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They need to run a JavaScript function to download YouTube videos at normal speeds. Edit: it's also required to download music, otherwise it will just fail So

by rany_ 4y ago

They need to run a JavaScript function to download YouTube videos at normal speeds. Edit: it's also required to download music, otherwise it will just fail Source: - https://github.com/ytdl-org/youtube-dl/issues/29326#issuecomment-894619419 https://github.com/ytdl-org/youtube-dl/issues/29326#issuecom... - https://github.com/ytdl-org/youtube-dl/blob/d619dd712f63aab1964f8fdde9ceea514a5e581d/youtube_dl/extractor/youtube.py#L1484-L1500 https://github.com/ytdl-org/youtube-dl/blob/d619dd712f63aab1... - https://github.com/ytdl-org/youtube-dl/commit/cf001636600430b4b03963238c14a11c33d6d013 https://github.com/ytdl-org/youtube-dl/commit/cf001636600430...

ajkjk 4y ago
Wow: Overview of the control flow (already known): The Youtube API provides you with n - your video access token If their new changes apply to your client (they do for "web") then it is expected your client will modify n based on internal logic. This logic is inside player...base.js n is modified by a cryptic function Modified n is sent back to server as proof that we're an official client. If you send n unmodified, the server will eventually throttle you. So they can always change the function to keep you on your toes, hence you need to be able to run semi-arbitrary JS in order to keep using the API. Waste of human brainpower but I guess that energy is better spent imagining a world where Google isn't in charge instead of kvetching about what they're doing with their influence.
- isatty 4y ago
  There is a reason Google is able to serve the amount of video bandwidth, and also a reason why there are no worthwhile youtube clones. Some amount of scrape protection is absolutely essential.
  - Aperocky 4y ago
    Seems like they ultimately failed, youtube-dl is available freely as a pip package, anyone with scraping intent would have been able to use it.

by rany_ 4y ago

ajkjk 4y ago

Wow: Overview of the control flow (already known): The Youtube API provides you with n - your video access token If their new changes apply to your client (they do for "web") then it is expected your client will modify n based on internal logic. This logic is inside player...base.js n is modified by a cryptic function Modified n is sent back to server as proof that we're an official client. If you send n unmodified, the server will eventually throttle you. So they can always change the function to keep you on your toes, hence you need to be able to run semi-arbitrary JS in order to keep using the API. Waste of human brainpower but I guess that energy is better spent imagining a world where Google isn't in charge instead of kvetching about what they're doing with their influence.

isatty 4y ago
There is a reason Google is able to serve the amount of video bandwidth, and also a reason why there are no worthwhile youtube clones. Some amount of scrape protection is absolutely essential.
- Aperocky 4y ago
  Seems like they ultimately failed, youtube-dl is available freely as a pip package, anyone with scraping intent would have been able to use it.