How to Install MeTube on Ubuntu 24.04

MeTube is an open-source web application that provides a simple way to download videos or audio from YouTube and many other supported platforms.
It uses yt-dlp in the background but offers a clean, browser-based interface so you don’t need to deal with command-line tools.

Running MeTube locally gives you full control over your downloads and storage, without relying on third-party services.
With Docker, you can deploy MeTube quickly and keep it isolated from the rest of your system.

The steps below walk you through installing MeTube on Ubuntu 24.04.

Install Docker

MeTube runs inside a Docker container, so Docker must be installed first.
Run the commands below to update your system and install the required packages.

Next, add Docker’s GPG key:

Add the Docker repository:

Update and install Docker Engine:

Enable and start the Docker service:

At this stage, Docker should be installed and running on Ubuntu 24.04.

Create a Downloads Directory

MeTube stores downloaded files in a persistent directory on your host system.
Create one with the command below:

This ensures your downloaded videos remain safe even if you update or recreate the container.

Pull the MeTube Image

Download the latest MeTube Docker image from GitHub’s container registry:

Run the MeTube Container

Start the MeTube container using the command below:

• -p 8081:8081 exposes MeTube on port 8081.

• -v /opt/metube/downloads:/downloads maps the host downloads folder into the container.

• --restart unless-stopped ensures MeTube automatically restarts if the server reboots.

Access MeTube

Once the container is running, open a browser and go to:

Replace <your-server-ip> with the actual IP address of your Ubuntu server.

From here, you can paste URLs and start downloading videos or audio files directly through the web interface.