How-To: Download music videos from Yahoo with LyFOX & VLC
This post was published 3 years 10 months 11 days ago and its content may not be valid anymore.Thanks to the dedicated work of FernyB, we can now locate the required MMS:// URi for downloading clips with VLC without having to open our internet browsers. In order to keep this tutorial short, we’ll assume that you have a good grasp on how to use the VLC media player to download raw video content if given the required MMS:// URi. Read our How-To: Downloading Yahoo! Music Videos with Firefox & VLC.
The LyFOX application does the dirty work of locating each music videos unique MMS:// URi without having to navigate the Yahoo! Music site.
Follow the steps below in order to locate the necessary MMS:// URi on OSX, Windows, or Linux:
- Navigate to Farando Barajo’s page and download the OS dependant versions of LyFOX: OSX, Windows, and Linux. Unzip to your desktop and double-click the LyFOX application.
- The clean interface provides one user input field. In the search box at the top of the window, enter an artist of your choice and click ‘Search’. LyFOX – modeled after the pkLauch Greasemonkey userscript – qeuries the Yahoo music music videos for the matchin artist and returns a list of available music videos.
- In the list of available music videos, highlight the clip you wish to download and select the ‘More Info’ drop down menu at the bottom of the window. The MMS information box will display the ‘Artist’, ‘Title’, [Video] ‘ID’, and most importantly ‘MMS’. Copy the MMS:// URi and open the VLC media player to download.
Many thanks to FernyB for taking the time to throw LyFOX together for the masses.
After downloading, you may be interested in converting the downloaded WMV files for playback in iTunes or iPod: How-To: Convert WMV to MOV for playback in iTunes [Windows].
hah, I already figured out how to do this.. hmm I love LyFox WAYYYY MUCH MORE than pklaunch.
and BTW, Anyone who is having problems using VLC and the “saving stream output” method.
Download FlashGet, and then just open a new download and insert the MMS address into Flashget. You will be able to save the file as a wmv.
Good Luck! thanks again Derek!
Thanks Derek for this NICE Tutorial! Instead of VLC i try NetTransport and it works great for me!
After an easy google search, I found freeware (yes, freeware!) to convert wmv to avi: STOIK Video Converter version 2.1.1:
http://www.snapfiles.com/freeware/gmm/fwvideconvert.html
By the way, I’ll be downloading for hours with this!
Awesome dude..!..its been quite sometime since i missed this. ;-)
Does anyone know how to index these files so I can fast forward and stuff. I tried to do a “save and index” with microsoft media file editor but and error when trying to save :-(
@Joel
Try:
http://guiguy.wminds.com/downloads/asfindexgui/
When converting from WMA all the way to AVI, wouldn’t you lose video/audio quality?
were are the files save on your computer.am useing vlc
Please help me. Lyfox is not working. In the list of available videos, I highlighted the one which I wanted to download and select ‘More Info’. But the MMS info box did not display ‘Artist’, ‘Title’, [Video] ‘ID’, or ‘MMS’. They’re blank. Please help me. Thanks.
can anyone answer my question above (#7)?
faiz: did you double click the video in the list?
matt: i converted a few videos for import into itunes and didn’t notice any deterioration in quality. assuming that you don’t plan on watching the videos with expanded windows.
k, I downloaded a few and the sound quality is terrible. It’s gotta be like 64kbps or something. Anyone else notice this?
matt: if you got a few gigs, just convert it uncompressed with the program I mentioned above. That’s what I use right before cropping off the black lines on the top/bottom/sides (that’s another tutorial in itself, which I’ll post if anyone’s interested). Then use QT Pro or Videora if you want to convert them to H.264 (boo) or MPEG-4.
did i mention i nitpick? :P
wait, your question was about the wmv’s quality or avi’s quality. i think i misinterpreted your question ;)
New Version out well sorta. Its Gloss Black.
Send me window Screenshots. :-)
am lost cant get it to download nothing am useing LyFOX and vlc we need more screenshots .am copy the mms and then open vlc and then going to click on open file then am pasteing it in the file and then it video plays. what am i doing wrong
thank you
if you’re lost, you didn’t follow directions. at the beginning of the post i mentioned our previous tutorial for using vlc to download videos. it’s not as simple as going ot file > open.
Can VLC transcode a MMS stream stright to .mov format so that it can be imported into iTunes?
