The Youtube Kodi addon is one of the biggest and most widely used dependencies on Kodi. Youtube is the biggest streaming websites on the internet and your Youtube Kodi addon is tightly integrated with hundreds of addons. Use our guide for Youtube Kodi FAQ about api keys, daily limit exceeded, settings, configuration, and making the most out of Youtube.
At face value, the Youtube Kodi addon gives you an interface to stream videos from the biggest streaming media website on the internet. The addon makes it easy for you to find, watch, and save Youtube content and videos.
A lot of popular Kodi addons also use Youtube as a dependency, passing off search queries to it as necessary. At the bottom of this guide is a list of addons which heavily rely on Youtube.
This guide explains other features the addon gives you and how to setup specific features.
[lwptoc]
NOTE: If you are reading this article on Husham’s website, he is a thieving cunt who scraped it from KODI TI PS.com. Don’t visit his garbage website.
Protect Yourself While Using Kodi
Streaming services and cord-cutting application users need to be extra wary of their online privacy. These apps steal users’ usernames and passwords and sell their private information to data companies, obviously without their consent.
The best way to safeguard yourself and your personal data from these hackers operating on your device through the addons and repositories is to use a Kodi VPN.
A Kodi VPN carries a number of advantages geared towards streaming users. It redirects your internet connection to private encrypted servers so that anything you view on your computer routes through these servers before hitting the public internet.
VPN software masks your IP Address and physical location, allowing you to view content that would not normally be available in your area.
We recommend using NordVPN, the most reliable VPN you will ever find. And we say this for a multitude of reasons; here are a few:
✔ Apps for Android, iOS, Mac, Linux & more
✔ Zero Logs
✔ Unlimited bandwidth
✔ Tier 1 hardware (no speed slowdown)
✔ Access to servers hundreds of VPN servers
✔ Most trusted VPN by Kodi users
Sign up for a premium Kodi VPN and access the internet unrestricted. We offer exclusive discounts for NordVPN, the highest respected VPN in the Kodi community.
Youtube Kodi Addon Latest Version
Currently, there are two concurrent versions of the Youtube Kodi addon, depending on what version of Kodi you are using:
- The latest version of the Youtube Kodi addon for users running Kodi 15 or better is v6.7
YouTube Kodi Addon Features
Youtube Kodi v5
The following features exist in the current Youtube Kodi addon.
- Playback any stream available on Youtube, live or static.
- Access Youtube channels, search and save content for later viewing.
- Access ratings, subscriptions, likes/dislikes from within the addon
- Support for multiple languages
- Play videos in the highest quality possible or queue up a lower quality to save bandwidth.
Youtube Kodi v6
For Kodi 18 Leia, version 6 of the addon, it has the following improvements:
- Python 3 compatibility
- Ability to rate video right after watching
- Configure API keys from a web browser within Kodi
- New play route features for channel live streams
- Multi-user support
- Optimized caching for improved addon speed
- Added new playlists and folders to your account
The latest version of the Youtube 6 Kodi addon, v6.2.3 adds the following features:
- Add ‘Next Page’ to ‘More…’ -> ‘Add to…’ context menu
- Add icon and description to playlists in ‘More…’ -> ‘Add to…’ context menu in Kodi 17+
- Add ‘Play audio only’ context menu option
- Fix generated dash with no supported video streams being played when Audio only not enabled
- Fixed potential Runtime Error when retrieving total time of playing content
- Updated language strings
How to Install Youtube Kodi Addon Guide (official version)
- From the home screen, select Add-ons > Add-on Browser
- Select Install from Repository > Kodi Addon repository > Video Add-ons > Youtube > Install
- Wait for Add-on enabled notification
If you’ve never manually installed the Youtube addon by yourself and are worried that some addons aren’t working because of that – don’t worry! Youtube is also a major dependency that is automatically installed by an addon that needs it. Addons that call on the Youtube API automatically perform these actions behind the scenes. You only need to install the Youtube Kodi addon if you want to directly use its functionality within Kodi.
How to Install Youtube Kodi Addon Guide (unofficial alpha version)
- From the Kodi main menu, navigate to SYSTEM > File Manager > Add Source > None
- Type the following EXACTLY http://start.kodineuerleben.eu and select Done
- Highlight the box underneath and enter a name for this media Source like “.neu”. and then click OK
- Go back to your home screen.
- ON Kodi 17 Krypton or later: Select Add-ons > Add-on Browser
- ON Kodi 16 or earlier: Select SYSTEM > Add-Ons
- Select Install from Zip File > “.neu” > repository.KNE-x.x.zip and wait for the Add-on enabled notification
- Select Install from Repository > Kodi Neu Erleben repository > Video Add-ons > Youtube > Install
- Wait for Add-on enabled notification
Youtube Kodi Addons
The following addons use Youtube to pull live and static content. Click on each one to view installation instructions for each.
