# YouTube Playlist and Channel Downloader Source: https://b-roll-6hk.pages.dev/features/youtube-playlist-channel-downloader/ Published: 2026-09-25 Updated: 2026-09-25 Author: Ema Zamboni, video editor (https://b-roll-6hk.pages.dev/about/) Section: Features (https://b-roll-6hk.pages.dev/features/) **In short:** B-ROLL downloads a whole YouTube playlist from one pasted link, and a channel's videos once you set Download channels to Ask or Yes in Advanced options. You pick videos from a list, the latest few, or all of them. Each file can be MP4, ProRes, DNxHR or audio, and every video gets its own credits file. ## What does B-ROLL's playlist and channel downloader do? B-ROLL's playlist and channel downloader turns one pasted YouTube link into a queue of downloads that share one Format, one Quality and one credits setting. You paste a playlist or channel link once instead of copying every video. The typical sources are your own channel, a Creative Commons research set, or a playlist a client sends with the footage they cleared. The downloader is one of the [B-ROLL features for video editors](https://b-roll-6hk.pages.dev/features/) in a free Windows app built to get footage into a timeline, not into a media player. Which dialog you see depends on the link you paste. This table shows each bulk input, what you do in B-ROLL, and where the files end up. | Input | What you paste or pick | Where the files land | | --- | --- | --- | | Playlist page link (`youtube.com/playlist?list=`) | The **Download from channel** dialog: a list, the latest few, or every video | A subfolder named after the channel of the first listed video | | Watch link that belongs to a playlist | **Whole playlist** in the "This link is part of a playlist" question | The main download folder, no subfolder | | Channel link (`@name`, `/channel/`, `/c/`, `/user/`) | The same dialog, once Download channels is on Ask or Yes | A subfolder named after the channel | | Channel name in the search results | Right-click the name to open the channel downloader | A subfolder named after the channel | | **URL list (.txt)** or **Bookmarks** | Every YouTube link in the file or bookmark folder is queued | The main download folder | Ema Zamboni, a video editor who cuts YouTube videos in DaVinci Resolve Studio on Windows 11, built B-ROLL to collect b-roll for those edits. On Ema's own timeline, 4K60 AV1 downloads were heavy to play back and AV1 or VP9 files crashed Resolve at times. B-ROLL's automatic ProRes and DNxHR conversion was built to solve that, and a playlist batch can use it for every file. > **Careful:** Download only footage you have the right to use: your own uploads, Creative Commons, licensed or permitted material. [Download B-ROLL for Windows](https://b-roll-6hk.pages.dev/download/): free, Windows 10 and 11 today, macOS and Linux planned. No account, no ads. ## What should a playlist downloader for editing do? A playlist downloader for editing should deliver files your NLE plays smoothly, in one folder you can find, with the source of every video on record. Check each row against any tool you try, B-ROLL included, because a batch of 40 videos multiplies every weakness. This checklist lists what an editor needs from a bulk download, why it matters in the edit, and what B-ROLL does today, limits included. | Requirement | Why it matters in the edit | What B-ROLL does | | --- | --- | --- | | One link queues the playlist | Pasting 40 links by hand invites gaps and doubles | Playlist page links open a dialog; a watch link inside a playlist asks **Just this video** or **Whole playlist** | | Pick a subset | A research playlist often holds more than the cut needs | **Choose videos from a list** (the latest 60), the latest few, or every video | | Channel pages as input | Your own uploads or a client's channel are often the source | `@name`, `/channel/`, `/c/` and `/user/` links, off until you set **Download channels** to **Ask** or **Yes** | | An edit-ready codec for every file | Long-GOP AV1 and VP9 files often scrub slowly in an NLE | ProRes or DNx for the whole batch, tier picked per video after the download | | One folder per batch | Loose files in Downloads are hard to relink later | Dialog downloads land in a subfolder named after the channel | | A source record per video | Credits and licenses come up again at delivery | A `.credits.txt` per file plus a running `credits.txt`, on by default | | Real quality per file | A "1080p" label says nothing about bitrate | Each card shows the real bitrate and resolution | | No duplicates on a re-run | Running a batch twice should not fill the drive twice | **Already downloaded** check for the same video and settings; yt-dlp skips existing files | | Pause, resume and retry | Long batches meet network drops | **Pause** keeps the partial file, **Resume** continues it, **retry** re-queues a failed card | | Parallel downloads and time left | Helps plan a long job | Not offered: one download at a time, no time estimate | | Sign-in for restricted videos | Some videos ask for a YouTube sign-in | A cookies.txt exported from your own signed-in browser | | Cost and account | Caps and trials break long jobs halfway | Free, no account, no ads, voluntary donation | Online downloader sites and paid desktop downloaders often fail different rows: some cap playlist length, some skip channel links, and few write a source record per file. When a batch comes back short, the [playlist download that skips or stops](https://b-roll-6hk.pages.dev/troubleshooting/playlist-download-skips-videos/) page walks through the usual causes. ## How do you download a whole YouTube playlist in B-ROLL? Download a whole YouTube playlist in B-ROLL by pasting its link into the paste box and pressing `Enter` or **Paste & Download**. Set Format and Quality first, because every video in the batch uses them. A playlist page link, the one that starts with `youtube.com/playlist`, opens the **Download from channel** dialog. B-ROLL uses the same dialog for playlists and channels, which is why its labels say "channel". With **Download playlists** on **Ask**, the default, B-ROLL first asks "Download this playlist?"; on **No** it shows "Playlist downloads are off: enable in Advanced." A watch link copied while a playlist plays carries `&list=` and asks "Download just this video, or the whole playlist?". Pick **Whole playlist** and the batch goes into the main download folder instead of a subfolder. Set **Download playlists** to **Yes** or **No** in Advanced options to stop the question for good. In the dialog, up to 5 chosen videos become separate cards in the queue, and a larger selection becomes one grouped card. For the audio of a research or interview playlist, switch the Type to Audio before you paste: the [YouTube audio extractor for video editing](https://b-roll-6hk.pages.dev/features/youtube-audio-extractor/) covers MP3, M4A, WAV, FLAC and OPUS. B-ROLL takes lists beyond playlists too. To queue loose links from a text file or a browser folder, see [batch download YouTube videos from a list or bookmarks](https://b-roll-6hk.pages.dev/features/batch-download-url-list-bookmarks/). ## How do you switch on channel downloads in B-ROLL? Channel downloads in B-ROLL are off by default: open Advanced options and set **Download channels** to **Ask** or **Yes**. Until you do, a channel link only shows "Channel downloads are off: enable in Advanced." 1. Click the ⋯ button next to **Subtitles** to open **Advanced options**. 2. Set **Download channels** to **Ask** to confirm every channel link with "Download from this channel?", or to **Yes** to open the channel downloader straight away. 3. Paste a channel link in the `youtube.com/@name`, `/channel/`, `/c/` or `/user/` form and press `Enter`. 4. In **Download from channel**, pick **Choose videos from a list**, the latest few videos, or **Download every video in the channel**. The dialog confirms "Saved to a subfolder named after the channel." A channel download fits your own uploads, a client's channel you have permission to use, or a creator who publishes under Creative Commons. For your own channel, YouTube offers its own routes first: as of September 2026, [YouTube Help](https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/56100) says Studio downloads your uploads as MP4 at 720p or 360p, up to five times per day per video, and Google Takeout exports all of them. The guide to [back up your own YouTube channel to a local drive](https://b-roll-6hk.pages.dev/guides/back-up-your-youtube-channel/) compares those routes with B-ROLL. ## Can you download a whole playlist as ProRes or DNxHR? Yes. Set Format to **ProRes** or **DNx** before you paste the playlist link, and B-ROLL downloads each video, then converts it into a `.mov` with the same name. The conversion is a separate step after the download, not part of it. B-ROLL picks the tier per video from that file's own measured bitrate, resolution and frame rate, so a mixed playlist of 720p talking heads and 4K60 drone shots can come out at different tiers. Resolution and frame rate stay as they were; the tier rule and the `.mov` contents are on [download YouTube videos in ProRes or DNxHR](https://b-roll-6hk.pages.dev/features/youtube-to-prores-dnxhr/). Conversions run in their own queue, one file at a time on every CPU core, so the next download starts while the previous file converts. After a successful conversion the MKV master is deleted; if a conversion fails, B-ROLL keeps the MKV and says so in the log. Plan the drive before a long batch. B-ROLL's rule picks the lightest tier that runs at 10 or more times the bitrate of the YouTube stream, and falls back to HQ when no tier reaches that, so each `.mov` is far larger than its source. The [ProRes and DNxHR file size per minute](https://b-roll-6hk.pages.dev/formats/prores-dnxhr-file-size/) tables show what that means at 1080p and 4K. MP4, MKV and WEBM keep YouTube's own codecs, often AV1 or VP9 video with Opus audio. Those containers are fine for a reference bin or an archive, but the batch you cut from should be ProRes or DNxHR. ## Where do B-ROLL playlist and channel downloads land on disk? B-ROLL saves a channel or playlist download in a subfolder named after the channel. The subfolder sits inside your main download folder, the SAVE TO folder in the main window, which is `Downloads` until you change it. For a playlist link, the subfolder takes the channel name of the first listed video, or the literal name `channel` when B-ROLL finds none. A playlist that mixes creators therefore lands under the first creator's name, so rename the folder after the batch if that misleads you. The subfolder rule holds in Audio mode too: dialog downloads skip the separate audio folder. A finished channel batch in ProRes looks like this, with placeholder names: ```text Downloads\ Example Channel\ Harbor at Dawn, Drone Footage.mov Harbor at Dawn, Drone Footage.credits.txt City Rooftops at Night.mov City Rooftops at Night.credits.txt credits.txt ``` Each file is named after its YouTube title and carries the download date as its modified date, not the upload date. The running `credits.txt` collects one block per video, so it doubles as the source list for the whole batch; the [automatic credit files for every YouTube download](https://b-roll-6hk.pages.dev/features/automatic-creator-credit-files/) page shows each field. The License line reports what yt-dlp returns and falls back to "Standard YouTube License" when nothing