I wish, Dylan, but nope. Gotta get a converter. As soon as I learn how to use Wink, I’ll submit something.
Is there another website or mirror site to download lyfox? FernyB’s website is down and I need lyfox!
Hey guys
I used LyFox to get a video about a week ago, and now that I use it it doesn’t seem to work. I did it correctly before, and I’m almost positive I’m doing it correctly now. One thing I noticed was that when you get the mms: that the url comes out to somthing like
mms://bogusmcache.bcst.yahoo.com/pub06root4/Pub06Share15/ads/15/18700144.wma?StreamID=18700144&ht=30&pl_auth=17251fe3018f61b600a3c73466f248da&xdata=Eyn8J0.fyfuV36ip45Kw3A-17061606-1453478966&b=9e0q77l1c33ef&s=396500550
Notice the “bogusmcache”?? Maybe that has somthing to do with it?? Besides that, VLC won’t even play it…
So if anybody has any updates on this, please do tell. FernyB’s site also seems to be down :-/ This doesn’t look good
Hey, nima, I got your same problem!!! that’s exactly the URL that I get
!!!!
Yesterday I Downloaded 11 videos. maybe they noticed it!
Every thing was working so nicely what happened now? Does any one know?
I guess they did an Itunes and changed the backend URL or MMS. As you said, does not appear to be working. The bogusmcache seems to be the problem. If you go back to the original screenshots that were put up here, there is no bogusmcahe in them. Will have to wait for FernyB to work his magic.
Sorry guys but I had questionable visitors and decided to make some changes, some will like it and some will not. :-(
changes like we wont have lyfox anymore? or changes like charging changes?
no its nothing to do with money its more with the code because it is all videos need a hash id and they were getting it all from 1 video id and that id dont work no more and it also needs a login cookie that it was using thats why you never logged in anyware.
So Ferny…….are you able to work around this with your usual brilliance:)) or is it going to take time to find a workaround if possible.
This works great, however….the only site i can’t download from is VH1: they relink their videos and keep the ad uri and there the only place that has a video i want. so if anyone think they could do this, please feel free to comment! i’ve got money! (notice how i didn’t say to give out?)
Justin, you care to give us one of your enlightening tutorial insights for the us less knowledgeable folks – newbies who just want to connect.
vh1 is possible but it contains DRM so why bother since I am on a mac. I wll work on lyfox and will need a windows tester because I’ll be using cURL this time.
Sweet……thanks for the update :) Windows user.
Make sure to post here when ya update!!! Thanx
since i have only windows, cud someone provide me the MMS:// URi for both versions of the “dht-listen to your heart” music video on yahoo…thanks alot
Done
AWSOME IT’s BACK!!!! THANKS FERNY
I know this question might sound stupid to some of you but does any one know how to retreive the mms: now that we don’t have the button?
Help.
um, i didnt get it too when i download it, but like i found that if u pick ur video, click the button so the videos show up(dont close the video window), and on ur desktop, theres 2 new files, click the second one(the first is an ad) and it loads it in ur browser(im using firefox) and right click(is this irritatin yet?) and view SOURCE, and go to the almost end, and the mms link is there, and u have to use the other method of downloading the video, in which you have to go to view playlist and get the url…kinda alot of work when u can just go straight to launch
Bu, i never heard of doing it that way! Well when you double click the video it will retrive the mms automaticly and at the same time it will be in the clipboard, so after it retrives the video you can open notepad and right-click and paste I am not sure I am not a windows user. but the MMS url is automaticly added to the clipboard (clipboard might be called pasteboard? in windows?) press control-v to paste. I just thought the whole extra work of getting the MMS to press a button was too much time consuming. So I made it automaticly. its magic.
Thanks, Derek! I forgot to double click it but now it’s working. And, thanks, FernyB for such a wonderful program!
Ferny, you’re simply the king. W al yankovic (who’s with me?)
Thanks a ton FernyB, you are simply amazing! haha how did you go about finding out how to get the mms: anyways?
Great job though :-D
oh……..HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!LOL THANX!!
Oh, too bad about VH1–once I get the hang of Wink (it’s foreign to me :)), I’ll definetly send a tutorial on the works: downloading with lyfox and vlc, converting to avi, optional cropping for no black lines on the top and bottom (just how I like them), and saving them in MPEG-4 or H.264 in Quicktime. I’m not giving any exact dates yet, but stay with the uneasy!