Live Tube
It is a lesser known fact that Youtube offers a ton of free live IPTV channels and content worth check out. From sports to video games to world news and entertainment, there are hundreds of live television stations to stream. The Live Tube Kodi addon takes all of those channels and puts them into an organized area for you to stream.
YouTube Vault
The YouTube Vault Kodi addon is a nice source for full movies and TV shows stored on YouTube and available to stream. The addon also contains music, news, sports, and other static content you can stream online in Kodi today.
Polaris
Polaris pulls niche categories together into a single addon and most or all content is found directly from YouTube. From money saving ideas to karaoke to surfing to business ideas and sports replays, Polaris has a huge amount of unique content worth checking out today.
FightTube
The FightTube Kodi addon is for those fans of mixed martial arts, boxing, and other combat sports. There are event replays, hype videos, interviews, historical documentaries, and other content loaded into FightTube and ready to stream today.
MP3 Streams
Nearly every single song and music video created can be found on YouTube. The MP3 Streams Kodi addon pulls metadata from the Billboard website and then redirects its search queries back to Youtube to play nearly every song in the entire world.
FDJ.HD
FDJ.HD from FrenchDJ is a massive Youtube addon focusing mostly on music content, concerts, setlists, and playlists in the EDM, techno, rap, rock, metal, alternative, and indie styles. As well, it has some other niche content such as documentaries, magic, stunts, and more. It is well organized with a ton of fully HD streams to check out.
Caught on Cam
The Caught on Cam addon has hidden camera and caught on camera content. It features embarrassing videos, pranks, and other popular Youtube Kodi channels. There is also a really good commercials area to check out as well.
Grit
If you like guns and survival content, then Grit is an addon you’ll want to check out. It features gun reviews, tips, historical content, how-to guides and other media for the alpha man.
What is your favourite Youtube Kodi addon? Let us know on Twitter or Facebook what you think!
How to install YouTube on Kodi Fire TV Stick
YouTube is one of the most popular addons for Fire Stick. If you want to install YouTube directly on Fire TV Stick, you need to install ES File Explorer, and a zip file will also need to be installed. Follow these steps to install YouTube on Kodi Fire TV Stick:
- From the Home Screen of your Fire Stick, choose Settings > System > Select Developer Option > Turn On the applicable apps from any unknown sources.
- A pop-up box will declare a warning and choose OK.
- Follow the same steps mentioned above in this guide with the sub-heading “How to install YouTube Kodi Addon Guide (Official Version).”
If you face errors, like there isn’t any stream available, you can quickly fix it with the Best VPN for Kodi.
How to update YouTube on Kodi
Usually, Kodi addons are updated automatically. If you need to do a manual update to, follow these steps to update YouTube on Kodi:
- Hover over to the Addons tab, and from there, Video addons.
- Right-click on the YouTube add-on and hover on Information.
- Select Update and choose the latest version that is available.
How to Uninstall YouTube Addon on Kodi
Uninstall the Kodi Youtube addon by following these three steps:
- From the main menu, click on the Addons tab and then on Video Addons.
- Right-click the YouTube addon and click on Information.
- Now select Uninstall > Yes > Yes.
How to Enable HD Videos in Youtube Kodi Addon
To enable the playback of HD videos in the Youtube addon, you MUST have InputStream Adaptive enabled. To do that:
- From the Kodi main menu, navigate to Add-ons > My Add-ons > VideoPlayer InputStream
- Click on InputStream Adapative and then select Enable.
- Select RTMP Input and then select Enable.
How to Setup Personal Youtube API Key
The Youtube Kodi addon is configured with a public API key and on occasion, you may have seen a “quota exceeded” error in Kodi. This means that too many people have used the public API key in the day and you are prevented from streaming on YouTube for the rest of the day.
To fix this quota exceeded Kodi error, you can setup a personal Youtube API key using the instructions below.
- Click HERE to visit the Google Cloud Console. Select your email preference (Yes or No, it does not matter). Select Yes to agree to the Terms of Service. Click Agree and Continue.
- Select Project > Create Project > Enter Project Name (the name does not matter) > Create. Wait until the next page loads with the the New Project that you just created.
- Click HERE to visit the Google API Library Area. Go to YouTube APIs > Select YouTube Data API v3 > Enable.
- Click HERE to visit the Google API Credentials Area. Select Create Credentials > API Key.
- Under Which API are you using? select YouTube Data API v3.
