Common problems

This page documents common problems when using ff2mpv and how to diagnose and correct them.

Nothing is playing!

TODO: Document the following common problems:

1. Failing to install the native client
2. youtube-dl not being installed at all

PATH problems

On Linux and macOS, mpv needs to be on the PATH in order for ff2mpv to function correctly.

To confirm that mpv is on the PATH, you can run:

$ which mpv
/path/to/some/folder/mpv

If which doesn't print a path, then mpv is not on the PATH. You'll need to take steps specific to your OS, distribution, environment, and/or package manager to resolve it.

"URLs from $website aren't working!"

NOTE: Do not open issues asking ff2mpv to support a particular website or URL. ff2mpv has no control over the URLs supported by your mpv and youtube-dl installations.

ff2mpv sends URLs to mpv, which in turn sends them to youtube-dl for extraction. That means that either mpv or youtube-dl can fail for a particular website, causing ff2mpv to not work.

If a website ceases to work with ff2mpv, there's a good chance that your version of youtube-dl no longer works with the current version of the site. youtube-dl is frequently updated; you can find directions for updating your installed copy here.

If updating youtube-dl doesn't work, the problem might be mpv itself. You should use your package manager to update it.