youtube-dl: download a YouTube channel without user ID - Ask Ubuntu

the youtube-dl ytuser:<youtube username> option referred in question: youtube-dl : downloading youtube user's complete video collection requires user id. youtube channels not indicate user id, this youtube channel.

how can download entire channel?

you don't need use youtube-dl ytuser:<youtube username> option. able start downloading , download several videos channel linked in question without using option, answer won't work on older versions of youtube-dl. tested answer on both old , new version of youtube-dl. worked on latest version of youtube-dl, didn't work on old version.

update youtube-dl latest version before start downloading videos in channel.

sudo apt-get install python-pip    sudo pip install youtube-dl   

if you're fussy am, don't need use sudo pip. can install latest version of youtube-dl inside python virtual environment using pip install youtube-dl without sudo. have 2 versions of youtube-dl installed. can use either version of youtube-dl , keep newer version up-to-date updating manually.

if have installed youtube-dl pip, can update latest version command:

sudo pip install --upgrade youtube-dl # omit sudo if installing in python virtual environment 

open terminal , type:

youtube-dl -f format -citw -v <url-of-channel> 

...where <url-of-channel> replaced url of channel , replace format available video format, example 18. show available formats of video type:

youtube-dl -f <url-of-video> 

note: if downloading lot of videos, should change directories directory want save videos before start downloading them.

explanation

-f, --format format     video format code  -c, --continue                        force resume of partially downloaded files  -i, --ignore-errors                   continue on download errors, example skip unavailable videos in channel   -t, --title     use title in file name (default)   -w, --no-overwrites     not overwrite files  -v, --verbose     print various debugging information