Use a slash / to set a preference order. For example, youtube-dl -f 22/17/18 [URL] will try format 22 first, then 17, then 18.
To ensure you get an MP4 file, use -f "bestvideo[ext=mp4]+bestaudio[ext=m4a]/best[ext=mp4]/best" . Transitioning to yt-dlp How to select video quality from youtube-dl? - Ask Ubuntu
You can force to download a specific resolution, such as 1080p or 720p, even if higher options exist. Command Example Why Use This? Download exactly 720p youtube-dl -f 22 [URL] youtube-dl download certain quality
For more complex needs, you can use comparative operators and fallback chains.
While downloads the highest possible quality by default, you can precisely control resolution, file size, and format using selection flags. For maximum flexibility, ensuring FFmpeg is installed on your system allows the tool to merge high-definition video streams with high-quality audio tracks. View Available Qualities Use a slash / to set a preference order
Before downloading, you can inspect every available stream for a specific video to see their format codes, resolutions, and extensions.
youtube-dl -f "bestvideo[height<=1080]+bestaudio/best" [URL] Transitioning to yt-dlp How to select video quality
Download the best quality that doesn't exceed a certain size: youtube-dl -f "best[filesize .