YTDL RMCP

Name: YTDL RMCP
Author: dinglebear-ai

by dinglebear-aiversion 1.0.4i★ –iRuns on your computer

Registry nameai.dinglebear/rytdl

Install

Overview

Description from the maker (original English)

yt-dlp search, download, metadata, delivery, and Plex workflows over MCP and CLI.

PopNx MCP’s three pillars

These three are never merged into one score: opinions, measurements and popularity are different things.

User voiceiNo reviews yetReviews open together with accounts in a later step
Our basic checksi1 of 1 passedChecked from public information; code not scanned yet
UsageiNot measured yet★ –

What you can do with it

We have not written a plain-language summary for this one yet. Below are the facts we read from the registry.

Connection: Runs on your computer
Transport: stdio
Category: Search & AI memory
You need to fill in: YTDLP_PLEX_TOKEN, YTDLP_ACOUSTID_CLIENT_KEY

Install

Pick the AI app you use, then copy the settings.

Before you install

Basic checks: 1 of 1 passed
Runs on your computer with your user’s permissions (files, network, apps).
You fill in yourself: YTDLP_PLEX_URL, YTDLP_PLEX_TOKEN, YTDLP_ACOUSTID_CLIENT_KEY, YTDL_RMCP_BINARY_VERSION, YTDL_RMCP_RELEASE_BASE_URL, RUST_LOG

Values marked secret are keys to your account. Never share them or paste them into a chat.

You need

npmNode.js installed (for the npx command)

Which app do you use?

ClaudeClaude CodeCursorVS CodeChatGPT

Pick your app above. We remember it, so next time the button says “Install in …”.

Open Claude Desktop → Settings → Developer → Edit Config, and paste this into claude_desktop_config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "rytdl": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@dinglebear/rytdl"
      ],
      "env": {
        "YTDLP_PLEX_URL": "your-value",
        "YTDLP_PLEX_TOKEN": "your-value",
        "YTDLP_ACOUSTID_CLIENT_KEY": "your-value",
        "YTDL_RMCP_BINARY_VERSION": "your-value",
        "YTDL_RMCP_RELEASE_BASE_URL": "your-value",
        "RUST_LOG": "your-value"
      }
    }
  }
}

Run this in your terminal

claude mcp add rytdl --env YTDLP_PLEX_URL=your-value --env YTDLP_PLEX_TOKEN=your-value --env YTDLP_ACOUSTID_CLIENT_KEY=your-value --env YTDL_RMCP_BINARY_VERSION=your-value --env YTDL_RMCP_RELEASE_BASE_URL=your-value --env RUST_LOG=your-value -- npx -y @dinglebear/rytdl

Fill in the empty values before running it.

Open in Cursor

Or copy the settings yourself

Paste into .cursor/mcp.json in your project, or ~/.cursor/mcp.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "rytdl": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@dinglebear/rytdl"
      ],
      "env": {
        "YTDLP_PLEX_URL": "your-value",
        "YTDLP_PLEX_TOKEN": "your-value",
        "YTDLP_ACOUSTID_CLIENT_KEY": "your-value",
        "YTDL_RMCP_BINARY_VERSION": "your-value",
        "YTDL_RMCP_RELEASE_BASE_URL": "your-value",
        "RUST_LOG": "your-value"
      }
    }
  }
}

Your browser asks to open the app, then the app shows the settings and asks you to confirm. Key values are left empty for you to fill in.

Open in VS Code

Or copy the settings yourself

Paste into .vscode/mcp.json in your project

{
  "servers": {
    "rytdl": {
      "type": "stdio",
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@dinglebear/rytdl"
      ],
      "env": {
        "YTDLP_PLEX_URL": "your-value",
        "YTDLP_PLEX_TOKEN": "your-value",
        "YTDLP_ACOUSTID_CLIENT_KEY": "your-value",
        "YTDL_RMCP_BINARY_VERSION": "your-value",
        "YTDL_RMCP_RELEASE_BASE_URL": "your-value",
        "RUST_LOG": "your-value"
      }
    }
  }
}

Your browser asks to open the app, then the app shows the settings and asks you to confirm. Key values are left empty for you to fill in.

This one runs on your computer, and ChatGPT can only connect to servers on the internet. Pick another app.

Your choice stays on this device in a cookie; no account needed.

