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| 1 | + | # YouTube Membership Video Download Guide | |
| 2 | + | ||
| 3 | + | ## Overview | |
| 4 | + | ||
| 5 | + | This guide documents the complete process for downloading YouTube membership-restricted videos using AWS EC2, Docker containers, yt-dlp, and various anti-bot bypass techniques. This method is necessary because YouTube membership videos have strict protections including geo-restrictions, bot detection, SABR streaming protocol enforcement, and JavaScript challenges. | |
| 6 | + | ||
| 7 | + | **Success Requirements:** | |
| 8 | + | - EC2 instance in a region where the video is available (Hong Kong worked for Chinese content) | |
| 9 | + | - Fresh browser cookies from authenticated YouTube session | |
| 10 | + | - PO (Proof of Origin) token generation via bgutil | |
| 11 | + | - JavaScript challenge solver with remote components enabled | |
| 12 | + | - Deno runtime for challenge solving | |
| 13 | + | - ffmpeg for merging separate video/audio streams | |
| 14 | + | ||
| 15 | + | ## Prerequisites | |
| 16 | + | ||
| 17 | + | ### Local Machine | |
| 18 | + | - AWS CLI configured with credentials | |
| 19 | + | - SSH key pair for EC2 access | |
| 20 | + | - Valid YouTube Premium/Membership account | |
| 21 | + | - Browser with cookie export capability (Chrome, Edge, Firefox) | |
| 22 | + | ||
| 23 | + | ### AWS Account Requirements | |
| 24 | + | - EC2 access in target region (ap-east-1 Hong Kong for this case) | |
| 25 | + | - Region must be enabled in AWS account (Hong Kong requires opt-in) | |
| 26 | + | - Appropriate IAM permissions for EC2 operations | |
| 27 | + | ||
| 28 | + | ## Architecture Components | |
| 29 | + | ||
| 30 | + | ### 1. EC2 Instance | |
| 31 | + | - **Instance Type:** t3.medium (2 vCPU, 4GB RAM minimum) | |
| 32 | + | - t3.micro proved too weak for browser operations | |
| 33 | + | - Browser would hang/struggle with insufficient resources | |
| 34 | + | - **AMI:** Amazon Linux 2023 | |
| 35 | + | - **Region:** ap-east-1 (Hong Kong) - chosen based on content availability | |
| 36 | + | - **Security Group:** Allow inbound on ports 22 (SSH), 5800 (VNC web), 4416 (bgutil) | |
| 37 | + | ||
| 38 | + | ### 2. Docker Containers | |
| 39 | + | ||
| 40 | + | #### Firefox Container (jlesage/firefox:latest) | |
| 41 | + | - Provides VNC-accessible Firefox browser | |
| 42 | + | - Ports: 5800 (web VNC), 5900 (VNC) | |
| 43 | + | - Used for: | |
| 44 | + | - Manual YouTube login | |
| 45 | + | - Cookie generation | |
| 46 | + | - Cookie extraction for yt-dlp | |
| 47 | + | ||
| 48 | + | #### bgutil PO Token Provider (brainicism/bgutil-ytdlp-pot-provider) | |
| 49 | + | - Generates Proof of Origin tokens | |
| 50 | + | - Required to bypass YouTube's 2026 anti-bot measures | |
| 51 | + | - Port: 4416 | |
| 52 | + | - Must be accessible from Firefox container (not bound to 127.0.0.1) | |
| 53 | + | ||
| 54 | + | ### 3. Key Software Components | |
| 55 | + | ||
| 56 | + | #### yt-dlp (2026.08.19 or later) | |
| 57 | + | - Python-based YouTube downloader | |
| 58 | + | - Requires multiple bypass mechanisms for membership content | |
| 59 | + | ||
| 60 | + | #### Deno (2.7.4 or later) | |
| 61 | + | - JavaScript/TypeScript runtime | |
| 62 | + | - Required for solving YouTube's n-challenge | |
| 63 | + | - Must have remote component downloads enabled | |
| 64 | + | ||
| 65 | + | #### ffmpeg | |
| 66 | + | - Required for merging separate video/audio streams | |
| 67 | + | - YouTube serves 1080p as separate video (mp4) and audio (m4a) streams | |
| 68 | + | ||
| 69 | + | ## Step-by-Step Setup | |
| 70 | + | ||
| 71 | + | ### Phase 1: Launch EC2 Instance | |
| 72 | + | ||
| 73 | + | ```bash | |
| 74 | + | # 1. Find appropriate AMI for Amazon Linux 2023 in Hong Kong region | |
| 75 | + | AMI_ID=$(aws ec2 describe-images \ | |
| 76 | + | --region ap-east-1 \ | |
| 77 | + | --owners amazon \ | |
| 78 | + | --filters "Name=name,Values=al2023-ami-2023.*-x86_64" \ | |
| 79 | + | --query 'Images | sort_by(@, &CreationDate) | [-1].ImageId' \ | |
| 80 | + | --output text) | |
| 81 | + | ||
| 82 | + | # 2. Create security group | |
| 83 | + | SECURITY_GROUP_ID=$(aws ec2 create-security-group \ | |
| 84 | + | --region ap-east-1 \ | |
| 85 | + | --group-name youtube-downloader-sg \ | |
| 86 | + | --description "Security group for YouTube downloader" \ | |
| 87 | + | --output text) | |
| 88 | + | ||
| 89 | + | # 3. Add inbound rules | |
| 90 | + | aws ec2 authorize-security-group-ingress \ | |
| 91 | + | --region ap-east-1 \ | |
| 92 | + | --group-id $SECURITY_GROUP_ID \ | |
| 93 | + | --protocol tcp --port 22 --cidr 0.0.0.0/0 | |
| 94 | + | ||
| 95 | + | aws ec2 authorize-security-group-ingress \ | |
