yt-studio-mcp

MCP server for YouTube video management -- upload, thumbnails, captions, playlists, and livestream scheduling via the YouTube Data API.

Installation

Run directly with npx:

npx yt-studio-mcp

Or install globally:

npm install -g yt-studio-mcp
yt-studio-mcp

Configuration

Google Cloud OAuth Setup

This server uses OAuth 2.0 to access the YouTube Data API on your behalf.

1. Go to Google Cloud Console
2. Create a new project (or select an existing one)
3. Enable the YouTube Data API v3:
   • Navigate to APIs & Services > Library
   • Search for "YouTube Data API v3"
   • Click Enable
4. Create OAuth 2.0 credentials:
   • Navigate to APIs & Services > Credentials
   • Click "Create Credentials" > "OAuth client ID"
   • Application type: Desktop application
   • Download or copy the Client ID and Client Secret
5. Set environment variables:

export GOOGLE_CLIENT_ID="your-client-id"
export GOOGLE_CLIENT_SECRET="your-client-secret"

6. Run the auth flow:

npx yt-studio-mcp auth

This opens a browser window for Google sign-in. After granting access, tokens are saved locally.

7. Check auth status anytime:

npx yt-studio-mcp auth --status

Optional Configuration

| Variable | Description | Default | |----------|-------------|---------| | YT_STUDIO_MCP_TOKEN_PATH | Custom path for OAuth token storage | ~/.config/yt-studio-mcp/tokens.json |

MCP Client Setup

Add to your Claude Desktop configuration (claude_desktop_config.json):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "youtube": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "yt-studio-mcp"],
      "env": {
        "GOOGLE_CLIENT_ID": "your-client-id",
        "GOOGLE_CLIENT_SECRET": "your-client-secret"
      }
    }
  }
}

Note: You must complete the OAuth auth flow (step 6 above) before the MCP server can make API calls. Tokens persist across sessions once authenticated.

Available Tools

| Tool | Description | |------|-------------| | youtube_upload | Upload a video to YouTube with metadata. Returns the video ID and URL. Set privacy to 'private' (default) for review before publishing. | | youtube_set_thumbnail | Set a custom thumbnail on a YouTube video. Image must be PNG or JPG, at least 1280x720, and under 2MB. | | youtube_upload_captions | Upload SRT caption tracks to a YouTube video. Supports multiple languages in a single call. At least one English track is required. | | youtube_list_playlists | List all playlists on the authenticated YouTube channel. Returns playlist IDs, titles, descriptions, and video counts. | | youtube_add_to_playlist | Add a YouTube video to one or more playlists. Handles partial failures: returns per-playlist success/error status. | | youtube_create_playlist | Create a new playlist on the authenticated YouTube channel. Returns playlist ID and URL. | | youtube_schedule_livestream | Schedule a YouTube livestream with all metadata and defaults. Binds to a reusable stream (OBS stream key stays the same). Sets Sports category, optional thumbnail/playlist, and attempts monetization with mid-rolls. |

Resources

The server exposes a Publish Workflow resource (resource:///publish-workflow) that provides a step-by-step guide for publishing a complete YouTube video via MCP tools -- covering upload, thumbnail, captions, and playlist attachment.

License

MIT