Values you fill in

YTDLP_PLEX_URL env
Optional Plex server URL for playlist and Plex sync workflows.
YTDLP_PLEX_TOKEN secret env
Optional Plex token for playlist and Plex sync workflows.
YTDLP_ACOUSTID_CLIENT_KEY secret env
Optional AcoustID client key for identification and auto-retagging workflows.
YTDL_RMCP_BINARY_VERSION env
Optional GitHub release tag override for the downloaded YTDL RMCP binary.
YTDL_RMCP_RELEASE_BASE_URL env
Optional release download base URL override.
RUST_LOG env
Tracing filter for YTDL RMCP logs.

These settings are generated from the maker’s registry entry. If the README says otherwise, follow the README.

What it can do

Runs on your computer; the tool list appears in your AI app after you install it.

Basic checksi

We check information anyone can see; we have not read the code. Checks that do not apply are left out of the count. · Checked Nov 6, 2026

✓ Pass
Maker matches the repo
The registry name was verified against the domain dinglebear.ai (the registry checks domain ownership)
… Not checked yet
Still maintained
We have not read this repo from GitHub yet
… Not checked yet
Has a licence
We have not read this repo from GitHub yet
– Not applicable
Endpoint responds
This one runs on your computer; there is no internet endpoint
– Not applicable
Sign-in with OAuth
Runs on your computer and uses local settings instead
… Not checked yet
No hidden instructions in tool descriptions
Runs on your computer; we can only read tool lists from internet endpoints

Compared with others in Search & AI memoryi

More stars than 0% of the other 7247 servers in this category
Published to the registry more recently than 28% of the other 7247 servers in this category
Basic checks equal to or better than 100% of the other 7247 servers in this category

Compared with every active server in this category in the registry. Stars count only when the publisher owns the repo.

Common questions

Is YTDL RMCP safe?

It passed 1 of 1 applicable basic checks. We have not read the code. Before adding a key or token, see what access the server asks for and use a key with only the permissions you need.

What keys or codes does it need?

You need to fill in: YTDLP_PLEX_TOKEN, YTDLP_ACOUSTID_CLIENT_KEY

Does it run on my computer or in the cloud?

It runs on your computer. Your AI app starts it when needed, and data does not pass through the maker’s servers (unless it calls an online service itself).

Is it still maintained?

The GitHub repo last changed –, and the latest version (1.0.4) reached the registry 3 months ago.

Which apps can use it?

Apps that support MCP, such as Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor and VS Code. You also need Node.js on your computer.

What can I use instead?

In the same category: Context7, Codebase Memory, Exa

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README from the maker

Open the README

Copied from the maker’s repo as written. PopNx MCP has not reviewed or endorsed it. HTML, images and scripts are removed. Links lead off this site.

ytdl-rmcp

yt-dlp search, download, metadata, delivery, and Plex workflows over MCP and CLI.

Written in Rust on the rmcp crate. yt-dlp and ffmpeg are auto-downloaded into a per-user cache on first run, so the host needs neither pre-installed — the one binary is the whole install.

30-second path: npx -y @dinglebear/rytdl setup -> configure a target path -> call youtube_search or youtube_probe; use youtube_download only after the destination and trust boundary are clear.

Status: production personal-media MCP server. Read-only search/probe/stats paths are safe; download, playlist, queue-drain, and tag-writing paths create or move state and are intended for trusted callers.

Not for: a generic web-downloader SaaS, a multi-tenant media ingestion boundary, a replacement for yt-dlp's upstream site handling, or an arbitrary filesystem writer for untrusted MCP callers.

Naming
Capabilities And Boundaries
Install
Quickstart
Client Configuration
Runtime Surfaces
MCP Tool Reference
CLI Reference
Configuration
Authentication
Safety And Trust Model
Architecture
Distribution Contract
Development
Verification
Deployment
Troubleshooting
Related Servers
Documentation
License

Naming

Surface	This repo
Repository	`dinglebear-ai/rytdl`
Cargo crate	`ytdl-rmcp`
npm package	`@dinglebear/rytdl`
CLI / binary	`rytdl`
MCP tools	`youtube_search`, `youtube_search_ui`, `youtube_download`, `youtube_probe`, `youtube_identify`, `youtube_stats`, `youtube_plex_playlist`, `youtube_transfer_queue`
Env prefix	`YTDLP_`, plus `FFMPEG_`, `FPCALC_PATH`, and `YTDLP_LOG`
Transport	stdio only — no HTTP listener, no service port

The crate and npm package use the *-rmcp family naming pattern, while the repository and runtime binary are rytdl so local shells get a short Rust-native command.

