MCP YouTube MCP Server

A Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that provides tools for downloading YouTube videos and audio using yt-dlp.

Local serverstdioPython

What is the MCP YouTube MCP server?

If you already use MCP YouTube, the mcp youtube mcp server is the piece that lets your assistant work with it directly. A Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that provides tools for downloading YouTube videos and audio using yt-dlp.

What the server does

  • Download YouTube videos in MP4 format
  • Download YouTube audio in MP3 format
  • Integration with MCP for AI assistant integration

Available tools

The toolset is worth reading before you wire it up, because it tells you what the integration is really for:

  • download_youtube_video — The download_youtube_video tool exposed by this server
  • download_youtube_audio — The download_youtube_audio tool exposed by this server

Installation

Setup follows the usual MCP pattern — install or clone the server, register it in your client's configuration file, restart the client.

Credentials and setup notes

Configuration is passed through the environment: YT_DLP_PATH, DEFAULT_DOWNLOAD_DIR. Treat anything key-shaped as a real credential — scope it to the minimum the server needs, and rotate it if it ever lands in a shared config.

  • Python 3.13 or higher - yt-dlp installed on your system

Where it fits

Among the developer tooling options, the useful question is rarely "what can it do" but "what does it cost you to run" — permissions, credentials, and how much of your context its toolset consumes. MCP YouTube's toolset — download_youtube_video, download_youtube_audio — is a fair guide to whether it matches your workflow. It is maintained by yorickchan; worth a glance at recent repository activity before you build anything load-bearing on it.

SyncDev reviews every entry in this directory against the project's own documentation before publishing, and revisits them as servers change.

Worth knowing first

  • It runs with your machine's permissions. That is convenient and also the reason to think about what you point it at before you approve a tool call.
  • Keep per-call confirmation enabled while you learn its behaviour; it is the cheapest safeguard you have.

Available tools

ToolWhat it does
download_youtube_videoThe download_youtube_video tool exposed by this server.
download_youtube_audioThe download_youtube_audio tool exposed by this server.

Configuration

  • Python 3.13 or higher - yt-dlp installed on your system
VariableDescriptionRequired
YT_DLP_PATHFilesystem location the server is allowed to use.Optional
DEFAULT_DOWNLOAD_DIRFilesystem location the server is allowed to use.Optional

Example prompts to try

  • Use MCP YouTube to download youtube video.
  • Use MCP YouTube to download youtube audio.

Frequently asked questions

This MCP server provides tools for downloading YouTube videos and audio using yt-dlp, exposed to any MCP-compatible AI assistant. It relies on yt-dlp as its underlying download engine.