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+++
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 = "cool-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/"]
[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.
|