| 96 | + | --region ap-east-1 \ | |
| 97 | + | --group-id $SECURITY_GROUP_ID \ | |
| 98 | + | --protocol tcp --port 5800 --cidr 0.0.0.0/0 | |
| 99 | + | ||
| 100 | + | aws ec2 authorize-security-group-ingress \ | |
| 101 | + | --region ap-east-1 \ | |
| 102 | + | --group-id $SECURITY_GROUP_ID \ | |
| 103 | + | --protocol tcp --port 4416 --cidr 0.0.0.0/0 | |
| 104 | + | ||
| 105 | + | # 4. Create or import SSH key pair | |
| 106 | + | aws ec2 create-key-pair \ | |
| 107 | + | --region ap-east-1 \ | |
| 108 | + | --key-name yt-hk-key \ | |
| 109 | + | --query 'KeyMaterial' \ | |
| 110 | + | --output text > /tmp/yt-hk-key.pem | |
| 111 | + | ||
| 112 | + | chmod 400 /tmp/yt-hk-key.pem | |
| 113 | + | ||
| 114 | + | # 5. Launch instance | |
| 115 | + | INSTANCE_ID=$(aws ec2 run-instances \ | |
| 116 | + | --region ap-east-1 \ | |
| 117 | + | --image-id $AMI_ID \ | |
| 118 | + | --instance-type t3.medium \ | |
| 119 | + | --key-name yt-hk-key \ | |
| 120 | + | --security-group-ids $SECURITY_GROUP_ID \ | |
| 121 | + | --block-device-mappings 'DeviceName=/dev/xvda,Ebs={VolumeSize=20,VolumeType=gp3}' \ | |
| 122 | + | --tag-specifications 'ResourceType=instance,Tags=[{Key=Name,Value=youtube-downloader}]' \ | |
| 123 | + | --query 'Instances[0].InstanceId' \ | |
| 124 | + | --output text) | |
| 125 | + | ||
| 126 | + | # 6. Wait for instance to be running | |
| 127 | + | aws ec2 wait instance-running --region ap-east-1 --instance-ids $INSTANCE_ID | |
| 128 | + | ||
| 129 | + | # 7. Get public IP | |
| 130 | + | PUBLIC_IP=$(aws ec2 describe-instances \ | |
| 131 | + | --region ap-east-1 \ | |
| 132 | + | --instance-ids $INSTANCE_ID \ | |
| 133 | + | --query 'Reservations[0].Instances[0].PublicIpAddress' \ | |
| 134 | + | --output text) | |
| 135 | + | ||
| 136 | + | echo "Instance ready at: $PUBLIC_IP" | |
| 137 | + | ``` | |
| 138 | + | ||
| 139 | + | ### Phase 2: Install Docker and Containers | |
| 140 | + | ||
| 141 | + | ```bash | |
| 142 | + | # SSH into instance | |
| 143 | + | ssh -i /tmp/yt-hk-key.pem -o StrictHostKeyChecking=no ec2-user@$PUBLIC_IP | |
| 144 | + | ||
| 145 | + | # Install Docker | |
| 146 | + | sudo yum install -y docker | |
| 147 | + | sudo systemctl start docker | |
| 148 | + | sudo systemctl enable docker | |
| 149 | + | sudo usermod -aG docker ec2-user | |
| 150 | + | ||
| 151 | + | # Start Firefox VNC container | |
| 152 | + | sudo docker run -d \ | |
| 153 | + | --name firefox \ | |
| 154 | + | -p 5800:5800 \ | |
| 155 | + | -p 5900:5900 \ | |
| 156 | + | -v /home/ec2-user/firefox-data:/config \ | |
| 157 | + | --shm-size 2g \ | |
| 158 | + | jlesage/firefox:latest | |
| 159 | + | ||
| 160 | + | # Start bgutil PO token provider (NOT bound to 127.0.0.1) | |
| 161 | + | sudo docker run -d \ | |
| 162 | + | --name bgutil-provider \ | |
| 163 | + | -p 4416:4416 \ | |
| 164 | + | brainicism/bgutil-ytdlp-pot-provider:latest | |
| 165 | + | ||
| 166 | + | # Verify containers are running | |
| 167 | + | sudo docker ps | |
| 168 | + | ``` | |
| 169 | + | ||
| 170 | + | ### Phase 3: Configure Firefox Container | |
| 171 | + | ||
| 172 | + | ```bash | |
| 173 | + | # Install required software in Firefox container | |
| 174 | + | sudo docker exec firefox sh -c ' | |
| 175 | + | # Add Python repository | |
| 176 | + | apk add --no-cache python3 py3-pip git | |
| 177 | + | ||
| 178 | + | # Install yt-dlp | |
| 179 | + | pip3 install --break-system-packages yt-dlp | |
| 180 | + | ||
| 181 | + | # Install Deno for JavaScript challenge solving | |
| 182 | + | apk add --no-cache curl unzip | |
| 183 | + | curl -fsSL https://deno.land/install.sh | sh | |
| 184 | + | ln -s /root/.deno/bin/deno /usr/bin/deno | |
| 185 | + | ||
| 186 | + | # Verify installations | |
| 187 | + | python3 --version | |
| 188 | + | python3 -m yt_dlp --version | |
| 189 | + | deno --version | |
| 190 | + | ' | |
| 191 | + | ||
| 192 | + | # Create Firefox profile directory structure | |
| 193 | + | sudo docker exec firefox sh -c ' | |
| 194 | + | mkdir -p /root/.mozilla/firefox | |
| 195 | + | ln -s /config/profile /root/.mozilla/firefox/default | |
| 196 | + | ||
| 197 | + | cat > /root/.mozilla/firefox/profiles.ini <<EOF | |
| 198 | + | [General] | |
| 199 | + | StartWithLastProfile=1 | |
| 200 | + | ||
| 201 | + | [Profile0] | |
| 202 | + | Name=default | |
| 203 | + | IsRelative=1 | |
| 204 | + | Path=default | |
| 205 | + | Default=1 | |
| 206 | + | EOF | |
| 207 | + | ' | |
| 208 | + | ``` | |
| 209 | + | ||
| 210 | + | ### Phase 4: Browser Login and Cookie Extraction | |
| 211 | + | ||
| 212 | + | #### Option A: Manual Login via VNC | |
| 213 | + | ||
| 214 | + | 1. Access Firefox via web browser: `http://$PUBLIC_IP:5800` | |
