Yoober
A free, MIT-licensed desktop app that downloads online video and audio, builds a local caption library, and plays media with better-than-site captions — using yt-dlp, Whisper, and an in-app player.
Built from scratch
Yoober is a cross-platform desktop app for people who want a simple GUI over yt-dlp — plus transcripts and captions that are easier to read than what most sites ship. Paste a URL, preview title and quality, download into a local library, and watch with timed captions in-app.
The product is local-first: downloads, captions, playlists, and settings stay on the machine. Optional OpenAI API transcription is the only cloud dependency. macOS and Windows builds are signed, notarized where applicable, and auto-update from a CDN.
What's included
Download & fetch info
Paste any yt-dlp-supported URL — YouTube, Vimeo, Twitch, and over a thousand others. Fetch Info previews title, thumbnail, duration, qualities, and caption tracks before you commit to a download.
Caption-aware player
Play downloaded and imported media in-app with timed captions from SQLite. Fullscreen, repeat modes, A–B loop, keyboard shortcuts, and auto-hiding controls. Search the library by title, tags, notes, or caption text via FTS.
Whisper transcription
Generate transcripts with local Whisper (CUDA, Apple Silicon Metal, or CPU) or the OpenAI API. Output TXT, SRT, VTT, or JSON. Transcribe after download is on by default; multi-select Whisper from the library for bulk runs.
Local library
Organize media with playlists and tags. Import existing files by copy or reference. Rescan finds unindexed files under the library folder. Sidecar thumbnails show in list rows; rename and delete keep metadata in sync.
How it runs
Electron 43 with TypeScript and Vite. Bundled yt-dlp and ffmpeg binaries per platform. SQLite (node:sqlite) stores settings, history, captions, and playlists. IPC connects a sandboxed renderer to main-process download and transcription workers. Auto-update artifacts publish to Cloudflare R2.
Library & caption player
Browse downloads and imports, play in-app with readable captions, and run Whisper or export transcripts — all from one local library view.
Tools we used
Live at yoober.app
- Electron
- TypeScript
- Vite
- yt-dlp
- ffmpeg
- SQLite
- Whisper
- Cloudflare R2
Electron · yt-dlp · Whisper · Captions · Desktop app
Building a desktop app or local-first media tool?
We can design and ship cross-platform Electron apps with bundled binaries, local databases, and workflows that stay on the user's machine.