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I Rewrote My Media Downloader from Scratch - Here's What I Learned

#python #opensource #cli #webdev

The Problem

It started simple enough - I wanted to download YouTube videos for offline studying. Couldn't stream during power cuts, and mobile data was expensive. So I hacked together a Python script using youtube-dl.

Fast forward a few months, and that "simple script" had become a 2000-line monster with zero documentation, no error handling, and more bugs than features. Friends kept asking me to add Instagram support, then Spotify, then TikTok... and each time I'd just copy-paste code and pray it worked.

It was time for a complete rewrite.

What I Built

Ultimate Media Downloader v2.0.0 - a CLI tool that downloads media from 1000+ platforms with proper architecture, comprehensive docs, and features I actually wish I had from day one.

Key Features

  • 🌐 Universal platform support (YouTube, Spotify, Instagram, TikTok, SoundCloud, Twitter, Facebook, Twitch, Apple Music, and more via yt-dlp)
  • ⚡ Concurrent downloads with resume capability
  • 🎨 Beautiful CLI with progress bars and real-time stats
  • 🔐 Proxy support, SSL/TLS bypass, Cloudflare protection
  • 📦 One-command installation scripts for all platforms
  • 📚 Actually useful documentation (8+ guides with flowcharts)

The Technical Deep Dive

What I Learned

1. Documentation is Not Optional

Writing docs made me realize how confusing my own code was. If I couldn't explain it simply, it was probably too complex. Created:

  • Architecture overview with Mermaid diagrams
  • Usage guides with real examples
  • Contributing guidelines
  • Troubleshooting FAQ
  • Command reference

2. Setup Scripts Matter

"Just install these 10 dependencies" doesn't work. Created automated scripts:

# Linux/macOS
./scripts/install.sh

# Windows
scripts\install.bat
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One command, everything works. Made onboarding 10x easier.

3. Error Messages Should Be Helpful

Changed from:

Error: Download failed
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To:

❌ Download failed for https://example.com/video
   Reason: 403 Forbidden - Video may be private or region-locked

   Suggestions:
   • Check if the video is publicly accessible
   • Try using --cookies for authenticated content
   • Use --proxy if content is region-restricted

   Need help? Open an issue: https://github.com/...
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4. Testing Saves Time

Spent 2 weeks writing tests. Saved myself months of debugging later. Every platform has unit tests, integration tests, and edge case coverage.

5. Git Commits Tell a Story

Used conventional commits:

feat: add Instagram story support
fix: handle rate limiting on Spotify
docs: add Mermaid flowcharts for download process
refactor: extract common validation logic
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Made it easier to track what changed and why.

Installation & Usage

Quick Start 

# Clone and install
git clone https://github.com/NK2552003/ULTIMATE-MEDIA-DOWNLOADER.git
cd ULTIMATE-MEDIA-DOWNLOADER
./scripts/install.sh

# Download a video
umd "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ"

# Download with quality selection
umd --quality 1080p "URL_HERE"

# Download entire playlist
umd --batch "PLAYLIST_URL"
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Example Commands 

# YouTube video
umd "https://youtube.com/watch?v=VIDEO_ID"

# Spotify playlist (downloads from YouTube)
umd "https://open.spotify.com/playlist/PLAYLIST_ID"

# Instagram reel
umd "https://instagram.com/reel/REEL_ID/"

# TikTok video
umd "https://tiktok.com/@user/video/VIDEO_ID"

# Twitter video
umd "https://twitter.com/user/status/TWEET_ID"
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What's Next

Working on:

  • GUI Interface - Electron or PyQt desktop app
  • Browser Extension - One-click downloads from any page
  • Cloud Storage Integration - Direct upload to Drive/Dropbox
  • Mobile App - React Native companion
  • REST API - For third-party integrations

Challenges I'm Still Solving

  1. Rate Limiting - Some platforms are aggressive. Need smarter throttling
  2. DRM Content - Can't download DRM-protected media (and shouldn't)
  3. Private Content - Cookie/auth handling is tricky
  4. Live Streams - Quality varies, need better handling

Contributing

The project is open source and I'd love contributions! Whether it's:

  • Adding new platform support
  • Improving documentation
  • Fixing bugs
  • Adding tests
  • Suggesting features

Check out the repo: ULTIMATE-MEDIA-DOWNLOADER

Final Thoughts

This rewrite taught me that good software is 20% code and 80% everything else - architecture, documentation, testing, user experience, and maintainability.

If you're thinking about rewriting your project from scratch, my advice:

  1. Don't rush - Take time to plan the architecture
  2. Write docs as you code - Future you will thank present you
  3. Test early - Don't wait until everything breaks
  4. Listen to users - They'll find bugs you never imagined
  5. Iterate - v2.0 won't be perfect, and that's okay

Would love to hear your thoughts, especially if you've gone through similar rewrites. What worked? What didn't?

GitHub: https://github.com/NK2552003/ULTIMATE-MEDIA-DOWNLOADER
Star if you find it useful!
Open to feedback and contributions

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