| 215 | + | 2. Navigate to YouTube and log in with membership account | |
| 216 | + | 3. Verify you can access the membership video | |
| 217 | + | 4. Cookies are now stored in `/config/profile` (persisted) | |
| 218 | + | ||
| 219 | + | #### Option B: Import Cookies from Local Browser | |
| 220 | + | ||
| 221 | + | **Export cookies from your local browser:** | |
| 222 | + | ||
| 223 | + | 1. Install cookie export extension: | |
| 224 | + | - Chrome/Edge: "Cookie-Editor" or "EditThisCookie" | |
| 225 | + | - Firefox: "Cookie Quick Manager" | |
| 226 | + | ||
| 227 | + | 2. Navigate to YouTube (must be logged in) | |
| 228 | + | ||
| 229 | + | 3. Export cookies in **Netscape format** | |
| 230 | + | - Format: Netscape HTTP Cookie File | |
| 231 | + | - Include: All YouTube cookies (`.youtube.com` domain) | |
| 232 | + | ||
| 233 | + | 4. Copy exported cookies to EC2: | |
| 234 | + | ||
| 235 | + | ```bash | |
| 236 | + | # On local machine - save exported cookies to /tmp/youtube_cookies.txt | |
| 237 | + | scp -i /tmp/yt-hk-key.pem /tmp/youtube_cookies.txt ec2-user@$PUBLIC_IP:/tmp/ | |
| 238 | + | ||
| 239 | + | # On EC2 instance | |
| 240 | + | ssh -i /tmp/yt-hk-key.pem ec2-user@$PUBLIC_IP | |
| 241 | + | sudo docker cp /tmp/youtube_cookies.txt firefox:/config/cookies.txt | |
| 242 | + | ``` | |
| 243 | + | ||
| 244 | + | **Important cookies that must be present:** | |
| 245 | + | - `SID` - Session ID | |
| 246 | + | - `SSID` - Secure Session ID | |
| 247 | + | - `__Secure-1PSID` - Primary secure session | |
| 248 | + | - `__Secure-3PSID` - Third-party secure session | |
| 249 | + | - `LOGIN_INFO` - Authentication token | |
| 250 | + | - `VISITOR_INFO1_LIVE` - Visitor tracking | |
| 251 | + | - `SAPISID`, `__Secure-1PAPISID`, `__Secure-3PAPISID` - API session IDs | |
| 252 | + | ||
| 253 | + | ### Phase 5: Install Official yt-dlp Companion (Optional but Recommended) | |
| 254 | + | ||
| 255 | + | The companion extension can automate downloads with embedded subtitles and thumbnails. | |
| 256 | + | ||
| 257 | + | ```bash | |
| 258 | + | sudo docker exec firefox sh -c ' | |
| 259 | + | # Install Node.js and npm | |
| 260 | + | apk add --no-cache nodejs npm | |
| 261 | + | ||
| 262 | + | # Install companion globally | |
| 263 | + | npm install -g @yt-dlp/web-companion | |
| 264 | + | ||
| 265 | + | # Create config directory | |
| 266 | + | mkdir -p /root/.config/vm-yt-dlp | |
| 267 | + | ||
| 268 | + | # Start companion bridge (generates token) | |
| 269 | + | nohup vm-yt-dlp > /tmp/companion.log 2>&1 & | |
| 270 | + | ||
| 271 | + | sleep 2 | |
| 272 | + | cat /root/.config/vm-yt-dlp/config.json | |
| 273 | + | ' | |
| 274 | + | ``` | |
| 275 | + | ||
| 276 | + | **Note the pairing token** - this is needed to connect browser extension to the companion bridge. | |
| 277 | + | ||
| 278 | + | To install browser extension in VNC Firefox: | |
| 279 | + | 1. Go to `about:addons` | |
| 280 | + | 2. Search for "VM yt-dlp" | |
| 281 | + | 3. Install extension | |
| 282 | + | 4. Enter pairing token when prompted | |
| 283 | + | ||
| 284 | + | ## Downloading Videos | |
| 285 | + | ||
| 286 | + | ### Critical: The Complete Working Command | |
| 287 | + | ||
| 288 | + | ```bash | |
| 289 | + | sudo docker exec firefox sh -c ' | |
| 290 | + | cd /config/downloads | |
| 291 | + | ||
| 292 | + | python3 -m yt_dlp \ | |
| 293 | + | --cookies-from-browser firefox:/root/.mozilla/firefox/default \ | |
| 294 | + | --remote-components ejs:github \ | |
| 295 | + | --format "137+140/best[ext=mp4]" \ | |
| 296 | + | --merge-output-format mp4 \ | |
| 297 | + | --output "video_output.mp4" \ | |
| 298 | + | "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIDEO_ID" | |
| 299 | + | ' | |
| 300 | + | ``` | |
| 301 | + | ||
| 302 | + | ### Key Flags Explained | |
| 303 | + | ||
| 304 | + | #### `--cookies-from-browser firefox:/root/.mozilla/firefox/default` | |
| 305 | + | - Extracts cookies directly from Firefox profile | |
| 306 | + | - Alternative: `--cookies /config/cookies.txt` for Netscape format file | |
| 307 | + | - Must have fresh, valid authentication cookies | |
| 308 | + | ||
| 309 | + | #### `--remote-components ejs:github` | |
| 310 | + | **⚠️ CRITICAL - This is the key that makes it work** | |
| 311 | + | - Downloads JavaScript challenge solver components from GitHub | |
| 312 | + | - Required for solving YouTube's n-challenge | |
| 313 | + | - Without this, you get: "The page needs to be reloaded" error | |
| 314 | + | - Deno must be installed and in PATH | |
| 315 | + | ||
| 316 | + | #### `--extractor-args "youtube:pot=bgutil:http:base_url=http://172.17.0.1:4416"` | |
| 317 | + | - Connects to bgutil PO token provider | |
