How can I invoke recode-video / audio-format *only* for non-free formats?

[lofidevops]

This is what I'd like to achieve:

• download with --prefer-free-formats (if one of the best formats is free, pick that one - see #2453 for confirmation that this is the expected behaviour)
• if the picked option is non-free, convert it to a specific free format
• if the picked option is free, do not convert it

In other words, I want to avoid converting vorbis to opus, or webm to ogg, or the other way around. But I always want to convert avi, mp4, etc to ogg.

If I use (for example) youtube-dl --prefer-free-formats --extract-audio --audio-format vorbis <URL> it always converts to vorbis.

[phihag]

There is no such option at the moment. Basically, youtube-dl would have to be given a map of how to convert formats.

[lofidevops]

Ok, so until --impose-free-formats is implemented ;) I should just use --audio-format vorbis rather than --prefer-free-formats --audio-format vorbis?

[phihag]

No, --prefer-free-formats --audio-format vorbis is strictly closer to what you want than --audio-format vorbis. Just keep it as is.

[lofidevops]

Thanks!