What it is
streamlink is a CLI utility which pipes video streams from various services directly into a video player you use.
What’s new
v7.6.0’s release (Sept 2025) brings fresh site-plugin updates, fixes, and small deprecations, part of its steady cadence to keep major services (Twitch, YouTube, and more) working reliably.
What else is similar to it
While Streamlink is about watching live streams in your player, yt-dlp and you-get are designed to save videos instead. VLC can open some network streams directly, and OBS Studio is better suited for capturing rather than viewing. To see how Streamlink fits among other download and playback tools, check our 5 Best Downloaders.
Why it’s different
It’s purpose-built for streaming: open the stream in a real media player with one command and skip the clutter of the site.
How to get started
- Install: macOS
brew install streamlink - Any OS with Python
pip install streamlink - Play a stream:
streamlink <page-link> best(opens in VLC by default) - Pick a specific quality:
streamlink <page-link> 720p
References (1)
Linked from The 5 Best Downloaders for Videos, Music & Images (No Browser Needed)