Capabilities And Boundaries

Searches YouTube through yt-dlp without downloading media.
Downloads audio, video, or both into a staging tree, tags audio metadata, and transfers the result to local, SSH, or rclone destinations.
Optionally fingerprints audio through AcoustID/MusicBrainz and syncs completed audio downloads into a Plex playlist.
Builds Plex playlists from successful transfer history and drains server-made retained-staging transfer manifests.
Exposes an MCP App search UI for hosts that can render embedded widgets.
Keeps a JSONL ledger for repeat-safe downloads and stats.

This repo owns	Upstream owns	Explicitly out of scope
MCP tools, CLI setup, media staging, tagging, transfer policy, queue manifests, config validation, response shaping, plugin/package metadata.	yt-dlp extraction behavior, source-site availability, ffmpeg media conversion, Plex library indexing, SSH/rclone authentication.	Multi-tenant isolation, arbitrary local writes for untrusted callers, credential brokering, site-specific scraping guarantees, media-server replacement.

Features

Audio, video, or both — audio-first by default, with separate targets for audio and video.
Proper tagging — embeds title / artist / album / date and cover art, and organizes output as Artist/Title [id].ext so media servers (Plex, etc.) index it cleanly. A non-greedy Artist - Title parse recovers the artist from free-form video titles. Source .info.json, thumbnail, and description sidecars are preserved next to the media for future retagging/indexing. Common YouTube title noise like (Official Video), [Official Audio], and trailing channel handles is stripped from embedded title metadata by default.
Self-contained paths — the binary downloads/caches yt-dlp + ffmpeg when run directly; the container image bakes in ffmpeg, fpcalc, SSH, and rsync for media-host batch jobs.
Self-installing — ytdl-rmcp setup registers the server into Claude Code, Codex, and/or Gemini CLI via each tool's own mcp add.
Robust transfers — local paths (/path) are copied in-process by the binary itself, SSH targets (host:/path) use rsync -a --partial --protect-args with an scp fallback when rsync is missing, and rclone targets (remote:path or rclone:remote:/path) use rclone copy. On transfer failure the local staging copy is kept for retry and recorded as a drainable manifest for youtube_transfer_queue.
Repeat-safe — use_archive records downloaded IDs (per mode) and skips them on later runs; YouTube mix/radio URLs are auto-cleaned to the seed video.
Stats-ready ledger — every completed download call appends a JSONL entry with timestamp, destinations, files, bytes, uploader, and transfer status.
Plex playlist sync — when Plex credentials are configured, downloaded audio is added to yt-dlp Downloads by default.

MCP Tool Reference

Tool	Purpose
`youtube_search`	Search YouTube with yt-dlp and return result URLs without downloading.
`youtube_search_ui`	Open an interactive YouTube search UI in MCP App-capable hosts.
`youtube_download`	Download one or more URLs (audio/video/both) and transfer them to a target path.
`youtube_probe`	Read-only: resolve title/duration/uploader/format counts without downloading.
`youtube_identify`	Fingerprint local audio with `fpcalc`, return AcoustID/MusicBrainz candidates, preview canonical tags, and optionally write high-confidence tags.
`youtube_stats`	Summarize the download ledger: totals, file kinds, uploaders, and recent entries.
`youtube_plex_playlist`	Build or preview Plex audio playlists from successful transferred audio history.
`youtube_transfer_queue`	List and drain retained-staging transfer failure manifests.

`youtube_download` parameters

Param	Default	Meaning
`urls`	— (required)	One URL string or an array of URLs.
`mode`	`audio`	`audio`, `video`, or `both`.
`audio_format`	env `YTDLP_AUDIO_FORMAT` → `mp3`	`mp3`/`m4a`/`opus`/`flac`/`wav`/`best`.
`audio_quality`	`0`	yt-dlp quality for lossy codecs: `0`–`9` or a bitrate like `192K`.
`max_height`	best	Cap video resolution (e.g. `1080`).
`container`	`mp4`	`mp4` or `mkv` for video.
`target_path`	env `YTDLP_TARGET_PATH`	Destination for audio. Use `/path` for local, `host:/path` for SSH, or `remote:path` or `rclone:remote:/path` for rclone.
`video_target_path`	env `YTDLP_VIDEO_TARGET_PATH` → `target_path`	Destination for video when it should land somewhere different from audio. Same target forms.
`keep_local`	`false`	Keep the local staging copy after transfer.
`use_archive`	`false`	Record + skip already-downloaded IDs (per mode).
`plex_playlist`	env `YTDLP_PLEX_PLAYLIST` → `yt-dlp Downloads` when Plex is configured	Plex playlist title or ID to add downloaded audio tracks to. Requires `YTDLP_PLEX_URL` and `YTDLP_PLEX_TOKEN`.
`response_format`	`markdown`	`markdown` or `json`.