| 318 | + | - `172.17.0.1` is Docker bridge IP (accessible from containers) | |
| 319 | + | - Required to bypass YouTube's 2026 bot detection | |
| 320 | + | - Note: Often not needed if remote components are enabled | |
| 321 | + | ||
| 322 | + | #### `--format "137+140/best[ext=mp4]"` | |
| 323 | + | - `137` = 1080p video (h264) | |
| 324 | + | - `140` = Medium quality audio (m4a, AAC) | |
| 325 | + | - Falls back to best single file MP4 if merging fails | |
| 326 | + | - For 720p: use `136+140` | |
| 327 | + | - For best available: use `best[ext=mp4]` (may only get 360p for format 18) | |
| 328 | + | ||
| 329 | + | ### Format Selection Reference | |
| 330 | + | ||
| 331 | + | Common format codes for membership videos: | |
| 332 | + | - `18` - 360p MP4 with audio (single file, always works) | |
| 333 | + | - `136` - 720p video only (h264) | |
| 334 | + | - `137` - 1080p video only (h264) | |
| 335 | + | - `140` - 128k audio (m4a, AAC) | |
| 336 | + | - `251` - 160k audio (webm, Opus) | |
| 337 | + | ||
| 338 | + | List available formats: | |
| 339 | + | ```bash | |
| 340 | + | python3 -m yt_dlp \ | |
| 341 | + | --cookies-from-browser firefox:/root/.mozilla/firefox/default \ | |
| 342 | + | --remote-components ejs:github \ | |
| 343 | + | --list-formats \ | |
| 344 | + | "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIDEO_ID" | |
| 345 | + | ``` | |
| 346 | + | ||
| 347 | + | ### Merging Separate Video and Audio Streams | |
| 348 | + | ||
| 349 | + | If you downloaded video and audio separately, or merging failed: | |
| 350 | + | ||
| 351 | + | ```bash | |
| 352 | + | sudo docker exec firefox sh -c ' | |
| 353 | + | # Install ffmpeg if not already present | |
| 354 | + | apk add ffmpeg | |
| 355 | + | ||
| 356 | + | # Merge video + audio | |
| 357 | + | cd /config/downloads | |
| 358 | + | ffmpeg -i video.mp4 -i audio.m4a \ | |
| 359 | + | -c copy \ | |
| 360 | + | -movflags +faststart \ | |
| 361 | + | output_final.mp4 | |
| 362 | + | ' | |
| 363 | + | ``` | |
| 364 | + | ||
| 365 | + | Flags explained: | |
| 366 | + | - `-c copy` - Stream copy (no re-encoding, fast) | |
| 367 | + | - `-movflags +faststart` - Move metadata to beginning (web streaming optimization) | |
| 368 | + | ||
| 369 | + | ## Retrieving Downloaded Files | |
| 370 | + | ||
| 371 | + | ### Copy from Container to EC2 | |
| 372 | + | ||
| 373 | + | ```bash | |
| 374 | + | sudo docker cp firefox:/config/downloads/video_output.mp4 /tmp/ | |
| 375 | + | ``` | |
| 376 | + | ||
| 377 | + | ### Download to Local Machine | |
| 378 | + | ||
| 379 | + | ```bash | |
| 380 | + | # From local machine | |
| 381 | + | scp -i /tmp/yt-hk-key.pem ec2-user@$PUBLIC_IP:/tmp/video_output.mp4 ./ | |
| 382 | + | ||
| 383 | + | # Or for WSL to Windows Desktop | |
| 384 | + | scp -i /tmp/yt-hk-key.pem ec2-user@$PUBLIC_IP:/tmp/video_output.mp4 /tmp/ | |
| 385 | + | mv /tmp/video_output.mp4 /mnt/c/Users/USERNAME/Desktop/ | |
| 386 | + | ``` | |
| 387 | + | ||
| 388 | + | ### Retrieving Companion Downloads | |
| 389 | + | ||
| 390 | + | If using the official companion extension: | |
| 391 | + | ||
| 392 | + | ```bash | |
| 393 | + | # Check download directory | |
| 394 | + | sudo docker exec firefox ls -lh /root/Downloads/YouTube/ | |
| 395 | + | ||
| 396 | + | # Files will have full titles with metadata | |
| 397 | + | sudo docker cp "firefox:/root/Downloads/YouTube/Video Title [VIDEO_ID].mp4" /tmp/ | |
| 398 | + | ||
| 399 | + | # May also include: | |
| 400 | + | # - .srt subtitle files | |
| 401 | + | # - .info.json metadata | |
| 402 | + | # - .jpg thumbnail | |
| 403 | + | ``` | |
| 404 | + | ||
| 405 | + | ## Verification and Quality Check | |
| 406 | + | ||
| 407 | + | ```bash | |
| 408 | + | # Inside container with ffmpeg | |
| 409 | + | sudo docker exec firefox sh -c ' | |
| 410 | + | ffprobe -v error \ | |
| 411 | + | -show_entries stream=codec_type,codec_name,width,height,bit_rate \ | |
| 412 | + | -of default=noprint_wrappers=1 \ | |
| 413 | + | /config/downloads/video_output.mp4 | |
| 414 | + | ' | |
| 415 | + | ``` | |
| 416 | + | ||
| 417 | + | Expected output for 1080p: | |
| 418 | + | ``` | |
| 419 | + | codec_name=h264 | |
| 420 | + | codec_type=video | |
| 421 | + | width=1920 | |
| 422 | + | height=818 (or 1080, depends on aspect ratio) | |
| 423 | + | codec_name=aac | |
| 424 | + | codec_type=audio | |
| 425 | + | ``` | |
| 426 | + | ||
| 427 | + | ## Troubleshooting | |
| 428 | + | ||
| 429 | + | ### Error: "The page needs to be reloaded" | |
| 430 | + | ||
| 431 | + | **Cause:** JavaScript challenge solving failed due to missing remote components. | |
| 432 | + | ||
| 433 | + | **Symptoms:** | |
| 434 | + | ``` | |
| 435 | + | WARNING: [youtube] [jsc] Remote components challenge solver script (deno) and NPM package (deno) were skipped | |
