vrc-ytdlp-resolver

A small web tool that resolves direct playable video URLs from YouTube using yt-dlp.
This is useful for VRChat world video players that sometimes fail to play YouTube links due to bot protection or signature restrictions.

Instead of relying on in-world extraction, this tool resolves the video server-side and outputs a temporary direct streaming link (*.googlevideo.com).
You can then paste this link into a VRChat video player that accepts raw media URLs.

✨ Features

Resolve YouTube watch URLs into playable direct video URLs
Prefers progressive MP4 (H.264 + AAC) for VRChat compatibility
Automatically falls back to adaptive video + audio streams if required
Web UI for easy usage
Shows:
- Local yt-dlp version
- Latest available yt-dlp version from GitHub
- Update availability notification

📦 Requirements

Node.js 18+
yt-dlp installed and available in the system PATH
(or specify a custom path via YT_DLP_PATH)

🧱 Installation

git clone https://github.com/MrUnknownDE/vrc-ytdlp-resolver
cd vrc-ytdlp-resolver
npm install

Make sure yt-dlp is installed:

# Linux / Mac
curl -L https://github.com/yt-dlp/yt-dlp/releases/latest/download/yt-dlp -o yt-dlp
chmod +x yt-dlp
sudo mv yt-dlp /usr/local/bin/

# Windows (PowerShell)
winget install yt-dlp.yt-dlp

(Optional) Set a custom path:

export YT_DLP_PATH="/path/to/yt-dlp"

🚀 Run

npm run dev

The web interface will be available at:

http://localhost:3000

🐳 Docker

docker build -t vrc-ytdlp-resolver .
docker run --rm -p 3000:3000 vrc-ytdlp-resolver

🔧 Usage

Open the web UI.
Paste a YouTube watch link.
Click Resolve.
Copy the direct playback URL.
Paste it into your VRChat video player.

⚠️ Direct streaming URLs are temporary. They may expire after several minutes or hours. If playback stops later, simply resolve again.

⚠️ Disclaimer

This tool does not download or store media. It only extracts direct streaming URLs that YouTube already provides for playback.

Respect YouTube’s Terms of Service and copyright laws. Do not use this tool for piracy.

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