages-microsoft-prod.deb
   sudo dpkg -i packages-microsoft-prod.deb
   sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get install -y dotnet-runtime-9.0
   
   # Fedora/RHEL
   sudo dnf install dotnet-runtime-9.0
   
   # Arch Linux
   sudo pacman -S dotnet-runtime

2. Download and Run:

   # Clone the repository
   git clone https://github.com/JrLordMoose/EnhancedYoutubeDownloader.git
   cd EnhancedYoutubeDownloader
   
   # Restore dependencies
   dotnet restore
   
   # Run the application
   dotnet run --project src/Desktop/EnhancedYoutubeDownloader.csproj

Note: FFmpeg will be automatically downloaded on first run.

Building from Source

Prerequisites

• .NET 9.0 SDK
• PowerShell (for FFmpeg download)
• Inno Setup 6+ (optional, for building Windows installer)

Build Steps

1. Clone the repository:

git clone https://github.com/JrLordMoose/EnhancedYoutubeDownloader.git
cd EnhancedYoutubeDownloader

2. Restore dependencies:

dotnet restore

3. Build the solution:

dotnet build

4. Run the application:

dotnet run --project src/Desktop/EnhancedYoutubeDownloader.csproj

Building for Distribution

Standard Distribution

dotnet publish -c Release -r win-x64 --self-contained
dotnet publish -c Release -r linux-x64 --self-contained
dotnet publish -c Release -r osx-x64 --self-contained

Windows Installer

Build a professional Windows installer with desktop shortcut and launch options:

Automated Build (PowerShell):

.\build-installer.ps1

Manual Build:

# 1. Publish self-contained application
dotnet publish src/Desktop/EnhancedYoutubeDownloader.csproj -c Release -r win-x64 --self-contained

# 2. Build installer with Inno Setup
"C:\Program Files (x86)\Inno Setup 6\ISCC.exe" setup.iss

# Installer output: release/EnhancedYoutubeDownloader-Setup-v0.4.4.exe

Installer Features:

• Desktop shortcut creation (default: enabled)
• Launch application after installation (default: enabled)
• Start Menu shortcuts (app + uninstaller)
• Add/Remove Programs integration
• Smart data cleanup on uninstall with user confirmation

See CLAUDE.md for detailed build instructions.

Architecture

The application follows a clean architecture pattern with clear separation of concerns:

src/
├── Core/           # Business logic and services
├── Desktop/        # Avalonia UI application
├── Shared/         # Shared models and interfaces
└── Tests/          # Unit and integration tests

Key Components

 

• DownloadService: Manages download operations with pause/resume
• CacheService: Handles metadata caching with SQLite
• NotificationService: Provides user feedback
• DashboardViewModel: Main UI logic and queue management

Contributing

1. Fork the repository
2. Create a feature branch
3. Make your changes
4. Add tests for new functionality
5. Submit a pull request

Contributors

Special thanks to the following contributors who have helped make this project better:

• ThiinkMG - Graphics and design contributions

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.

Acknowledgments

• Original YoutubeDownloader by Tyrrrz
• Thiink Media Graphics for design and landing page
• YoutubeExplode for YouTube API access
• Avalonia UI for cross-platform UI
• Material Design for design system