| 436 | + | WARNING: [youtube] n challenge solving failed | |
| 437 | + | ERROR: [youtube] VIDEO_ID: The page needs to be reloaded | |
| 438 | + | ``` | |
| 439 | + | ||
| 440 | + | **Solution:** | |
| 441 | + | 1. **Add `--remote-components ejs:github` flag** (critical) | |
| 442 | + | 2. Ensure Deno is installed: `deno --version` | |
| 443 | + | 3. Check Deno is in PATH: `which deno` | |
| 444 | + | 4. Verify internet access for downloading components | |
| 445 | + | ||
| 446 | + | **Alternative clients to try if still failing:** | |
| 447 | + | ```bash | |
| 448 | + | # Try different player clients | |
| 449 | + | --extractor-args "youtube:player_client=android" | |
| 450 | + | --extractor-args "youtube:player_client=ios" | |
| 451 | + | --extractor-args "youtube:player_client=tv_embedded" | |
| 452 | + | ``` | |
| 453 | + | ||
| 454 | + | ### Error: "Could not find firefox cookies in database" | |
| 455 | + | ||
| 456 | + | **Cause:** Firefox profile not properly linked or symlink broken. | |
| 457 | + | ||
| 458 | + | **Solution:** | |
| 459 | + | ```bash | |
| 460 | + | sudo docker exec firefox sh -c ' | |
| 461 | + | # Create proper directory structure | |
| 462 | + | mkdir -p /root/.mozilla/firefox | |
| 463 | + | ||
| 464 | + | # Create symlink to persistent profile | |
| 465 | + | rm -f /root/.mozilla/firefox/default | |
| 466 | + | ln -s /config/profile /root/.mozilla/firefox/default | |
| 467 | + | ||
| 468 | + | # Create profiles.ini | |
| 469 | + | cat > /root/.mozilla/firefox/profiles.ini <<EOF | |
| 470 | + | [General] | |
| 471 | + | StartWithLastProfile=1 | |
| 472 | + | ||
| 473 | + | [Profile0] | |
| 474 | + | Name=default | |
| 475 | + | IsRelative=1 | |
| 476 | + | Path=default | |
| 477 | + | Default=1 | |
| 478 | + | EOF | |
| 479 | + | ||
| 480 | + | # Verify cookies database exists | |
| 481 | + | ls -la /config/profile/cookies.sqlite | |
| 482 | + | ' | |
| 483 | + | ``` | |
| 484 | + | ||
| 485 | + | ### Error: "Only images available" or "Some formats may be missing" | |
| 486 | + | ||
| 487 | + | **Cause:** SABR streaming forced, or PO token provider not accessible. | |
| 488 | + | ||
| 489 | + | **Symptoms:** | |
| 490 | + | ``` | |
| 491 | + | WARNING: [youtube] Some web client https formats have been skipped as they are missing a URL | |
| 492 | + | YouTube is forcing SABR streaming for this client | |
| 493 | + | ``` | |
| 494 | + | ||
| 495 | + | **Solutions:** | |
| 496 | + | ||
| 497 | + | 1. **Check bgutil provider is running:** | |
| 498 | + | ```bash | |
| 499 | + | sudo docker ps | grep bgutil | |
| 500 | + | curl http://172.17.0.1:4416/health # From inside Firefox container | |
| 501 | + | ``` | |
| 502 | + | ||
| 503 | + | 2. **Restart bgutil with correct port binding:** | |
| 504 | + | ```bash | |
| 505 | + | sudo docker stop bgutil-provider | |
| 506 | + | sudo docker rm bgutil-provider | |
| 507 | + | sudo docker run -d \ | |
| 508 | + | --name bgutil-provider \ | |
| 509 | + | -p 4416:4416 \ | |
| 510 | + | brainicism/bgutil-ytdlp-pot-provider:latest | |
| 511 | + | ``` | |
| 512 | + | ||
| 513 | + | 3. **Add PO token extractor args:** | |
| 514 | + | ```bash | |
| 515 | + | --extractor-args "youtube:pot=bgutil:http:base_url=http://172.17.0.1:4416" | |
| 516 | + | ``` | |
| 517 | + | ||
| 518 | + | 4. **Try with remote components (may bypass need for PO tokens):** | |
| 519 | + | ```bash | |
| 520 | + | --remote-components ejs:github | |
| 521 | + | ``` | |
| 522 | + | ||
| 523 | + | ### Error: Cookies Expired or Invalid | |
| 524 | + | ||
| 525 | + | **Symptoms:** | |
| 526 | + | ``` | |
| 527 | + | ERROR: [youtube] VIDEO_ID: Could not read this video. Join this channel to get access to members-only content | |
| 528 | + | ``` | |
| 529 | + | ||
| 530 | + | **Cause:** YouTube rotates session tokens frequently (can be hours or days). | |
| 531 | + | ||
| 532 | + | **Solution:** | |
| 533 | + | 1. Re-export cookies from authenticated browser session | |
| 534 | + | 2. Ensure you're exporting from a session that can actually view the video | |
| 535 | + | 3. Verify cookie file includes all required authentication cookies (SID, SSID, LOGIN_INFO, etc.) | |
| 536 | + | 4. Check cookie file format is correct (Netscape format) | |
| 537 | + | ||
| 538 | + | **Verify cookies in Firefox profile:** | |
| 539 | + | ```bash | |
| 540 | + | sudo docker exec firefox sh -c ' | |
| 541 | + | python3 -m yt_dlp --cookies-from-browser firefox:/root/.mozilla/firefox/default --print-traffic | |
| 542 | + | ' 2>&1 | grep -i cookie | |
| 543 | + | ``` | |
| 544 | + | ||
| 545 | + | ### Error: "WARNING: You have requested merging of multiple formats but ffmpeg is not installed" | |
