🎥 StreamVault

A modern web-based YouTube video downloader built using Flask and yt-dlp.

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📖 Overview

StreamVault is a lightweight web application that allows users to download YouTube videos and audio in multiple quality options through a simple and responsive interface.

The application uses Flask as the backend and yt-dlp for video extraction. Downloads are processed on the server and delivered directly to the user's browser using native browser downloads.

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✨ Features

• 🎬 Download YouTube videos in multiple resolutions
• 🎵 Download audio-only format
• 📥 Native browser download support
• 📱 Responsive user interface
• ⚡ Fast Flask backend
• 🧹 Automatic cleanup of temporary files
• 🛡 Graceful error handling
• ☁ Hosted on Render
• 🔄 Uses yt-dlp Android client for improved compatibility

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🛠 Tech Stack

Technology	Purpose
Python	Backend
Flask	Web Framework
HTML5	Structure
CSS3	Styling
JavaScript	Client-side functionality
yt-dlp	Video extraction
FFmpeg	Audio/Video merging
Render	Deployment

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📂 Project Structure

StreamVault/
│
├── backend/
│   ├── app.py
│   ├── templates/
│   │   └── index.html
│   ├── static/
│   │   ├── css/
│   │   └── js/
│   └── downloads/
│
├── requirements.txt
├── Procfile
└── README.md

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🚀 Installation

Clone the repository

git clone <repository-url>
cd yt-dnl

Replace <repository-url> with your fork or the repository URL.

Example:

git clone https://github.com/username/yt-dnl.git
cd yt-dnl

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2️⃣ Create a virtual environment

python -m venv venv

Activate it:

Windows

venv\Scripts\activate

macOS/Linux

source venv/bin/activate

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3️⃣ Install dependencies

pip install -r requirements.txt

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4️⃣ Install FFmpeg

Download FFmpeg from:

https://www.gyan.dev/ffmpeg/builds/

Add the bin folder to your system PATH.

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5️⃣ Run the application

python backend/app.py

Open:

http://127.0.0.1:5000

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🌐 Deployment

This project is deployed using Render.

Deployment includes:

• Flask backend
• Static frontend
• yt-dlp
• FFmpeg support
• Native browser downloads

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⚙️ How It Works

User
 │
 ▼
Paste YouTube URL
 │
 ▼
Choose Quality
 │
 ▼
Flask Backend
 │
 ▼
yt-dlp extracts video
 │
 ▼
FFmpeg merges streams (if needed)
 │
 ▼
Temporary file created
 │
 ▼
Browser downloads file
 │
 ▼
Temporary file deleted

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🧹 Automatic Cleanup

Downloaded files are stored temporarily on the server.

After the browser receives the file, the server automatically deletes it to prevent unnecessary storage usage.

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⚠ Known Limitations

• Some YouTube videos may trigger bot verification.
• Age-restricted or private videos require authentication.
• Very large videos may exceed free hosting limitations.
• Availability depends on YouTube's current restrictions.

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🔮 Future Improvements

• Thumbnail preview
• Video title preview
• File size estimation
• Download progress indicator
• Playlist support
• Better error pages
• Dark mode
• Search functionality
• Download history

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🤝 Contributing

Contributions are welcome!

1. Fork the repository
2. Create a new branch

git checkout -b feature-name

3. Commit your changes

git commit -m "Add feature"

4. Push the branch

git push origin feature-name

5. Open a Pull Request

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📜 License

This project is intended for educational and personal learning purposes.

Users are responsible for complying with YouTube's Terms of Service and applicable copyright laws when downloading content.

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⭐ Support

If you found this project useful, consider giving it a ⭐ on GitHub!

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Built with ❤️ using Flask, yt-dlp and Python

Made by Midhun Manesh