I got Xilisoft DVD to iPod Suite 2.1.55 for whomever would like it.
It is perfect for converting any file to an iPod compatible file. Includes full tutorial. E-mail at doomed2010@gmail.com
Sorry. :-( My VLC does not read the mms:// that I copy from the Lyfox. I double click on the file and do a Edit – Copy to copy and then I open VLC by apple – N to open Network Http. Then I paste the clip board to the http:// and it keeps giving me errors and VLC wont play the file.
Any sugestions to what I’m dooing wrong? Thank
P.S. Free Software that I’ve found for converting videos to Ipod are (MoviesForMyPod), (OlliesIpodConverter1.0) and (ISquint) there is many pages to download them just google them.
hi…im new
and couldn’t find lyfox
its site is not working
plz help me(link for lyfox)
or send it to sohail_amd2005@yahoo.com
thanks
lol, I know why, because your an IE user. use OPERA, or FIREFOX.
i use firefox1.5 but still not get it
plz, i want a direct download link
reply soon :(
fernyb.bpgames.net
:) :) :) :) :) :)
:) :) :) :) :)
:) :) :) :)
:) :) :)
:) :)
:)
thanks
when i double click the video it says application needs to be shut down and it shuts down but mms is copied to the clipboard in flashget and i can download a .wmv file.
downloding is working but what is a problem with application?
is that any thing i’m doing wrong?
download it again I did a very little change, it should never crash.
i cant find lyfox, i downloaded opera, can u help me out
Billy, make sure its set to identify itself as Opera not IE.
okay everyone I will no longer help anyone I am getting sick and tired saying the same things over and over.
??? Has anybody had a problem converting the .mov videos from GAMV? I have a few and out of all of the software that I have to convert videos to iPod frendly they all tell me that these files are locked and canot be converted. I even tried the new feature in itunes 6.0.2 and it seas that this file are locked.
Any clue. Help
el sergi, email me at ranierhorton@gmail.com i will send you a program to convert them to mp4
Please help me.
How do I retreive the mms: now that we don’t have the copy and paste button in the new version of lyfox?
Help.
Please help me.
Sam did you read any of the comments? Did you even read the entries on my site. It tells you how.
juz saw your pgrm gamv, and was wonderin how the quality of aol movies compares to yahoo.. i haven’t tested d/l cos i got dial up…yahoo one’s seem ok…not high, but average.. and was wondering if u can actually use an external program such as flashget to download aol films..thanks
well the aol app gamv you can see the url for the vid so i guess you can use flashget. The quality is about the same. but they are in quicktime .mov
Hi. I’m on a Mac (10.4.4) and can only get about the first 2 minutes of video. seems to just stop downloading. any ideas? thanks for this ferny and derek. VERY handy.
i’m running os x 10.3.9. i get the mms using lyfox but i keep getting the following error message in vlc after i set the network prefs:
access_mms: cannot receive media data (aborting)
main: no suitable decoder module for fourcc `WMV3′.
VLC probably does not support this sound or video format.
access_mms: cannot receive media data (aborting)
then it starts playing the audio, but no video. i am doing something wrong?
also, what should i set for encapsulation? i don’t see wmv, just mpeg, ogg, avi, etc. etc. thanks.
Under Mac OS X the videos will not play with VLC only with Windows Media Player for Mac.
where is the instalation program for LyFox
metallica videos have been pulle doff the site..i wonder why
hey, can someone please help me out with gettting a video from VH1, i really need this for a project. And also of anyone can help me with converting the wmv to mpg4 i would appreciate it., thanks
hey, fernyb.2ya.com isnt working anymore:| i cant download lyfox anymore! someone helppp!
Hey everyone for some reason my site is not workin.
I haven’t been able to access it not even the Admin page. Could it be under attacked?
I dont think so but I did see that this one address does get access to it.
Host Name 64-74-180-235.acsol.net
IP Address 64.74.180.235
ISP ACS BUISNESS SYSTEMS INC
Domain ACSOL.NET
City GRAND JUNCTION
Region COLORADO
Country UNITED STATES
I dont pay for it. My friend does thats why I use a subdomain from 2ya.com that way I can redirect my site anywhare.
But for those you want to Program LyFOX just email me and I will email it to you when next time I check my email. Oh Yeah tell me what version you want win, mac , linux.
fern.be [at] gmail.com
DO NOT send me email no more.
