TubeSync

TubeSync is an open-source, self-hosted web application that functions as a personal video recorder for YouTube. It synchronizes specific channels and playlists to local directories, allowing users to maintain a local archive of video and audio content. The application is deployed as a container using Docker or Podman and is compatible with both amd64 and arm64 architectures, making it suitable for standard desktop PCs as well as ARM-based devices like the Raspberry Pi.

Users manage the software through a web interface where they can add sources, define download quality, and set indexing frequencies. The system automatically organizes content into separate video and audio subdirectories based on the stream type, ensuring that music-only content is isolated from video files. It includes a task scheduler to handle the indexing and downloading process without manual intervention, which allows the system to run in the background as a dedicated media server utility.

Key features

• Synchronization of YouTube channels and playlists to local storage
• Integration with Plex and Jellyfin to update media libraries
• Built-in download client utilizing yt-dlp and ffmpeg
• Automated task scheduling for indexing and downloading
• Gradual retry mechanism with back-off timers for failed downloads
• Support for custom media formats and quality settings
• Basic HTTP authentication via environment variables

The software acts as a web interface wrapper for yt-dlp and ffmpeg. It is designed for users who prefer to watch YouTube content through their own media servers rather than the official platform, providing more control over file quality and storage. The architecture relies on a SQLite database for configuration and metadata, which is stored in a dedicated config directory to simplify backups and migration. To prevent IP throttling, the software allows users to configure the frequency of source indexing, which is the process of checking for new videos on a channel or playlist.

TubeSync is positioned as a tool for automated media archival and local library management.