YouTube MCP Server

A Model-Context Protocol Server for YouTube

Catalog onlyCatalog onlySTDIO

Overview

The YouTube MCP Server utilizes the Model Context Protocol to streamline the process of downloading subtitles from YouTube videos and connecting it with Claude.ai for intelligent interaction.

To use the YouTube MCP Server, first, you need to install yt-dlp, and then install the server via the mcp-installer. After setting it up, you can interact with Claude by asking it to summarize a specific YouTube video.

Downloads subtitles from YouTube using yt-dlp - Integrates with Claude.ai for natural language processing - Allows users to request video summaries easily

Extracting subtitles from educational videos to facilitate learning.
Summarizing lengthy YouTube content for quick understanding.
Enhancing accessibility for users who prefer written content over video.

Add to your AI client

Use these steps to connect YouTube MCP Server in Cursor, Claude, VS Code, and other MCP-compatible apps. The same JSON appears in the Use with menu above for one-click copy.

Cursor

Add this to your .cursor/mcp.json file in your project root, then restart Cursor.

.cursor/mcp.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "mcp-youtube-anaisbetts": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@modelcontextprotocol/server-mcp-youtube-anaisbetts"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Claude Desktop

Add this server entry to the mcpServers object in your Claude Desktop config, then restart the app.

~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json (macOS) or %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json (Windows)

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "mcp-youtube-anaisbetts": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@modelcontextprotocol/server-mcp-youtube-anaisbetts"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Claude Code

Add this to your project's .mcp.json file. Claude Code will detect it automatically.

.mcp.json (project root)

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "mcp-youtube-anaisbetts": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@modelcontextprotocol/server-mcp-youtube-anaisbetts"
      ]
    }
  }
}

VS Code (Copilot)

Add this to your .vscode/mcp.json file. Requires the GitHub Copilot extension with MCP support enabled.

.vscode/mcp.json

{
  "servers": {
    "mcp-youtube-anaisbetts": {
      "type": "stdio",
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@modelcontextprotocol/server-mcp-youtube-anaisbetts"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Windsurf

Add this to your Windsurf MCP config file, then restart Windsurf.

~/.codeium/windsurf/mcp_config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "mcp-youtube-anaisbetts": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@modelcontextprotocol/server-mcp-youtube-anaisbetts"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Cline

Open Cline settings, navigate to MCP Servers, and add this server configuration.

Cline MCP Settings (via UI)

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "mcp-youtube-anaisbetts": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@modelcontextprotocol/server-mcp-youtube-anaisbetts"
      ]
    }
  }
}

FAQ

Do I need to install yt-dlp before using this server?

Yes, `yt-dlp` must be installed locally for the server to function properly.

Can I use this with any YouTube video?

Yes, as long as the video is publicly accessible, you can use it to extract subtitles and request summaries.

Is there a cost associated with using YouTube MCP Server?

No, the server setup and usage are free, but you need to comply with YouTube's terms of service.

Developer tools