tubearchivist/tubearchivist

Tube Archivist is a self-hosted YouTube media server that lets you download, index, and search your video collection offline through a web interface.

The problem it solves is the difficulty of organizing and finding videos once a personal YouTube collection grows large. Tube Archivist addresses this by using yt-dlp to download videos from YouTube channels you subscribe to, then indexes the downloaded content with metadata to make videos searchable. The tool stores everything locally so you can browse, play, and manage your archive without relying on YouTube's interface or availability.

You should choose this tool if you want to build a self-hosted video library with full control over your content and the ability to search it offline. It suits mid-sized personal archives and works well for users who want to integrate their videos with media servers like Jellyfin or Plex through available plugins. The project provides a browser extension for Firefox and Chrome to simplify adding videos to your archive. Installation requires Docker and a modest amount of system resources, with documentation covering deployment on common platforms including Unraid, Synology, and Podman.

Development activity shows consistent engagement with community support through Discord and Reddit channels. The project maintains comprehensive documentation including an FAQ and API reference. Regular updates to the codebase address user-reported issues and expand functionality. The maintainers actively support multiple deployment scenarios beyond standard Docker, indicating responsiveness to diverse user environments.