▶️ Setup MeTube — Web UI for yt-dlp
Deploy MeTube on Ubuntu — a clean web interface for yt-dlp that downloads video or audio from YouTube and over a thousand other sites straight to your server.
📦 Resources & Setup Scripts
Grab the automated bash script from GitHub to follow along with the video.
Quick Install:
wget https://raw.githubusercontent.com/mhmdali94/Docker/main/downloads/metube/metube-ubuntu.sh
chmod +x metube-ubuntu.sh
sudo bash metube-ubuntu.shTutorial Steps
1 Download the Script
wget https://raw.githubusercontent.com/mhmdali94/Docker/main/downloads/metube/metube-ubuntu.sh2 Make it Executable
chmod +x metube-ubuntu.sh3 Run the Installer
The script installs Docker if needed, then starts the ghcr.io/alexta69/metube container with a persistent downloads volume under /root/docker/metube.
sudo bash metube-ubuntu.sh4 Access the Web UI
Open your browser, paste a video URL, and hit Add:
http://<your-server-ip>:8118Ports Used
| Port | Purpose |
|---|---|
| 8118 | Web UI (container port 8081) |
Overview
MeTube is a self-hosted web front-end for yt-dlp, the actively maintained successor to youtube-dl. This setup runs the ghcr.io/alexta69/metube image with the UI published on port 8118 (container port 8081) and a single bind mount: /downloads, stored at /root/docker/metube/downloads on the host. The workflow is deliberately simple — paste a URL, choose quality and format (MP4 video or MP3/audio-only), and MeTube queues the download on the server. Because yt-dlp powers it, the same box handles YouTube, Vimeo, Twitter/X, TikTok, SoundCloud, news sites, and the thousand-plus other extractors yt-dlp supports.
Why Use It
yt-dlp on the command line is powerful but unfriendly: remembering format flags, running sessions in tmux, copying files off the server afterwards. MeTube removes all of that — anyone on your network can queue downloads from a browser or phone, the server's fast connection does the work, and files land in one shared folder your media server can index. It is the difference between a tool only you use over SSH and a small service the whole household benefits from.
When You Need It
Who Should Use It
Real Use Cases
Main Features
How to Use After Installation
Security Best Practices
Ports and Firewall Notes
MeTube publishes a single port: 8118 on the host, mapping to 8081 inside the container. The script opens it in UFW when available. Since the UI is unauthenticated, this port should never be internet-facing — keep it on the LAN, behind a VPN such as WireGuard, or behind a reverse proxy that adds authentication. All download traffic is outgoing HTTPS from the container, so no other inbound ports are required.
Backup and Maintenance
Common Mistakes
Troubleshooting
Alternatives
Pinchflat (also in this Academy) is the better tool when you want ongoing, subscription-style archiving of whole channels rather than one-off downloads. TubeArchivist adds full-text search and its own player around archived YouTube content. Plain yt-dlp on the CLI remains the most flexible option for scripted workflows. For general file downloads (HTTP/FTP/torrent), see the Aria2 + AriaNg tutorial.
When Not to Use It
If you want to continuously mirror channels or playlists on a schedule, use Pinchflat — MeTube is built for on-demand, paste-a-link downloads. If you need a searchable archive with metadata and a player, TubeArchivist fits better. And for automation pipelines where downloads are triggered by scripts, calling yt-dlp directly gives you more control than driving a web UI.
PrismaTechWork Professional Help
PrismaTechWork provides end-to-end infrastructure services — from initial deployment and security hardening to ongoing monitoring, automated backups, and dedicated support.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which sites does MeTube support?
Everything yt-dlp supports — over a thousand extractors including YouTube, Vimeo, Twitter/X, TikTok, Instagram, SoundCloud, Twitch VODs, and most news sites. If yt-dlp can download it on the command line, MeTube can download it from the browser.
Can MeTube download audio only?
Yes. Choose MP3 in the format dropdown before adding the URL and MeTube extracts the audio track. This works for playlists too, which makes it handy for podcast or lecture archives.
Does MeTube have a login?
No — it ships without authentication. Keep port 8118 restricted to your LAN or VPN, or put it behind a reverse proxy like Nginx Proxy Manager with Basic Auth if you need access from outside.
Why did downloads from a site suddenly stop working?
Sites change their internals and break yt-dlp extractors regularly; the fix ships in yt-dlp updates. Pull the latest MeTube image (docker compose pull && docker compose up -d) — that bundles the newest yt-dlp and resolves the vast majority of failures.
Can I download entire playlists or channels?
Yes — paste a playlist or channel URL and MeTube queues every video. For recurring channel archiving on a schedule, though, Pinchflat is purpose-built and the better choice; see its tutorial in this Academy.