When Plex credentials are configured, successful downloads that produced audio files search Plex for each downloaded track, create the target playlist if needed, and add missing tracks while skipping entries already present. The default playlist is yt-dlp Downloads; set YTDLP_PLEX_PLAYLIST or pass plex_playlist to override it. Plex errors are reported as plex_playlist_error and do not make the completed download fail. JSON responses include a plex_playlist summary with matched, added, already_present, and missing counts.

Canonical metadata matching through MusicBrainz/AcoustID is documented in docs/musicbrainz-acoustid.md. youtube_download automatically runs high-confidence MusicBrainz retagging for downloaded audio when YTDLP_ACOUSTID_CLIENT_KEY is configured; youtube_identify remains available for previewing or repairing existing library files, with manual tag writes enabled by write_tags=true.

`youtube_download` JSON response

With response_format=json, the call returns a single object describing the batch:

Field	Meaning
`transferred`	`true` if every produced subtree reached its target.
`transfer_error`	`null` on success, else the failure/timeout message (string).
`target_path` / `destination` / `destinations`	The per-kind target destination(s) actually used.
`staging_kept_at`	Local staging path retained for retry (set when the transfer failed or `keep_local` was requested).
`total_files` / `total_bytes` / `total_size`	Aggregate counts across all items.
`partial_items`	Count of items that errored but still produced files.
`failed_items`	Count of items that errored and produced no files.
`items[]`	Per-URL results, each with a `status`, `title`, `video_id`, `error`, and a `files[]` list.

Each items[].status is one of:

ok — succeeded with files.
partial — an error occurred but some files were still produced.
failed — errored with no files.
skipped — nothing new (already in the archive).

Optional keys are attached only when the relevant stage ran:

metadata_retag — MusicBrainz/AcoustID auto-retag summary (attempted, matched, written, skipped, errors, or an error string); present when YTDLP_ACOUSTID_CLIENT_KEY is configured.
plex_playlist — Plex playlist summary (playlist, matched, added, already_present, missing); plex_playlist_error is set instead if the Plex update failed (a Plex failure does not fail the download).
history_error — set when the download succeeded but the JSONL ledger append failed.

youtube_probe takes urls and response_format.

`youtube_plex_playlist`

Build or preview Plex audio playlists from successful ytdl-rmcp download history.

Actions:

Action	Meaning
`list_candidates`	Return audio candidates from history entries where `transferred` is `true`.
`preview`	Resolve selected candidates against Plex without mutating Plex.
`apply`	Add selected candidates to a Plex audio playlist idempotently.

Candidates are history-derived and audio-only. Failed or retained-staging transfers are intentionally excluded.

apply can return plexamp_url, plex_web_url, and playback_link_status. plexamp_url is a best-effort generated listen.plex.tv playback link, not an official Plexamp API guarantee. The regular Plex playlist API calls use the official Plex Media Server API.

`youtube_transfer_queue`

List and drain server-created transfer failure manifests.

Actions:

Action	Meaning
`list`	Show pending retained-staging transfer manifests.
`retry`	Retry one manifest by opaque `manifest_id`.
`retry_all`	Retry all pending manifests.
`prune`	Remove manifests whose staging directory is gone.

The queue never accepts arbitrary filesystem paths. Retry uses the original target paths recorded at failure time and re-checks local target policy before transfer. Manifests are created by the local s

Only the beginning is shown; read the rest in the repo

YTDL RMCP

Overview

PopNx MCP’s three pillars

What you can do with it

Install

Before you install

Values you fill in

What it can do

Basic checksi

Maker matches the repo

Still maintained

Has a licence

Endpoint responds

Sign-in with OAuth

No hidden instructions in tool descriptions

Compared with others in Search & AI memoryi

Common questions

Alternatives

Context7

Codebase Memory

Exa

README from the maker

ytdl-rmcp

Contents

Naming

Capabilities And Boundaries

Features

MCP Tool Reference

youtube_download parameters

youtube_download JSON response

youtube_plex_playlist

youtube_transfer_queue

`youtube_download` parameters

`youtube_download` JSON response

`youtube_plex_playlist`

`youtube_transfer_queue`