LiquidCat
Download · Convert · Re-encode
A polished, native desktop workspace for downloading and transforming multimedia—powered by yt-dlp and FFmpeg, without the usual setup friction or WebView bloat.
Features · Screenshots · Installation · Roadmap · Authors
Overview
LiquidCat brings media downloading, conversion and re-encoding into one focused desktop application. Paste a compatible link or select a local file, choose the result you want, and let LiquidCat handle the processing pipeline.
This version is a complete native rewrite from the ground up. Tauri and WebView2 have been completely removed; the interface is now drawn using Rust and Slint, resulting in a snappy, single-executable experience.
[!NOTE]
LiquidCat is lighter than the previous WebView2-based build. Expect around 60 MB at idle in Task Manager on Windows; actual usage varies with the active renderer and theme.
[!NOTE]
LiquidCat is designed for media you own or are authorized to download and process. You are responsible for respecting applicable copyright rules and platform terms.
Features
Download
- Download video or audio from links supported by yt-dlp
- Batch import: paste many links at once or load them from a
.txt
- Choose format, resolution and quality
- Include subtitles, thumbnails and metadata
- Select the destination folder before processing
Convert
- Convert media to MP3, M4A, FLAC and other formats
- Re-encode local video and audio files (pick or drag several at once)
- Use FFmpeg with hardware acceleration (NVENC/AMF/CPU)
- Trim a specific segment without leaving the app
Organize
- Manage multiple jobs through a processing queue
- Review completed and previous jobs in history
- Track each task from preparation to completion in a floating Activity card (with cancel)
- Start with eight built-in presets, including H.264 compatible (best H.264 + AAC with no re-encode, plays everywhere)
- Keep your existing presets and history (fully compatible with the old
config.json)
Finish
- Open the resulting file immediately
- Get notified when a new LiquidCat version is out (Settings → About)
- Jump directly to its destination folder
- Keep the complete workflow inside one interface
- 14 built-in themes (including Catppuccin), each with its own cat icon
- Available in English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, German and Italian
Screenshots
| Downloader | Local files |
|---|
| |
| Paste a link to see a preview, pick the format and download. | Convert several files at once and follow them in the floating Activity card. |
| Queue & activity | Settings |
|---|
| |
| Follow active jobs and revisit completed work. | 14 themes, 6 languages, dependencies and update checks. |
| Credits |
|---|
|
| The people and open-source projects behind LiquidCat. |
Tech stack
| Component | Role |
|---|
| Rust | Core backend, performance, and logic |
| Slint | Native UI toolkit (no WebView required) |
| yt-dlp | Link extraction and media downloads |
| FFmpeg | Conversion, re-encoding, trimming and media processing |
Installation
Windows
- Open the repository's Releases page.
- Download the latest
LiquidCat-0.4.5-windows-x86_64.exe.
- Run
LiquidCat.exe.
Note: Python is not required. LiquidCat automatically downloads and manages its own yt-dlp (kept up to date) and FFmpeg/ffprobe in the background.
Linux and macOS (experimental)
These builds are new and have had little testing. Feedback is very welcome.
- Linux: download
LiquidCat-0.4.5-linux-x86_64.tar.gz (PC) or LiquidCat-0.4.5-linux-aarch64.tar.gz (ARM 64-bit, e.g. Raspberry Pi 4/5), extract it and run ./LiquidCat. Install FFmpeg with your package manager (for example sudo apt install ffmpeg).
- macOS: download
LiquidCat-0.4.5-macos-arm64.zip (Apple Silicon) or LiquidCat-0.4.5-macos-x86_64.zip (Intel), unzip it and move LiquidCat.app to Applications. The app is not notarized, so the first time right-click it and choose Open. Install FFmpeg with brew install ffmpeg.
LiquidCat downloads its own yt-dlp on every platform.
[!IMPORTANT]
Building from source: You will need Rust 1.88+ installed. Simply clone the repository and run cargo build --release.
Alternatively, you can just push the code to GitHub and use the included Build Windows and Build Linux & macOS GitHub Actions to get the builds automatically.
How it works
Link or local file
↓
Choose format, quality and optional extras
↓
LiquidCat prepares the yt-dlp / FFmpeg job
↓
Track progress in the queue
↓
Open the finished file or its destination folder
Roadmap
Roadmap items may change as LiquidCat evolves.
Contributing
Issues and focused pull requests are welcome. Before proposing a large change, open an issue so the scope and expected behavior can be discussed first.
Authors
Built by JuanFX (@xjuanfxx) and Adaki (@notTao).
Acknowledgements
LiquidCat is made possible by the excellent work behind yt-dlp, FFmpeg, Slint, Skia and the Catppuccin color palette.
License
LiquidCat is free software, released under the GNU General Public License v3.0 (GPL-3.0-only). See LICENSE for the full text. You can use, study, share and modify it; if you distribute a modified version, it must stay under the same license and include its source code.
Third-party components keep their own licenses:
- Slint (user interface) is used under the GPL-3.0.
- Skia (graphics engine used by Slint) is under the BSD 3-Clause license.
- Poppins fonts are bundled under the SIL Open Font License 1.1 (
assets/fonts/OFL.txt).
- yt-dlp (Unlicense) and FFmpeg (GPL) are not bundled: LiquidCat downloads them from their official sources on first run.
- The Rust libraries LiquidCat is built on use permissive licenses (MIT, Apache-2.0, BSD, ISC, Zlib and similar).
Crafted with glass, color and a little bit of cat energy.
