Microdownloader: a minimal, signed yt-dlp GUI for macOS

Status: v0.1.0: stable, pre-1.0. Source under 1,000 lines.

A tiny, open-source desktop app for downloading video and audio from YouTube and other sites supported by yt-dlp. Notarized for macOS. No Homebrew, no Terminal, no PATH wrangling.

Paste a URL. Pick Auto / Video / Audio. Download.

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Why Microdownloader

Most yt-dlp front-ends fall into one of two camps: paid closed-source apps (Stacher, Downie, 4K Video Downloader), or open-source builds that aren't signed for macOS, so users have to right-click → Open or run xattr -d com.apple.quarantine to get past Gatekeeper.

Microdownloader fills the gap.

• Open-source: MIT-licensed
• Signed and notarized: opens like any other Mac app
• Self-contained: yt-dlp and ffmpeg are bundled, no install steps
• Single screen: one input, three format chips, one button

It shares its visual language with Capsulo One (recording and transcription), a sibling app in the same local-first style.

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Features

• Paste-and-go: clipboard URL detection, single-click paste button
• Three format presets: Auto, Video (mp4), Audio (mp3)
• Real-time progress: percentage, file size, speed, ETA
• "Show in Finder" reveal after download
• Configurable save folder, remembered between launches
• Cancellable downloads
• Native macOS vibrancy and dark UI

The single-screen UI:

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Requirements

• macOS 11 (Big Sur) or later
• Apple Silicon or Intel: universal .dmg covers both
• ~120 MB free space for the app and bundled binaries

No local-network prompts. No accounts. No telemetry.

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Install

Download the latest .dmg from the Releases page, drag the app into Applications, open it. Done.

The build is signed with an Apple Developer ID and notarized, so Gatekeeper will not block it.

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Usage

1. Paste a video URL into the input field.
2. Pick a format:
   • Auto: best available video + audio, container chosen by yt-dlp
   • Video: best mp4 video + m4a audio, merged to mp4
   • Audio: best audio extracted as mp3 at highest available quality
3. Click Download.
4. Click Show to reveal the file in Finder, or New to queue another.

The save folder is set via the footer button and persists between launches.

Supported sites

Anything yt-dlp supports: YouTube, Vimeo, Twitch VODs, Twitter/X, TikTok, SoundCloud, Bandcamp, and 1,800+ others. See the yt-dlp supported-sites list for the full set.

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Build from source

Requires Node.js 18+ and macOS.

git clone git@github.com:codedgar/microdownloader.git
cd microdownloader
npm install
npm start

npm install runs scripts/fetch-binaries.sh, which downloads architecture-appropriate yt-dlp and ffmpeg binaries into resources/bin/ (gitignored). To re-fetch later:

npm run fetch-binaries

Producing a .dmg

For a build matching your current architecture:

npm run build:arm64   # Apple Silicon
npm run build:x64     # Intel

Note: npm run build produces a universal DMG and expects resources/bin/ to contain a universal ffmpeg. fetch-binaries.sh only grabs a binary for the current architecture, so a fresh clone will not build universal out of the box. To build universal, fetch both arm64 and x86_64 ffmpeg binaries and combine with lipo:

lipo -create ffmpeg-arm64 ffmpeg-x86_64 -output resources/bin/ffmpeg

yt-dlp's macOS release is already universal, so no extra step is needed.

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Project layout

main.js          Electron main process, spawns yt-dlp
preload.js       IPC bridge
renderer.js      UI logic
index.html       UI markup
style.css        UI styles (native vibrancy, dark surface)
resources/bin/   bundled yt-dlp and ffmpeg (gitignored)
scripts/         build and binary-fetch scripts
assets/          app icon, noise overlay, screenshots, banner

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FAQ

Is this a fork of yt-dlp? No. Microdownloader is a thin Electron front-end that spawns the official yt-dlp binary. yt-dlp does the actual downloading.

Why a GUI when yt-dlp already exists? For people who don't live in a terminal. Pasting a URL into a window is faster than remembering flags.

Does it work on Windows or Linux? Not yet. The app itself is Electron and portable, but bundling, signing, and the binary-fetch script are macOS-specific. Cross-platform builds are on the roadmap.

Is anything sent to a server? Only the request yt-dlp makes to the site you're downloading from. The app has no analytics, no auto-update calls home, no accounts.

Why does the first download take a moment to start? yt-dlp resolves formats and contacts the source site before the bytes flow. The progress bar appears once the actual download begins.

Can I update yt-dlp without rebuilding? Run npm run fetch-binaries against a source checkout to pull the latest. Packaged builds use whatever binary was bundled at release time. To update, install a newer .dmg.

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Disclaimer

This tool is for personal use with content you have the right to download. Respect the terms of service of the sites you use it with, and respect copyright. Don't redistribute work that isn't yours.

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License

MIT for the Microdownloader source code.

The packaged .dmg bundles third-party software (yt-dlp, ffmpeg, Electron). See THIRD_PARTY_LICENSES.md.

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Credits

• yt-dlp: the engine
• FFmpeg: muxing, audio extraction
• Electron: desktop runtime

Built by Edgar Perez.