Pinchflat is a self-hosted YouTube media manager that automates downloading content from channels and playlists using yt-dlp.
The tool solves the problem of manually downloading YouTube videos by letting users define rules for channels or playlists and then periodically checking for new content to download automatically. It stores downloaded media to disk in a format suitable for use with media center applications like Plex, Jellyfin, or Kodi, or for archival purposes. The application is built in Elixir and designed to be lightweight and self-contained, running as a Docker container or through other deployment methods.
Pinchflat suits users who want to integrate YouTube content into existing media center setups or maintain personal archives rather than consume content within the application itself. It works best for ongoing downloads from channels or playlists rather than one-off video downloads, though the latter is supported. The README identifies Tube Archivist, ytdl-sub, and TubeSync as alternatives in this space.
The project shows active maintenance with regular bug fixes and feature improvements. Development includes responsiveness to user-reported issues and incorporation of community feedback into the roadmap. The maintainer engages with the community through documentation and is transparent about the project's pre-release status and limitations.