- Select the dropdown under Where will you be calling the API from and select Web Server.
- Under What data will you be accessing check Public Data.
- Click on What credentials do I need?
- Copy and Save the API key. You will need this later. DO NOT POST THIS PUBLICALLY. Click Done.
- Click on OAuth Consent Screen.
- Check the User Type of External and then click on Create.
- Give your application a name such as youtubeapi. Click on Save at the bottom of the page.
- Click on Credentials on the left side menu.
- Select Create Credentials > OAuth Client ID.
- Select an Application Type of Other and give it a name of youtubeapi. Click on Create.
- Copy and Save the Client ID and the Client Secret. You will need these later. DO NOT POST THESE PUBLICALLY. Click OK.
- Back inside of Kodi, go to the YouTube addon > Settings > API > Click Enable Personal API Keys > Enter all 3 Keys > Click OK
- Then, Sign Out and after Sign In again (with the normal 2 x web activation). After a successful Sign In to the YouTube addon you should now be using the Personal API Keys that you created.
Let us know on social media if you need any help!
PROTECT YOURSELF ON THE INTERNET
Sign up for a premium Kodi VPN and access the internet unrestricted. We offer exclusive discounts for IPVanish and NordVPN, the highest respected VPNs in the Kodi community. Both of these VPNs have some great features for users:
Apps for Android, iOS, Mac, Linux & more
Zero Logs
Unlimited bandwidth
Tier 1 hardware (no speed slowdown)
Access to servers hundreds of VPN servers
Hi! Anyone Here looking for more up to date instructions, this site has them
https://www.kodivpn.co/how-to-install-youtube-kodi-addon/
(you can’t leave a comment though as their comment thing is broken)
HOWEVER, MAJOR ERROR IN INSTRUCTIONS!
On Step 11, DO NOT select “Desktop APP” – select “TV or other input limited device”. I finally no longer got the invalid error on kodi once I used that option instead, and was able to login twice to the device.
Also, you might want a “clean” Google account for this, because you’ll also get errors if you have 2-factor authentication on.
Yeah stop using Kodi for this. Open source isnt the solution for everything. This will just keep happening over and over again. There are plenty of ad-less youtube apps for everything.
it was working great with the api method but from last week i got “stream not found”. any suggestion ?
Music related videos seems not playing again starting something this January 2021. Have any body experience this?
Hope there’s a new update for this
I tried this method, but in vain for the past several months.
My solution was to purchase Google Chromecast (Ultra). It has a dedicated YouTube button to launch the YouTube native app. Of course you can log in to YouTube. I can also install KODI on this device from Google Play which works the same or even faster and more responsive than my intended Intel NUC PC that I tried to use (10x more expensive than Chromecast). Now I can even mirror the screen from my iPhone without Apple TV (3x more expensive), and android devices to my TV. It aggregates your video subscription service programs on the home page (ex. Movies are lined up from Amazon prime, Disney+, Netflix combined, rather than me going to individual services.) I’ve been so hesitant buying a google device, and I know this is not what everyone here is looking for, but I’m out of this DIY hassle for KODI and YouTube.
I have a problem with YouTube, when I turn on the channel it says “quota Exceeded” what should I do?
F youtube and this prehistoric kodi bs
fuck you tube and all that entering shit
I got a Client ID error, and checked it twice. It seemed to be entered correctly. I finally opened the Client ID field, pressed the “end” key on my wireless remote keyboard, and discovered an extra space had gotten copied into the field. I deleted the extra space, and voila… it worked…!
So, check the fields themselves for “invisible” extra spaces, and delete them if they exist. You can always use the right and left arrow keys to get to the very beginning and very end of the fields, or simply move your cursor to just after the very last character of these three fields (API KEY, Client ID, and Secret Key – which should be the same as your API Key), and press the delete key to erase any hidden spaces that may be causing problems.
That’s what worked for me.
Here are the step by step instructions I followed to create my personal keys, if it might help anyone –
In Web Browser, search for Google Cloud Platform
Sign into Google Cloud Platform with Google (gmail) credentials
click on Select Project from navbar
click on New Project and name it – newkeys
Click Create button
Click on Create Project newkeys
Open up Notepad, a blank email, or a word doc and create the following fields
API Key
Project ID/Client ID
Secret
Copy New Project ID and paste into Project ID/Client ID of doc (newkeys-xxxxxx)
Click on API & Services on left menu and select Library
Scroll down to Youtube Data API V3 and click on it.
