A free, open source video downloader for Windows 10 and 11

Installing on Windows

1. Download the installer from the releases page. Scroll to Assets and take ArcDLP-Setup-x.x.x.exe.
2. Run it. Windows SmartScreen will appear. Click More info, then Run anyway.
3. The installer runs on its own and creates a Start menu shortcut. It does not ask for an install location and it does not ask for an admin password.

Per-user install, no admin rights

ArcDLP uses a per-user NSIS installer. That means it writes to your own profile rather than Program Files, so it works on managed work and school laptops where you cannot elevate. It appears in Settings → Apps → Installed apps and uninstalls from there like any normal program, taking its app data with it.

If Defender quarantines the download

Occasionally Microsoft Defender or a third-party antivirus flags the installer. This is a false positive that affects most unsigned Electron apps and most yt-dlp bundles, because yt-dlp itself is heuristically flagged by several engines. If it happens, restore the file from quarantine, or verify the download against the checksum on the release page first if you want to be careful. You can also just build from source.

Downloading a video

Paste any URL into the bar and press Enter. ArcDLP fetches the metadata and shows every quality the source actually offers, from 4K down to 240p, with an estimated file size next to each one. Choose one and click Add to Queue.

For playlists and channels, paste that URL instead. Every item appears with a checkbox so you can untick the ones you do not want, then pick a single format for the whole batch. A 305 item playlist is entirely normal and the queue works through it one at a time.

Files save to %USERPROFILE%\Downloads\ArcDLP by default. Change it under Settings → Storage.

The Windows Media Player audio problem

This is the single most common complaint about YouTube downloads on Windows, and it is worth understanding rather than just working around.

YouTube serves its high quality audio as Opus. Opus is excellent, and it is also a codec that Windows Media Player cannot decode when it is sitting inside an MP4 container. Download a video with a naive tool and you get a file that plays perfectly in Chrome and VLC, and gives you silent video in Windows Media Player or a black screen in Movies & TV.

ArcDLP handles this by re-encoding the audio track to AAC whenever it merges into an MP4. AAC costs a few seconds of encoding time and plays on every Windows media player without exception. You do not have to configure anything.

The one case where you still need to think about it: if you set the codec to VP9 under Settings → Video, the output is a WebM file with Opus audio, because AAC is not valid inside a WebM container. WebM plays fine in any browser and in VLC, but not in Windows Media Player. If you want a file that opens by double-clicking on a stock Windows install, leave the codec on Auto or H.264.

Codec settings explained

Setting	File you get	Plays in WMP?
Auto	MP4, AAC audio	Yes
H.264	MP4, AAC audio	Yes. Best for Premiere, Resolve, Vegas.
VP9	WebM, Opus audio	No. Use VLC or a browser.
AV1	MP4, AAC audio	Only on Windows 11 with the AV1 Video Extension installed.

Note that YouTube caps H.264 at 1080p. Requesting 4K with H.264 selected will not fail, it will quietly fall back to the best available codec and say so in the log panel.

Extracting MP3 and other audio

The Extract audio section gives you MP3, M4A and Opus at maximum quality. For Windows, MP3 is the safest choice since it plays in absolutely everything including car stereos and old hardware. M4A is better quality at the same file size if the destination supports it.

Age restricted and private videos

Settings → YouTube Account opens Google's real sign-in page in a separate window. Your password goes directly to Google. ArcDLP keeps only the session cookies, locally, and hands them to yt-dlp when it runs. There is a matching Instagram sign-in for private saved collections.

How it compares

Most free Windows video downloaders are funded by ads, bundled installers or a paid upgrade that unlocks resolutions above 1080p. ArcDLP has no revenue model at all, which is both why it is completely unrestricted and why it is unsigned. The real technical alternative is yt-dlp on the command line, which is superb and interface-free. The yt-dlp GUI guide covers that comparison properly. Also available for Mac and Linux.

FAQ