We’ll host is Ferny if you want…
Dan, host it if you want. I am not going to make changes to it no more. Only if it breaks down.
But my website works again.
Yeah, I heard all about LyFox just recently. When I downloaded the app on Windows, and then typed in a search it just froze. Not Responding. I had to turn off the whole computer just to get the program off of the screen. Please someone help me!
Thank FernyB, works awesome!
About VH1, it’s very easy downloading the streams. Use URL Snooper to get the MMS. Programs liks GetASFStream, SDP can handle the stream, not VLC or Stream Down. To remove DRM from WMV files, Google for drmdbg :o)
okay so it worked so so so good! yesterday but somehow today it doesn’t work at all I’ve tried almost every single song in the top 100 and none of them works not even the ones I already have that I downloaded yesterday… any suggestions
and I’m using FLASHGET
ummm, I dont know if this is your problem, but I noticed that it wouldnt work if the original video was still open.
okay never mind, it works with VLC I’m just too obsessed with the great FLASHGET software, thank you anyway Tara…
so anyone knows if it works with the videos that aren’t in the top 100?
Yes it works with all video in the yahoo music library.
I’m using Windows XP Pro SP2.I have Firefox 1.5.0.2.When I use Lyfox I can search and see the video ids and mms urls but when I click the play to play the video I get a window with the title of the video in the titlebar and a black box that has what looks like a small picture file placeholder in the corner but no video.After carefully looking through the source code,I discovered the source of the problem.Your embed tag looks like this:
The example used above is for the video “Fall Out Boy – Sugar, We’re Going Down”. If you simply modified the embed tag like this :
Now it works when played in Internet Explorer or Firefox.The only difference is you are now specifying the type (application/x-mplayer2) and the plugins page (http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/download/) in the embed tag. Sadly, I did not come up with this solution on my own.I have to credit http://helpdesk.wisc.edu/page.php?id=3189 with providing the revised embed tag.Don’t get me wrong.You have done a fabulously good job with the program so far. I just think that by incorporating this method you can make LyFox a more usable and user-friendly program than it already is.
Sorry in the last post it looks like the embed tags did not print properly on the page. The correct tags are here. I put a underscore in fromt of the embed tag.Hopefully it prints now.If not I guess I’ll have to post again.(Preview feature maybe?)
Old Embed tag :
New embed tag :
[sigh] it looks like the filter got me again.Lets try this one more time.This time underscores everywhere. Sorry but it has to be done. You won’t be able to copy and paste this example.You’ll have to recreate the embed and mms tags yourself.
Old embed:
e_m_b_e_d_ s_r_c_=’m_m_s_:_/_/_a2swmod007.bcst.a2s.yahoo.com/p09r09/065/__S__/LAUvpwm9/1/16478056.wmv?StreamID=16478056&pl_auth=8cb53b71c23004c88c740fda0a01cf66&ht=3630&xdata=Eyn8J0.fyfuV36ip45Kw3A-32052629-1453478966&b=9e0q77l1c33ef&s=396500550′ width=’100%’ height=’100%’ uiMode=’mini’ volume=’100′ autoplay=’true’ cache=’true’ autosize=’true’ loop=’true’ showstatusbar=’true’>e_m_b_e_d
New embed tag:
e_m_b_e_d t_y_p_e_=”application/x-mplayer2″
pluginspage=”h_t_t_p://w_w_w.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/download/” src=’m_m_s_:/_/_a2swmod007.bcst.a2s.yahoo.com/p09r09/065/__S__/LAUvpwm9/1/16478056.wmv?StreamID=16478056&pl_auth=8cb53b71c23004c88c740fda0a01cf66&ht=3630&xdata=Eyn8J0.fyfuV36ip45Kw3A-32052629-1453478966&b=9e0q77l1c33ef&s=396500550′ width=’100%’ height=’100%’ uiMode=’mini’ volume=’100′ autoplay=’true’ cache=’true’ autosize=’true’ loop=’true’ showstatusbar=’true’>e_m_b_e_d
If it doesn’t show up after this you can just go to that website at wisc.edu in the prev post and get the gist of what I’m talking about. I’m going to bed. Later.
OK, looks like FernyB implemented the recommendations and the embed tag works perfectly on Windows machines now.Give it a go by downloading the new Windows LyFox from the website ( http://fernyb.2ya.com/ on the projects page).Great job Ferny.Thanks.
