Manually grabbing every new upload from a YouTube channel you follow adds up fast. A saner pattern: let your computer watch the channel, and new uploads just appear in a folder on your drive. Here's how to set it up in [OmniDown](/). Two minutes, four clicks. ## Step 1 — Install OmniDown Download for your OS: **Windows** (run the installer, no admin password) or **macOS** (drag into Applications). Free for core features, no account required. ## Step 2 — Open Channel Monitor Launch the app and click the **Channel Monitor** tab at the top. Each channel you track becomes a **module** — a watcher with its own folder and schedule. ## Step 3 — Create a monitor module Click **New Monitor Module**. Fill in: **Channel URL.** Paste the link of any video from the channel you want to follow — e.g. `https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xxxxx`. Click **Detect** — OmniDown reads the video and shows the channel name and avatar below, so you can confirm you're monitoring the right one. **Check frequency.** How often to look for new uploads: | Interval | Best for | |----------|----------| | Every 30 minutes | News, live-updating creators | | Every 1 hour | Typical daily channels | | Every 6 hours | Weekly uploaders — recommended | | Once a day | Infrequent channels, archival use | Going under 30 minutes risks being throttled by YouTube; OmniDown warns you when you pick something aggressive. **Every 6 hours** is the right default for almost everyone. **Save folder.** Where this channel's videos go. Each module has its own, so different creators stay organized. **Skip Shorts** (optional). Leave it **on** unless you specifically want 30-second vertical clips mixed in. Click **Create Module**. The latest upload is queued right away, and checks continue on your chosen interval — the card shows the next scheduled check, e.g., *"Last checked 11:41 · Next check in 5h 42m"*. ## Step 4 — Where your downloads end up Each module card has three tabs: - **Downloading** — in-progress tasks with progress bar, speed, ETA - **Completed** — finished files, with a folder-open button that jumps straight to them - **Failed** — one-click retry (usually age-restricted or geo-blocked videos) Add as many modules as you want, each with its own folder — e.g., `/Videos/Podcasts/LexFridman`, `/Videos/Tech/MKBHD`. Toggle *Enable monitoring* on any module to pause it temporarily. ## Troubleshooting **"No new videos" for a long time.** Either the channel hasn't uploaded (OmniDown doesn't backfill), or your region is blocking YouTube's feeds — the app falls back to a slower lookup automatically; if all attempts fail, the card shows an error badge. **"Live stream not supported."** Expected. The VOD gets picked up on the next check once the stream ends. **Hitting rate limits.** Increase your check interval. If YouTube challenges OmniDown with a bot check, the app prompts you to sign in — authenticated requests have a higher limit. ## FAQ

Does it work on Bilibili, TikTok, etc.?

Monitoring is YouTube-only for now. One-off downloads work on 1000+ sites including Bilibili, TikTok, X, and Instagram.

Will it re-download something I already have?

No. Each module tracks what it's seen and duplicate URLs are blocked at the task level.

What quality does it download?

Best available — OmniDown always picks the highest resolution the video was uploaded in.

Are the videos I download uploaded to your servers?

No. Downloads go directly from YouTube to your computer — they never pass through our servers.

How to Auto-Download New Videos from a YouTube Channel