| 546 | + | ||
| 547 | + | **Symptoms:** | |
| 548 | + | - Downloads complete but results in separate `.f137.mp4` (video) and `.f140.m4a` (audio) files | |
| 549 | + | - No merged output file | |
| 550 | + | ||
| 551 | + | **Solution:** | |
| 552 | + | ```bash | |
| 553 | + | # Install ffmpeg in container | |
| 554 | + | sudo docker exec firefox apk add ffmpeg | |
| 555 | + | ||
| 556 | + | # Manually merge files | |
| 557 | + | sudo docker exec firefox sh -c ' | |
| 558 | + | cd /config/downloads | |
| 559 | + | ffmpeg -i video.f137.mp4 -i audio.f140.m4a -c copy -movflags +faststart merged.mp4 | |
| 560 | + | ' | |
| 561 | + | ``` | |
| 562 | + | ||
| 563 | + | ### Error: Instance Too Weak / Browser Hanging | |
| 564 | + | ||
| 565 | + | **Symptoms:** | |
| 566 | + | - Firefox VNC interface unresponsive | |
| 567 | + | - Browser tabs freezing | |
| 568 | + | - Very slow page loads | |
| 569 | + | ||
| 570 | + | **Cause:** t3.micro or t3.small instances have insufficient resources. | |
| 571 | + | ||
| 572 | + | **Solution:** | |
| 573 | + | 1. Stop instance: `aws ec2 stop-instances --region ap-east-1 --instance-ids $INSTANCE_ID` | |
| 574 | + | 2. Change instance type: `aws ec2 modify-instance-attribute --region ap-east-1 --instance-id $INSTANCE_ID --instance-type t3.medium` | |
| 575 | + | 3. Start instance: `aws ec2 start-instances --region ap-east-1 --instance-ids $INSTANCE_ID` | |
| 576 | + | ||
| 577 | + | Recommended: **t3.medium** (2 vCPU, 4GB RAM) | |
| 578 | + | ||
| 579 | + | ### Error: Video Not Available in Region | |
| 580 | + | ||
| 581 | + | **Symptoms:** | |
| 582 | + | - "Video unavailable" | |
| 583 | + | - "This video is not available in your country" | |
| 584 | + | ||
| 585 | + | **Solution:** | |
| 586 | + | ||
| 587 | + | Test different AWS regions: | |
| 588 | + | ```bash | |
| 589 | + | # Common regions for geo-restricted content: | |
| 590 | + | # ap-east-1 (Hong Kong) - Chinese content | |
| 591 | + | # ap-northeast-1 (Tokyo) - Japanese content | |
| 592 | + | # ap-northeast-2 (Seoul) - Korean content | |
| 593 | + | # ap-southeast-1 (Singapore) - Southeast Asian content | |
| 594 | + | # eu-west-2 (London) - European content | |
| 595 | + | ``` | |
| 596 | + | ||
| 597 | + | Quick region test script: | |
| 598 | + | ```bash | |
| 599 | + | for region in ap-east-1 ap-northeast-1 ap-northeast-2 ap-southeast-1; do | |
| 600 | + | echo "Testing $region..." | |
| 601 | + | # Launch test instance, attempt download, terminate | |
| 602 | + | done | |
| 603 | + | ``` | |
| 604 | + | ||
| 605 | + | ### Error: Cannot Connect to bgutil Provider | |
| 606 | + | ||
| 607 | + | **Symptoms:** | |
| 608 | + | ``` | |
| 609 | + | [pot:bgutil:http] Failed to generate PO Token | |
| 610 | + | Connection refused to http://172.17.0.1:4416 | |
| 611 | + | ``` | |
| 612 | + | ||
| 613 | + | **Debug steps:** | |
| 614 | + | ```bash | |
| 615 | + | # 1. Check container is running | |
| 616 | + | sudo docker ps | grep bgutil | |
| 617 | + | ||
| 618 | + | # 2. Check port binding (should show 0.0.0.0:4416) | |
| 619 | + | sudo docker port bgutil-provider | |
| 620 | + | ||
| 621 | + | # 3. Test from Firefox container | |
| 622 | + | sudo docker exec firefox wget -O- http://172.17.0.1:4416/health | |
| 623 | + | ||
| 624 | + | # 4. Check Docker network | |
| 625 | + | sudo docker network inspect bridge | grep -A 3 "Gateway" | |
| 626 | + | ``` | |
| 627 | + | ||
| 628 | + | **Common mistake:** Binding to `127.0.0.1:4416:4416` instead of `4416:4416` | |
| 629 | + | - Correct: `-p 4416:4416` (accessible from other containers via 172.17.0.1) | |
| 630 | + | - Wrong: `-p 127.0.0.1:4416:4416` (only accessible from host) | |
| 631 | + | ||
| 632 | + | ### Error: Deno Not Found or Challenge Solver Failed | |
| 633 | + | ||
| 634 | + | **Symptoms:** | |
| 635 | + | ``` | |
| 636 | + | [youtube] [jsc:deno] Running deno: /usr/bin/deno run ... | |
| 637 | + | sh: /usr/bin/deno: not found | |
| 638 | + | ``` | |
| 639 | + | ||
| 640 | + | **Solution:** | |
| 641 | + | ```bash | |
| 642 | + | sudo docker exec firefox sh -c ' | |
| 643 | + | # Install Deno | |
| 644 | + | curl -fsSL https://deno.land/install.sh | sh | |
| 645 | + | ||
| 646 | + | # Create symlink to PATH | |
| 647 | + | ln -s /root/.deno/bin/deno /usr/bin/deno | |
| 648 | + | ||
| 649 | + | # Verify | |
| 650 | + | deno --version | |
| 651 | + | which deno | |
| 652 | + | ' | |
| 653 | + | ``` | |
| 654 | + | ||
| 655 | + | ### Companion Extension Connection Issues | |
| 656 | + | ||
| 657 | + | **Symptoms:** | |
| 658 | + | - "Pairing token too short" error | |
| 659 | + | - Cannot connect to bridge | |
| 660 | + | ||
| 661 | + | **Solutions:** | |