Hard to explain, When the video is saved on the desktop, it is not a WMV, just a file.
I used flashget,nettransport, and even VLC! Im very frustrated right now. Dont know where else to turn.
I was wondering could anyone find out the links for the Goo Goo Dolls Live@VH1 performance videos, cause unfortunately VH1 has taken to hating users outside of the US … and I really want to be able to see these videos!!!
This is great buy why stop with yahoo music it would be way cool if you guys could develop a method for aol music and youtube.
THIS IS JUS COMPLETE B.S I TRIED VLC AND LOADS OF OTHER PROGRAMS LIKE FLASHGET AND IT WONT F****** SAVE PROPERLY IT JUS GOES TO THE DESKTOP IN A FILE ABOUT 4.00KB ANY1 NO WHY
Joey, everyone always says what you are saying its because you are using windows, on mac there is no issues, it work perfect everytime.
Joey and Tim,looks like your having problems saving from Launch with vlc and other programs. Have you tried a free program called SDP? It can be found at http://sdp.ppona.com/
Use LyFox to do the hard work of retrieving the MMS address, then in SDP paste the URL in the “URL” field underneath the “open” and “saving” fields.Click the red “GO” button and it will prompt you for a filename(+extension .wmv) and download location.Specify those and away you go.Keep in mind that the mms urls that LyFox produces apparently expire after a certain time(usually a day) so you can’t cut and paste a bunch of urls and save them for downloading the next day cuz they won’t work.You have to regenerate the URL using Lyfox.If that doesn’t work you should make sure you have the latest codecs, or check your OS integrity because something’s not working right.Good luck.
Hey, this tutorial rocks! I’ve downloaded a ton of videos so far. However, I’m having trouble getting videos from (what looks like) one particular subdomain. For example,
mms://a2swmod098.bcst.a2s.yahoo.com/p09r09/066/__S__/ etc.
Any video that begins with the “a2swmod” won’t download. Anybody else have this problem?
Doug, I tested a video with the subdomain you specified and it looks as though SDP indeed has a problem resolving the DNS on videos like that. As a temporary workaround I would suggest the following steps:
1. Go to setup->setup options
2. On the protocol tab there are 3 options : http,tcp and udp
3. The default is TCP but select the radio button for HTTP.
4. Click OK to save settings and retry the download
This workaround will work with the problem domain but it will download in “real-time” which means if a video is 4min 23sec long it will take 4min and 23sec to download as opposed to “progressive mode” which downloads as fast as your connection will allow.I will try to post again with more information if this problem can be resolved or a more permanent solution.
Please, help me.
I would like to download song with location:
http://music.yahoo.com/ar-266613-videos–Third-Day
VCL and SDP do not work. Why?
Thanks
Excuse me.
I read tutorial more careful and it works perfect naw.
****** UnBr3aKabl3 IS RIGHT ******
In the last hour, I’ve downloaded, installed, ran more than 5 different programs, and had nothing but grief – And I can generally EAT this up, I “know my stuff” with PC know-how…
I can view the video, yeah zero probs (thanks to LyFox), but not download.
Do exactly what UnBr3aKabl3 has said, and you should have INSTANT love!
Use LyFox to get the MMS address, then copy & paste into OPEN in SDP… And just make-sure you select HTTP in the SETUP settings…
DONE!!
UnBr3aKabl3, Thanx-a-million!!!!
I can’t get it to work.. It installs fine but after typing in the artist name and clicking search, the animation spins for while and then it stops.. No results are displayed.. I’m on Mac OSX..
If you are behind proxy server lyfox will not work.
i used Net Transport and found it better than any other software to download yahoo streams with resume….no matter what type of url you ‘ll get from lyfox……i just give 5 stars to Net Transport for download videos……try its latest version with patch included….
http://www.savefile.com/files/6401441
you just have to do a little thing…….
1)when adding new download turn transport setting into 1
2)in other settings go to streaming tab and in MMS select HTTP stream and port 80…. thats all….. now you can enjoy every video with resume download…if connection is DC just put new url from lyfox of same vdo and start downloadin again……..isnt this great?
ohh i forgot something………..
some times when you reach to 80% ,85%,90% and even 75% it says downloadin is complete……and its realy completed :) …. its mean its very fast too….just use it man