comes back. For a Creative Commons research set, check the license on each video page, as [Creative Commons on YouTube: find, reuse, credit](https://b-roll-6hk.pages.dev/attribution/creative-commons-on-youtube/) explains; the credits file is a convenience, not proof of rights. To turn the subfolder into bins and a naming system, see [how to organize downloaded YouTube clips](https://b-roll-6hk.pages.dev/guides/organize-downloaded-youtube-clips/). ## What happens with private, deleted or unavailable videos in a batch? Private, deleted and region-blocked videos in a playlist cannot be downloaded, and B-ROLL marks each failure on its card with the last error line from yt-dlp. [YouTube Help](https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/157177) says private videos "can only be seen by you and whomever you choose", so a private entry in someone else's playlist fails for everyone else. The [yt-dlp README](https://github.com/yt-dlp/yt-dlp) describes its default as "Continue with next video on download errors; e.g. to skip unavailable videos in a playlist", so one dead entry should not stop the rest of a batch. As of September 2026, YouTube sometimes answers a download with "Sign in to confirm you're not a bot" or an age check. With no cookies.txt set, B-ROLL then tries the YouTube login of your installed browsers, looks for a freshly exported cookies.txt in Downloads and Desktop, and opens the **Sign-in needed** wizard if both fail. The dependable fix is a fresh cookies.txt exported from a browser signed in to your own YouTube account. Cookies expire, so when the message returns, export them again. On a failed or stopped card, **retry** re-queues that video, and an HTTP 403 error is already retried once with different YouTube player settings. The [playlist download that skips or stops](https://b-roll-6hk.pages.dev/troubleshooting/playlist-download-skips-videos/) page lists each skip cause with its fix. ## How to download a YouTube playlist with B-ROLL 1. **Set the output once.** Choose Video or Audio, then Quality and Format (MP4, MKV, WEBM, ProRes or DNx for video). Every video in the batch uses these settings. 2. **Paste the playlist link.** Copy the youtube.com/playlist link, paste it into the B-ROLL paste box and press Enter or Paste & Download. 3. **Confirm the playlist.** With Download playlists on Ask, confirm Download this playlist? with Yes. On No, B-ROLL shows Playlist downloads are off: enable in Advanced. 4. **Choose which videos.** In the Download from channel dialog, pick Choose videos from a list and tick videos, take the latest few, or pick Download every video in the channel. 5. **Pick subtitle languages.** If the Subtitles menu is on, tick the languages in the Subtitles dialog. B-ROLL asks once for the whole batch. 6. **Let the queue run.** B-ROLL downloads one video at a time into a subfolder named after the channel. ProRes and DNx files convert in their own queue while the next download starts. ## Frequently asked questions Q: Why are channel downloads switched off by default? A: Download channels starts on No, so a pasted channel link shows the hint "Channel downloads are off: enable in Advanced." and queues nothing. B-ROLL does not state a reason, but the effect is that a whole channel never starts from one careless paste. Open Advanced options and set Download channels to Ask or Yes when you need it. Q: Can I pick only some videos from a playlist? A: Yes. Choose videos from a list shows the latest 60 videos, and you tick only the ones you want. Each row carries a thumbnail, views, duration and bitrate, so you can judge quality before you download. The Download from channel dialog can also take the latest few videos or every video, and a watch link can download just its own video. Q: How long does a large batch take? A: B-ROLL shows no time estimate for a batch. It downloads one video at a time and each card shows its live speed, so the total follows your connection, the number and length of the videos, and YouTube's own speed. ProRes or DNxHR adds a conversion per video on every CPU core, while the next download already runs. Q: Can I download subtitles for every video in a playlist? A: Yes. Set the Subtitles menu to Embedded, SRT, ASS or VTT before you paste the link. B-ROLL asks for the languages once per batch, then fetches subtitles after each video in a separate pass, so a subtitle error never fails the video. Embedded subtitles do not work in WEBM files or for titles with square brackets; there the .srt files stay next to the video. Q: Does each video get its own credits file? A: Yes, while Save credits is on, which is the default. Each finished video gets a .credits.txt with its own name, and the same block is appended to a credits.txt in the same folder. If the metadata lookup fails, for example behind a sign-in wall, that video gets no credits file and no error is shown. ## Sources 1. [yt-dlp README on GitHub](https://github.com/yt-dlp/yt-dlp) 2. [YouTube Help: Download YouTube videos that you've uploaded](https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/56100) 3. [YouTube Help: Change video privacy settings](https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/157177) --- B-ROLL is a free, donation-supported desktop YouTube downloader for video editors: it downloads videos, clips, playlists and channels, converts them automatically into edit-ready ProRes or DNxHR (or saves MP4, MKV, WEBM or audio), and includes built-in trimming, subtitles and automatic creator credit files. Part of [B-ROLL Features for Video Editors](https://b-roll-6hk.pages.dev/features/) on the B-ROLL website. Download B-ROLL, free for Windows 10 and 11 (macOS and Linux planned): https://b-roll-6hk.pages.dev/download/