Click Enable button
Click on Create Credentials button in upper right corner
Under “Which API are you using” select Youtube Data API V3 from dropdown list
Under “Where will you be calling the API from” select Android
Click the “Public Data” radio button
Click “What Credentials Do I Need” button
API Key will be generated and appear
Copy the API Key
Click Done
Paste API Key into doc under API Key and Secret
Change Font to Consolas (lets you see numbers and letters easily)
Save doc for future reference.
Go back into Kodi
Go to Addons > Video Addons > YouTube > Settings > API
Turn off “Allow Developer Keys”
Replace API Key & Secret with new Key
Replace API ID with Project ID
Press OK button
Force Close Kodi (on Fire Stick or Fire Cube, Close and Reopen on PC)
Should work now without Quota Exceeded error.
Note: If “Client ID error” comes up, check for extra “invisible” spaces that may have gotten copied into field, and delete them.
24th June: Thanks for this, but Google must have changed the layout of the Cloud Platform pages recently, as this only works up to step 3 now. After that, and none of the instructions relate to anything at all on the platform 🙁
That is one long shitty process , especially if you are copying into another device , not just copy and paste in same device.
Times Courier font at least made it possible to tell 1 from l (L), from I (i) once you realize your current font makes them all look the same lovely !
Hope that saves someone else trouble.
I wont bother a second time though .
Y’all realize this “personal” Youtube API key thing
is a huge security risk???
You’d be better off not using KODI than doing this…
which is very likely the objective…
re-installed Kodi on my Raspberry Pi – then re-installed the YouTube Addon and it won’t let me log in – says I have an API – OAuth error – but there isn’t anywhere to enter these in the settings … why? how can I enter them if there isn’t anywhere to enter them? have used this program for at least 4 years and have had my API/OAuth credentials for 3 …
Working great now ! Thank you and keep up the good work ! Cheers !
like a lot of others on here I,ve installed personal api key id and secret then signed in but no change still says quota exceeded. I,m not very clever with laptops, firesticks etc, but I thought I followed all instructions perfectly but still nothing works. any help greatly appreciated, thanks in advance.
Any update? I have same problem
Just can’t get it to work therefore I can’t use.
The API key tinkery didn’t work for me as well. Same API invalid key over and over again. The add-on is not working as a result. Greatly disappointed. Wish other have had a better luck with it.
Thanks for the post!
Google/YouTube have essentially declared war on all of us. First they kill the Kodi YouTube addon. Then they fuck up their videos so they will no longer play in any browser that has any sort of security on it at all.
No, you greedy fucks, I will NOT disable my adblocker, because it blocks more than ads. And Google knows that, because half of the malware on the internet comes right from their own goddamned servers.
1 april not working
Finally working, thanks. But its such a mess, couldnt it be easier??
Piggybacking on what Eric wrote, to avoid typing all that into the addon settings, I used the tool adblink to explore the file “/storage/.kodi/userdata/addon_data/plugin.video.youtube/settings.xml”, copied the contents into a text editor and added the keys to the file like so:
Replace
with
yourID
yourkey
yoursecret
Now copy the edited xml back to settings.xml and it’s been working for the past two hours
Yippie! it worked! To avoid (miss-)typing these values, you can ssh into your kodi and edit this file:
vi ./storage/.kodi/userdata/addon_data/plugin.video.youtube/settings.xml
and look for the following lines:
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
1
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
I tried this and it did not work at all. Invalid API key! I tried it from scratch 3 times and had the same result. I even had a professional try it and still didn’t get any further. Everything is installed and updated properly. Checked all the boxes! Stumped! Conclusion…..I can live without youtube wasting anymore of my time! Thanks for all the input everyone has contributed. It’s appreciated, Dennis
Gets error! Client ID wrong, but checked it again and again?
I did the personal API key, client secret, etc… and it was all fine for about an hour, then without changing anything, it suddenly logged me out again in the middle of watching a video saying the API key was invalid. What?
I have created api keys,but I can’t login.please fix the app!
Worked for 6hrs, then got error “the oauth client was deleted”. Can’t get rid of the settings screen now.
Still working 26th Feb 2020 – fix take some time to make it properly work – I can see some minor gaps in Guide. Worst part is to rewrite all 3 passphrases into KODI 🙁
This fix is simply beyond the capabilities of the casual user.
Let’s hope there is an update that solves this issue for everyone.
Just a note: I had YT working with Kodi with my personal API previously. Now I tried to re-create the APIs/credentials only and it did not work. It worked only after I created ALL the stuff at Google side from scratch again – Project, API keys, OAuth 2.0 Client IDs.
Worked for 24hrs, then got error “the oauth client was deleted”. Can’t get rid of the settings screen now.
What are the chances that the Youtube app will come back?
Works. Thanks!!
Perfect! Thanks!!
missing something as nothing plays