| 662 | + | ||
| 663 | + | 1. **Check companion is running:** | |
| 664 | + | ```bash | |
| 665 | + | sudo docker exec firefox ps aux | grep vm-yt-dlp | |
| 666 | + | ``` | |
| 667 | + | ||
| 668 | + | 2. **Restart companion bridge:** | |
| 669 | + | ```bash | |
| 670 | + | sudo docker exec firefox sh -c ' | |
| 671 | + | pkill -f vm-yt-dlp | |
| 672 | + | nohup vm-yt-dlp > /tmp/companion.log 2>&1 & | |
| 673 | + | sleep 2 | |
| 674 | + | cat /root/.config/vm-yt-dlp/config.json | |
| 675 | + | ' | |
| 676 | + | ``` | |
| 677 | + | ||
| 678 | + | 3. **Check config file for token:** | |
| 679 | + | ```bash | |
| 680 | + | sudo docker exec firefox cat /root/.config/vm-yt-dlp/config.json | |
| 681 | + | ``` | |
| 682 | + | ||
| 683 | + | Token should be ~50 characters long. If shorter or missing, companion didn't start properly. | |
| 684 | + | ||
| 685 | + | ### Performance: Slow Download Speeds | |
| 686 | + | ||
| 687 | + | **Causes and solutions:** | |
| 688 | + | ||
| 689 | + | 1. **Throttled by YouTube:** | |
| 690 | + | - Use `--limit-rate 5M` to stay under radar | |
| 691 | + | - Add delays: `--sleep-interval 1 --max-sleep-interval 3` | |
| 692 | + | ||
| 693 | + | 2. **Network congestion:** | |
| 694 | + | - Try different AWS regions | |
| 695 | + | - Use enhanced networking instance types | |
| 696 | + | ||
| 697 | + | 3. **Fragment download issues:** | |
| 698 | + | - Increase concurrent fragments: `--concurrent-fragments 4` | |
| 699 | + | - Or decrease if causing errors: `--concurrent-fragments 1` | |
| 700 | + | ||
| 701 | + | ### Debug Mode | |
| 702 | + | ||
| 703 | + | For any persistent issues, run with verbose debugging: | |
| 704 | + | ||
| 705 | + | ```bash | |
| 706 | + | python3 -m yt_dlp \ | |
| 707 | + | --cookies-from-browser firefox:/root/.mozilla/firefox/default \ | |
| 708 | + | --remote-components ejs:github \ | |
| 709 | + | --verbose \ | |
| 710 | + | --print-traffic \ | |
| 711 | + | "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIDEO_ID" \ | |
| 712 | + | 2>&1 | tee debug.log | |
| 713 | + | ``` | |
| 714 | + | ||
| 715 | + | Look for: | |
| 716 | + | - Cookie extraction count (should be 70+ cookies) | |
| 717 | + | - PO token generation attempts | |
| 718 | + | - JavaScript challenge solver execution | |
| 719 | + | - Available format list | |
| 720 | + | - Any WARNING or ERROR messages | |
| 721 | + | ||
| 722 | + | ## Cost Considerations | |
| 723 | + | ||
| 724 | + | ### AWS Costs | |
| 725 | + | ||
| 726 | + | **EC2 Instance (t3.medium in ap-east-1 Hong Kong):** | |
| 727 | + | - On-Demand: ~$0.0608/hour | |
| 728 | + | - For a 1-hour download session: ~$0.06 | |
| 729 | + | - For 8-hour workday: ~$0.49 | |
| 730 | + | ||
| 731 | + | **Data Transfer:** | |
| 732 | + | - EC2 to Internet: $0.12/GB (first 10 GB free per month) | |
| 733 | + | - For 1 GB video: ~$0.12 | |
| 734 | + | ||
| 735 | + | **EBS Storage:** | |
| 736 | + | - 20 GB gp3: ~$0.0096/day | |
| 737 | + | - Usually negligible for short-term use | |
| 738 | + | ||
| 739 | + | **Total estimated cost for single video download:** $0.20 - $0.50 | |
| 740 | + | ||
| 741 | + | ### Cost Optimization | |
| 742 | + | ||
| 743 | + | 1. **Stop instance when not in use:** | |
| 744 | + | ```bash | |
| 745 | + | aws ec2 stop-instances --region ap-east-1 --instance-ids $INSTANCE_ID | |
| 746 | + | ``` | |
| 747 | + | ||
| 748 | + | 2. **Use Spot Instances (70% cheaper):** | |
| 749 | + | ```bash | |
| 750 | + | aws ec2 run-instances \ | |
| 751 | + | --instance-market-options 'MarketType=spot' \ | |
| 752 | + | ... other parameters ... | |
| 753 | + | ``` | |
| 754 | + | ||
| 755 | + | 3. **Terminate after completion:** | |
| 756 | + | ```bash | |
| 757 | + | aws ec2 terminate-instances --region ap-east-1 --instance-ids $INSTANCE_ID | |
| 758 | + | ``` | |
| 759 | + | ||
| 760 | + | ## Cleanup | |
| 761 | + | ||
| 762 | + | ### After Download Complete | |
| 763 | + | ||
| 764 | + | ```bash | |
| 765 | + | # 1. Download files to local machine first! | |
| 766 | + | ||
| 767 | + | # 2. Stop containers | |
| 768 | + | ssh -i /tmp/yt-hk-key.pem ec2-user@$PUBLIC_IP ' | |
| 769 | + | sudo docker stop firefox bgutil-provider | |
| 770 | + | sudo docker rm firefox bgutil-provider | |
| 771 | + | ' | |
| 772 | + | ||
| 773 | + | # 3. Terminate EC2 instance | |
| 774 | + | aws ec2 terminate-instances --region ap-east-1 --instance-ids $INSTANCE_ID | |
| 775 | + | ||
| 776 | + | # 4. Delete security group (wait for instance to terminate first) | |
| 777 | + | aws ec2 wait instance-terminated --region ap-east-1 --instance-ids $INSTANCE_ID | |
| 778 | + | aws ec2 delete-security-group --region ap-east-1 --group-id $SECURITY_GROUP_ID | |
| 779 | + | ||
