YouTube API vs yt-dlp Evaluation

YouTube Data API (Google Cloud) Approach

Advantages

1. Official solution with:
2. Stable, documented API
3. Clear rate limits and quotas
4. Service level guarantees

5. Official support channels

6. Additional capabilities:

7. Better metadata access
8. Channel/playlist management
9. Comment access
10. Full YouTube ecosystem integration

Disadvantages

1. Setup overhead:
2. Requires Google Cloud account
3. API key/credentials management
4. Project setup in Google Cloud Console

5. Quota management

6. Cost considerations:

7. Free tier limits
8. Usage-based pricing

9. Quota costs for transcript access

10. Implementation complexity:

11. OAuth flow for some operations
12. More complex credential management
13. More code to maintain

Current yt-dlp Approach

Advantages

1. Simplicity:
2. No authentication needed
3. Minimal setup

4. Works immediately

5. Cost:

6. Free to use
7. No quota limits

8. No account needed

9. Implementation:

10. Already working solution
11. Minimal code
12. Handles both manual and auto captions

Disadvantages

1. Unofficial:
2. Could break with YouTube changes
3. No guaranteed support
4. Limited to public video access

Recommendation

For this project's current needs (transcript downloading from public videos), yt-dlp remains the better choice because: 1. Matches current project scope 2. Zero setup overhead 3. No cost implications 4. Already working solution

Consider YouTube API if project requirements expand to need: - Private video access - Channel management - Commercial deployment - Service level guarantees