+++
title = "Watch YouTube with Yeetube and mpv"
author = ["Michał Sapka"]
date = 2024-02-23T16:16:00+01:00
categories = ["emacs"]
draft = false
weight = 3003
image_dir = "emacs"
image_max_width = 480
primary_menu = "cool-emacs-ways"
abstract = "Let's use YouTube from the comfort of Emacs"
aliases = ["/emacs/watching-youtube-with-emacs/", "/cool-emacs/watch-youtube"]
[menu]
  [menu.cool-emacs-ways]
    weight = 3003
    identifier = "watch-youtube-with-yeetube-and-mpv"
+++

I may hate YouTube as a service, but I even I can't deny the quality of vlogs there.
Even though I would strongly prefer to follow folks on PeerTube or Odysee, this will not happen anytime soon for most of the channels.
Luckily, with the popularity of YouTube comes quite a few ways to use it in a better way


## Yeetube {#yeetube}

_Yeetube_[^fn:1] is an Emacs wrapper around searching and viewing videos on Youtube.
The watching part happens via `mpv`[^fn:2].
You simply pass the video link (not the page) in the shell and `mpv` will handle the rest.
_Yeetube_ handles everything _before_ we have the actual file, and running `mpv`.

First, let's install it:

```emacs-lisp
(use-package yeetube)
```

And, assuming `mpv` is already installed, you are ready to go.
Run `yeetube-search`, type in whatever you want and press enter.
A table with top results will show up.
Now, select the one that interests you, run `yeetube-play`, wait a few seconds and mpv window will show.

{{< image class="centered" alt="An Emacs screenshot showing a list using a dark mode" file="emacs-yeetube-search.png" >}}
Yeetube search for Emacs Elements
{{< /image >}}

{{< image class="centered" alt="A screenshot of a DWM windows manager. Left of the screen is ocupied by MPV, the right one with Emacs." file="emacs-yeetube-play.png" >}}
mpv playing a movie next to Emacs with Yeetube search.
{{< /image >}}

_Yeetube_ also supports downloading videos via `yt-dl` and saving videos for future reference.

My full config, with evil keybindings looks like:

```emacs-lisp
(use-package yeetube
  :general
  (:states 'normal
           :keymaps 'yeetube-mode-map
           "RET" 'yeetube-play
           "d" 'yeetube-download-video
           "b" 'yeetube-play-saved-video
           "B" 'yeetube-save-video
           "x" 'yeetube-remove-saved-video
           "/" 'yeetube-search
           "0" 'yeetube-toggle-video
           ))
```

Note that this comes with no ads, and less tracking, but also less revenue to the creator.
Being a patron is a good way to feel better about it.


## Link handler {#link-handler}

This is nice, but we can make it _extra-nice_.
I subscribe to quite a few YouTube channels via RSS[^fn:3] and want to use _Yeetube_ fast.
We can write a very simple _elisp_ function:

```emacs-lisp
(defun mms-open-yt-under-point ()
  (interactive)
  (setq url (thing-at-point 'url))
  (string-match "youtube.com" url)
```

Now, move the pointer on a YT[^fn:4] link and call this function.
_Yeetube_ interface will open, so just play the top result.

My (current) full function in use is:

```emacs-lisp
(defun mms-open-link-under-point ()
  (interactive)
  (let (url (thing-at-point 'url))
    (cond
     ((string-match "youtube.com" url) (yeetube-search url))
     (t (eww url)))
    ))
```

So it will use `eww` for anything that is not a YT link, and I can expand it further whenever I want.

Then, just add a simple keyboard navigation, and you're done

```emacs-lisp
(mms-leader-keys
  "RET RET" '(lambda () (interactive) (mms-open-link-under-point) :wk "follow link"))
```


## Errata {#errata}

2024-02-26: Dave pointed me that using `let` inside custom method is preferable to `setq`

[^fn:1]: ["yeetube | Emacs Front-End for YouTube"](https://thanosapollo.org/post/yeetube/) blog post from the author
[^fn:2]: [mpv official website](https://mpv.io/)
[^fn:3]: The secret URL: `https://www.youtube.com/feeds/videos.xml?channel_id=<channel_id>`.
    You can find the channel ID using different online services, as it is not as straight forward as it should be.
[^fn:4]: Only if the package registers itself as a provider for `thing-at-point`.
    In Elfeed it will for main item URL, but not for items embedded in the body.
    We need to use `eww` to open the page and we can get the URL from there.