| 780 | + | # 5. Delete key pair | |
| 781 | + | aws ec2 delete-key-pair --region ap-east-1 --key-name yt-hk-key | |
| 782 | + | rm /tmp/yt-hk-key.pem | |
| 783 | + | ``` | |
| 784 | + | ||
| 785 | + | ## Quick Reference: Complete Working Example | |
| 786 | + | ||
| 787 | + | ```bash | |
| 788 | + | # After setup is complete, this is the command that works: | |
| 789 | + | ||
| 790 | + | ssh -i /tmp/yt-hk-key.pem ec2-user@$PUBLIC_IP ' | |
| 791 | + | sudo docker exec firefox sh -c " | |
| 792 | + | cd /config/downloads | |
| 793 | + | ||
| 794 | + | python3 -m yt_dlp \ | |
| 795 | + | --cookies-from-browser firefox:/root/.mozilla/firefox/default \ | |
| 796 | + | --remote-components ejs:github \ | |
| 797 | + | --format \"137+140/best[ext=mp4]\" \ | |
| 798 | + | --merge-output-format mp4 \ | |
| 799 | + | --output \"%(title)s.%(ext)s\" \ | |
| 800 | + | \"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIDEO_ID\" | |
| 801 | + | " | |
| 802 | + | ' | |
| 803 | + | ||
| 804 | + | # Download to local | |
| 805 | + | scp -i /tmp/yt-hk-key.pem ec2-user@$PUBLIC_IP:/tmp/*.mp4 ./ | |
| 806 | + | ``` | |
| 807 | + | ||
| 808 | + | ## Key Takeaways | |
| 809 | + | ||
| 810 | + | ### What Makes This Work | |
| 811 | + | ||
| 812 | + | 1. **Remote Components Flag** - The single most critical element. Without `--remote-components ejs:github`, JavaScript challenges fail. | |
| 813 | + | ||
| 814 | + | 2. **Fresh Cookies** - Must be from an authenticated session that can actually view the video. Cookies expire frequently. | |
| 815 | + | ||
| 816 | + | 3. **Proper Region** - EC2 instance must be in a region where the content is available. | |
| 817 | + | ||
| 818 | + | 4. **Sufficient Resources** - t3.medium minimum for reliable browser operation. | |
| 819 | + | ||
| 820 | + | 5. **Deno Runtime** - Required for challenge solving, must be in PATH. | |
| 821 | + | ||
| 822 | + | ### What Doesn't Work | |
| 823 | + | ||
| 824 | + | 1. **Screen recording** - Poor quality, timing-dependent, not reliable. | |
| 825 | + | ||
| 826 | + | 2. **Browser extensions alone** - Most are outdated or blocked by YouTube. | |
| 827 | + | ||
| 828 | + | 3. **Direct yt-dlp without auth** - Immediately blocked for membership content. | |
| 829 | + | ||
| 830 | + | 4. **Weak instances** - t3.micro/small cause browser hangs and failures. | |
| 831 | + | ||
| 832 | + | 5. **Client switching without remote components** - Trying different player clients doesn't help if JS challenges aren't solved. | |
| 833 | + | ||
| 834 | + | ### Critical Flags Summary | |
| 835 | + | ||
| 836 | + | **Minimum required:** | |
| 837 | + | ```bash | |
| 838 | + | --cookies-from-browser firefox:/path/to/profile | |
| 839 | + | --remote-components ejs:github | |
| 840 | + | ``` | |
| 841 | + | ||
| 842 | + | **Recommended complete set:** | |
| 843 | + | ```bash | |
| 844 | + | --cookies-from-browser firefox:/root/.mozilla/firefox/default \ | |
| 845 | + | --remote-components ejs:github \ | |
| 846 | + | --format "137+140/best[ext=mp4]" \ | |
| 847 | + | --merge-output-format mp4 \ | |
| 848 | + | --concurrent-fragments 4 \ | |
| 849 | + | --output "%(title)s.%(ext)s" | |
| 850 | + | ``` | |
| 851 | + | ||
| 852 | + | ## Additional Resources | |
| 853 | + | ||
| 854 | + | - yt-dlp documentation: https://github.com/yt-dlp/yt-dlp | |
| 855 | + | - bgutil PO token provider: https://github.com/Brainicism/bgutil-ytdlp-pot-provider | |
| 856 | + | - Deno installation: https://deno.land/ | |
| 857 | + | - yt-dlp companion: https://github.com/yt-dlp/web-companion | |
| 858 | + | ||
| 859 | + | ## Version Information | |
| 860 | + | ||
| 861 | + | This guide was tested with: | |
| 862 | + | - yt-dlp: 2026.08.19 | |
| 863 | + | - Deno: 2.7.4 | |
| 864 | + | - Python: 3.14.7 | |
| 865 | + | - bgutil-ytdlp-pot-provider: 2.0.0 | |
| 866 | + | - Firefox container: jlesage/firefox:latest | |
| 867 | + | - Amazon Linux: 2023 | |
| 868 | + | - Date: September 2026 | |
| 869 | + | ||
| 870 | + | Note: YouTube's anti-bot measures evolve constantly. If this method stops working, check for: | |
| 871 | + | - Updated yt-dlp version | |
| 872 | + | - New bypass techniques in yt-dlp issues/discussions | |
| 873 | + | - Updated bgutil provider | |
| 874 | + | - New required components or flags | |
mike / YouTube Membership Video Download Guide
Last active 4 days ago
This guide documents the complete process for downloading YouTube membership-restricted videos using AWS EC2, Docker containers, yt-dlp, and various anti-bot bypass techniques. This method is necessary because YouTube membership videos have strict protections including geo-restrictions, bot detection, SABR streaming protocol enforcement, and JavaScript challenges.