ARTICLE AD BOX
I am developing a cross-platform video downloading service supporting platforms like YouTube, Twitter (X), and TikTok. Currently, the typical approach is using a backend server with yt-dlp or similar libraries to resolve video URLs.
However, we are facing two major challenges with the server-side resolution approach:
IP Rate Limiting/Blocking: Major platforms frequently block server/datacenter IP ranges.
Scalability & Cost: Processing every extraction request on the server consumes significant CPU and bandwidth as traffic grows.
I am looking for a way to move the resolution/parsing logic to the client-side (browser) so that the extraction happens using the user's own network and resources.
What I've considered:
WebAssembly (WASM): Is it feasible to compile yt-dlp (Python-based) or a similar C++/Rust-based extractor to WASM to run directly in the browser?
Browser Extensions: I understand extensions can bypass CORS, but I'm looking for a web-based (HTML5/JS) solution if possible.
CORS Proxies: Using a lightweight proxy just for the initial metadata request, then parsing the response on the client.
My Questions:
Are there any existing Javascript-based libraries that can parse video manifests (like DASH/HLS) or extract direct video URLs for these platforms without a heavy backend?
How can I handle CORS (Cross-Origin Resource Sharing) restrictions when fetching video metadata directly from the user's browser?
If a full client-side solution isn't possible, what is the best practice for a "hybrid" architecture that keeps server costs at a minimum?
