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Identify what is missing
Read the complete error and note which program emitted it. A message from yt-dlp that FFmpeg or ffprobe is not found points to executable discovery. An FFmpeg message that it cannot open an input points to the path supplied after -i. If a playlist is involved, note the specific entry and whether the error occurred during download, post-processing, or output.
| What the log says or shows | What to check | Next step |
|---|---|---|
| yt-dlp reports FFmpeg or ffprobe missing | The executable and its configured location | Verify the binary, PATH, or --ffmpeg-location. |
| FFmpeg cannot open an input | The file path passed after -i |
Check the path, filename, extension, and working directory. |
| One playlist item fails and processing continues | The failing entry or its availability | Inspect that entry’s log before changing playlist-wide settings. |
| A download appears missing despite successful processing | The destination and output filename template | Check -P, -o, and the output path yt-dlp reported. |
Fix yt-dlp when it cannot find FFmpeg
Confirm you have the FFmpeg binary
yt-dlp needs the FFmpeg executable, not the Python package with a similar name. The yt-dlp project makes this distinction in its README. Confirm that FFmpeg is installed and that the executable exists where you expect it. If you have both FFmpeg and ffprobe, check that yt-dlp can locate the relevant executables.
Put the executable on PATH or specify its location
One supported setup is to make the directory containing the FFmpeg executables available through your system’s PATH. Alternatively, yt-dlp’s --ffmpeg-location option accepts either the binary path or the directory containing it. Use the real path for your installation; do not copy a path from another operating system or machine.
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After changing PATH on Windows, restart the shell so the new setting is available to the command you run. The yt-dlp FAQ describes executable placement and shell access. Path separators, quoting, executable suffixes, permissions, and installation locations vary by operating system and installation method.
Fix an FFmpeg input path that cannot be opened
Check the exact input argument
FFmpeg’s command-line syntax places the input after -i. Verify that the exact file or URL supplied there exists and can be accessed. For a local file, check spelling, extension, directory, and capitalization where the filesystem is case-sensitive. Also check the command’s working directory: a relative path is resolved from the directory in which the command runs, not necessarily the directory containing your script or playlist.
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FFmpeg accepts filenames as file URLs as well as ordinary file paths. Its command-line documentation covers input syntax. If the path includes spaces or shell-sensitive characters, quote it according to the shell you are using; quoting conventions differ among shells.
Distinguish input from yt-dlp’s output location
When yt-dlp downloads a playlist, the downloaded file may not be in the folder or have the name you expected. In yt-dlp, -P selects a download path and -o sets an output filename template. Check both options and the filename yt-dlp prints. The default output name includes the video title and ID, so it may differ from a manually guessed name. See the project’s output-template documentation and FAQ for details.
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Isolate a failure in a playlist
Do not assume one failed entry means FFmpeg or the entire playlist is broken. yt-dlp normally continues to the next video after a download error. Read the log around the failing entry and identify whether it is a download error, a post-processing error, or a missing local input/output file.
- Use
--abort-on-errorwhen you want a diagnostic run to stop at the first error. - Avoid
-iwhile diagnosing if you need to see failures clearly: it tells yt-dlp to ignore download and post-processing errors, which can obscure the point of failure. - Compare the failing entry’s reported title, URL, and output path with the files and directories that actually exist.
These playlist error-handling options are documented in the yt-dlp README. An entry-specific error may concern that item’s availability rather than the executable or path used for other entries.
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Troubleshoot by symptom
yt-dlp says FFmpeg is not found
- Confirm the FFmpeg binary is installed; a Python package named similarly is not a substitute.
- Check that the binary path exists and that the current shell can find it through
PATH. - Try
--ffmpeg-locationwith the actual binary path or its containing directory. - If you changed Windows
PATH, open a fresh shell and rerun the command.
FFmpeg says it cannot open a file
- Inspect the argument immediately following
-i. - Check the filename, extension, directory, permissions, and working directory.
- If it is a yt-dlp download, use the reported output name and check the configured
-Pdestination and-otemplate.
Only one playlist entry fails
- Read the log for that specific item and identify the stage that failed.
- Check whether later items continued, as yt-dlp normally proceeds after download errors.
- Use
--abort-on-errorfor a run that should stop at the first failure; avoid ignoring errors until you have a clear diagnosis.
The path seems right, but the error persists
Check that the command is running in the expected shell and working directory, and that the configured path exists in that environment. Shell quoting, permissions, and installation method can change how a path is interpreted. A dated yt-dlp issue illustrates how a nonexistent configured FFmpeg location can cause confusion, but it does not establish that every current “file not found” error has that cause: yt-dlp issue #7178.
What to include in a reproducible report
If the cause is still unclear, provide the complete command, exact error text, operating system, yt-dlp and FFmpeg versions, and full verbose output. Redact private tokens or credentials before sharing logs. Without those details, it is not possible to tell reliably whether the missing object is an executable, an input file, an output target, or a particular playlist entry.
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