Media Downloader Launcher Plugin

Setup/Preset Sharing
1

Media Downloader Launcher Plugin

I’ve released a major update to my Media Downloader plugin for BetterTouchTool Launcher.

It provides a native, compact interface for downloading videos or extracting audio using yt-dlp and FFmpeg.

Media Downloader

Features

  • Video and Audio modes
  • Resolution, format, container, and audio-quality controls
  • Metadata, thumbnail, duration, and estimated-size previews
  • Live progress, transferred size, speed, and ETA
  • Playlist downloads
  • Multi-URL queues
  • Multi-line YouTube search lists
  • Plain-text YouTube search
  • Individual Spotify track resolution to a YouTube audio search
  • Browser-cookie support for authenticated websites
  • Custom destination folders
  • Background downloads when BTT Launcher closes
  • Cancel, retry, open-file, and reveal-in-Finder actions
  • Dependency checks, Homebrew updates, and troubleshooting logs

Requirements

  • macOS 12 or later
  • BetterTouchTool with Swift plugin support
  • Apple Silicon Mac
  • Homebrew
  • yt-dlp, ffmpeg, and ffprobe

Install the Required Tools

Install Homebrew if it is not already installed:

/bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh)"

Then install yt-dlp and FFmpeg:

brew install yt-dlp ffmpeg

Install the Plugin

  1. Download BTTMediaDownloader.swift.

  2. Copy it to:

    ~/Library/Application Support/BetterTouchTool/Plugins/

  3. Restart BetterTouchTool, or wait for BetterTouchTool to detect the plugin.

  4. Approve the compilation prompt after reviewing the source code.

  5. Open BTT Launcher and search for:

    Media Downloader

  6. Open the plugin, paste a supported media URL or enter search text, select the desired format, and press Download.

Updating the Required Tools

Update yt-dlp and FFmpeg with:

brew update
brew upgrade yt-dlp ffmpeg

You can also use the following commands inside the plugin:

  • Settings → Check Tools
  • Settings → Update Tools

GitHub Links

The update is currently awaiting review in the official BetterTouchTool Plugins repository.

Notes

  • Supported websites and formats depend on yt-dlp.
  • Spotify support currently handles individual track links by finding a likely match on YouTube.
  • Some authenticated sources require selecting browser cookies in the plugin settings.
  • This release currently uses Apple Silicon Homebrew paths under /opt/homebrew.
  • Closing BTT Launcher does not cancel an active download.

Feedback

Feedback, testing, and bug reports are welcome—especially for different websites, formats, playlists, and longer download queues.

Only download media you own, created, or have permission to download. Respect copyright law and each platform’s terms of service.

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